Halfway through this season of the Premier League, the top division of British soccer, the race to win the league seemed more competitive than ever before. When 19 games had been played eight points separated the top seven teams, most of them appeared to be genuine title contenders. Fast forward only a few weeks, and the circumstances have changed drastically. Today, 16 points separate the first and seventh-placed teams, and, with a game in hand, Manchester City is topping the table seven points clear of Manchester United in second place.
Let's take a look at what has changed in the few weeks since we passed the halfway line of the season, and if anyone can challenge Manchester City.
Several Favorites in Crisis
One of the main reasons Manchester City has managed to create a gap between themselves and chasing teams during the last couple of match weeks is because several of their main rivals have underperformed, while they have gone through a perfect run of games.
Reigning champions, Liverpool, and hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, are examples of teams that have struggled heavily after starting the season impressively. If you visit betting sites today and compare the odds on either of the teams winning the league, you will see that the odds are much higher now than when we were a few games into the season. Considering the terrible form of, especially Tottenham and Liverpool, the fans of those teams have likely turned to a casino online instead of the betting sites. All so that they don't have to see further proof of the demise of their favorite teams.
The two teams closest to Manchester City in the table, Manchester United and Leicester City, are seven points behind the leader. Neither of those teams should be counted out of the title race just yet – they have several impressive results behind them this season, and they have proved that they can challenge any team in the league.
According to bookies, Manchester United and Leicester are indeed the two teams with the most significant chance of putting pressure on Manchester City. With that said, if they are actually to stand a chance in reality, they better hope that Manchester City's impressive run of games comes to an end sooner rather than later.
On Their Way to A Historical Run of Games
Although it is true that many of Manchester City's opponents have struggled in the last couple of weeks, the main reason the team is quickly killing all the suspense in the league is their excellent form. At this moment, Manchester City has 11 consecutive wins in the Premier League and its been 15 games in a row without a loss. Their string of successes means they are slowly closing in on their record of 18 consecutive victories (a record they share with Liverpool).
Unless anything genuinely unexpected happens, the only teams that seem to have a standing chance of challenging Manchester City are Manchester United and Leicester City. Then again, if Manchester City continues putting in shifts as impressive as they have in the last couple of months, no other team will stand a chance.
The underwhelming performances of several teams, and Manchester City's impressive form, is quickly turning what first looked to develop into an unusually competitive season, into a one-horse race.
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