Premier League: One strange season that threatens status quo in English football

One strange season that threatens status quo in English football as this erratic season is proving even crazier and we’re not even halfway yet

 

150 and counting! Harry Kane celebrates after a late winner against Westbrom on Sunday. (Photo credit: Premierleague.com)

The English premier league is widely regarded as the hardest in the world, it’s hard to win and even harder to retain, this erratic season is proving even crazier and we’re not even halfway yet.

 By this time last season, Liverpool already peeled away from the rest of the bunch, 100% record at this stage, and eight whooping points clear of Leicester in second, in actual fact, they led from week two till the very end.

It’s a pandemic year and so much look different, from economic situations to clubs’ inability to fund transfers, the transfer window that saw more loan deals than any time else and mutual contract terminations.

And now in the premier league, Southampton were on top for a while over the weekend.

Leicester are on top of the league with 18 points from eight games, Spurs and the champions are next on 17 and Ralph Hassenhuttl’s Saints wrap up the top four, usually at this stage, some traditional names make up the top four but some of them aren’t even anywhere near the top ten.

Before the turn of the decade, the top four used to be made of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, with occasional intrusion from the likes of Spurs, Everton, Manchester City and Leicester after their historic Premier League triumph in 2015/2016 season.

The top six is separated by just three points, this is the first time in history that the margin is this meagre after eight games albeit with City, United, Burnley and Villa all with a game in hand, that notwithstanding won’t change the look of the table in terms of differences.

Manchester United lost their dominance the day they saw the back of Sir Alex Ferguson through the Old Trafford door.

Even though he has seen majority of their games right from the stands, he hasn’t been able to inspire them to the old glory days that were synonymous with the team.

Chelsea are transiting as always, never had a manager for more than three years since they became relevant after Roman Abrahamovic took over.

They look the part sometimes but can be fragile at the back, they will need consistency to break into the current top four.

Manchester City with their game in hand could move only up to 5th and that’s if they score tons of goals as they only have a differential of +1 as against Villa’s +9 in 5th.

We know it’s not beyond City but they have been struggling to find the net, with Aguero off form and Gabriel Jesus inconsistent.

Tottenham look like what Mourinho wants them to look like, there’s no stopping them as we speak as long as Harry Kane keeps scoring.

The Englishman hit club 150 over the weekend and he leads the table but when he’s not scoring, what happens to Spurs? He has a hand in 90% of their goals this season.

Arsenal looked like they were going to join the conversation until the meltdown that happened at the Emirates against Aston Villa.

Most headlines would favor the Villans and you’d wonder if they played Sheffield or Fulham, you guessed wrong, they destroyed Arsenal and are very much dangerous to play.

Aston Villa will not be among the teams to fight for relegation at this stage, they have a team that can beat anyone, must you be reminded, they have beaten Liverpool, Leicester, and Arsenal and it’s just only round 8!

The season is young but it might need some DNA to prove it actually belongs to the premier league family. 

Southampton under the German tactician have picked points in hopeless places, they have humbled Everton and silenced Chelsea even in a draw, what would you make of them?

This is one hell of a season, we watch from distance, in awe, and hope it keeps destroying the bookies’ projections to managers’ consternation and to the neutrals’ delight… Bring it on!