With just over a month of the football season remaining, it seems like Tottenham have a late chance in the title race. All eyes were on Old Trafford on Sunday, as Manchester United pulled off a 2-0 victory over leaders Chelsea. It was revenge for Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho, who found the perfect tactical set-up to nullify Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation. Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera made the difference, keeping United in the fight for the top four. As for Chelsea, they now need five wins from their final six games to be sure of the title.
Five wins isn’t a huge ask for the Blues side which won 13 straight games earlier this term, but the team at Old Trafford looked far from that standard. A lot of the blame must lie with Antonio Conte, who spent Sunday pensively staring from the touchline. The Italian failed to deal with the absence of Marcos Alonso, which left Eden Hazard isolated without a wing-back overlapping him. This was clear early on, but Conte’s first real change came five minutes after United’s second.
Substitutions are something he’s struggled with all season, as he leaves his changes far too late. Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down at home to Liverpool after 36 minutes in September, yet Conte’s first change came with six minutes to play. That has to be a worry with a huge meeting with Tottenham to come on Saturday.
Tottenham show title credentials
Chelsea’s slip meant Tottenham finished the weekend just four points off the top, following a 4-0 win over Bournemouth. The Cherries were completely outclassed at White Hart Lane, as Spurs moved closer to the top. However, they are still some way from the title, as they’re going to need two slip ups for the leaders in the final six games. While Mauricio Pochettino’s men are in great form, it feels like they’ve left it too late to really get going.
To make matters worse for Tottenham, they don’t have the easiest final few games. They’ll have to win six from six to have any chance of stopping Chelsea, but that’s going to be a tall order. Spurs head to Crystal Palace, West Ham, Leicester and Hull in the final stages of the season. Three of those are in great form, making them difficult trips. Their final two home matches pit them against Arsenal and Manchester United, so we might not have a title race just yet.
A potential revival for Arsenal makes that upcoming north London derby even more difficult for Tottenham. The Gunners are visiting White Hart Lane for the final time, and they’ll want to leave with a victory. Following their 2-1 win at Middlesbrough, they might have a shot. Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil gave them a victory at the Riverside, boosting their hopes of catching fourth placed Manchester City. They’re now seven points off fourth with a game in hand, which keeps them in the picture for the time-being.
City strengthen top four hopes
Climbing back into the top four at this stage is going to be difficult, after City recorded an impressive 3-0 win at Southampton. Vincent Kompany marked his return with the opening goal, while Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero also found the net. It was yet another impressive result for City, who seem to be finding their feet. Now that they’ve had months under Pep Guardiola, and with a full week to prepare for each fixture, they seem to be finally reaching his level.
However, City still aren’t on Liverpool’s level, who stayed in third after a 1-0 win at West Brom. It certainly wasn’t a thrilling game, but Roberto Firmino’s winner means that the Reds have now ground out back to back away wins without playing well. That’s a great sign for their Champions League push. Despite that win, they’re still just six points ahead of United having played two more games. There could be a late challenge from the Red Devils, especially judging by their result this weekend.
It’s not just Liverpool who are aiming to bring European football to Merseyside, as Everton stayed within seven points of fourth. The Toffees won 3-1 at home against Burnley, with Romelu Lukaku amongst the goals again. He’s keeping them in contention for the top four, which partially explains the £100 million price tag which Everton have slapped on him.
Nerves growing at the bottom
At the other end of the table, Crystal Palace continued their fantastic dash from danger with a 2-2 draw with Leicester. That’s another blow for Craig Shakespeare’s Foxes, who seem to have lost their momentum. However, the Eagles are now seven points above the drop zone, alongside Bournemouth. That’s enough to see those two sides as safe, making it another job well done for Sam Allardyce.
The relegation fight is now down to two sides, and Hull didn’t do much for their chances as they lost 3-1 at Stoke. The highlight of this one was a sensational effort from Xherdan Shaqiri. He rounded off the victory with a goal from 30 yards out, after Peter Crouch put them ahead. Marko Arnautovic had put the Potters ahead, before Hull equalised. That continues Hull’s awful record on the road, which has seen them fail to win every league trip since beating Swansea in August.
Hull were lucky that Swansea also blew their chance to claim some vital away points. The Swans suffered a 1-0 defeat at Watford, a side who went in to the weekend without a huge amount to play for. That’s left things tight between the final two relegation candidates, while Sunderland moved closer to the drop. Their 2-2 draw with West Ham saw the Black Cats score for the first time in over two months, but they’re nine points from safety and seemingly doomed to get relegated to the Championship.