This season’s Premier League title race is the closest since the 2001/02 campaign – with just three points separating Liverpool in first and Tottenham in fifth.
But Jurgen Klopp’s side can open up a three-point gap on Aston Villa in second if they beat struggling Newcastle at Anfield on New Year’s Day. Liverpool fans are expecting a victory against the Magpies, who have lost four of their last five Premier League games.
No team has managed to pull away from the pack so far this season. Liverpool and surprise package Aston Villa (both on 42 points) lead the title race, with champions Manchester City in third and Arsenal in fourth (both on 40 points) also in contention.
Tottenham are also keeping up with the pace on 39 points after their 3-1 win against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve, with Arsenal losing 2-1 at Fulham on the same day. Crucially, both Liverpool and City have a game in hand on Villa, the Gunners and Spurs.
City’s game in hand is against Brentford, as their December fixture was postponed to allow Pep Guardiola’s side to play in the Club World Cup – a competition they won for the first time. Liverpool’s game in hand is the New Year’s Day clash against Newcastle.
The Premier League’s top five are the closest they’ve been going into the new year for 22 years. The table looked very different then, with Arsenal and Newcastle (both on 39 points) leading the way. Leeds, who are now in the Championship, sat in third on 38 points.
Liverpool, who had a game in hand on everyone else, sat in fourth on 37 points, while Manchester United were one spot further back on 36 points. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal went on to win the title that season by a staggering seven points.
The only time the top five have been separated by fewer points on New Year’s Day since the introduction of three points for a win was during the 1981/82 campaign, the rule’s inaugural season in England. Before then, only two points were awarded for a victory.
Manchester City lead that title race on 34 points, with Southampton in second and Swansea in third (both on 33 points). Manchester United sat in fourth on 32 points, with Ipswich in fifth boasting the same total. Ipswich had FOUR games in hand on the leaders.
Remarkably, none of those five teams won the title in May 1982, as Liverpool came from nowhere to become champions of England once again. There was even a four-point gap between Bob Paisley’s title winners and Bobby Robson’s Ipswich.
Liverpool will be hoping for more success this time around, but Klopp isn’t getting carried away. “That (getting 42 points) is really pleasing, that’s really cool because the first part of the season is done,” he said after their Boxing Day win against Burnley.
“It was absolutely all right what we did. Not perfect, but all right. It keeps us now that we cannot be more than a point away from the top of the table if Arsenal win (which they didn’t), that’s within punching distance.”
