The Premier League contenders had a big chance this week and only Man City took advantage
With Chelsea and Liverpool set to play on Tuesday, the Premier League's other four contenders had to be licking their chops. Someone was dropping points. And if they got lucky, Chelsea and Liverpool would draw, dealing both teams a blow. It was the perfect chance to make up ground in the title and top four race.
Well, the Blues and Reds delivered, drawing 1-1. But the problem is only one team took advantage.
Arsenal lost at home to Watford. Manchester United drew at home with Hull. Tottenham drew away to Sunderland. Those were all matches that the league's top teams would be expected to win -- especially Arsenal and United -- but none of them managed it.
Of the Premier League's top six teams, only Manchester City walked away with three points. They were dominant in a 4-0 win at West Ham. It was the thorough beatdown you would expect from a good, talented team playing for a spot in Europe and knowing they had a chance to make up ground. But the same couldn't be said of everyone else.
The two days of chaos left Chelsea still sitting pretty atop the table with a nine-point cushion on Tottenham and Arsenal, who did nothing to increase ground on the challengers beneath them. Now Manchester City are even with Liverpool, just a point back of the North London rivals, while United are back in sixth place, four points back of the Citizens. It's a mess, one that will likely only get messier because nobody seems capable of taking advantage of an opportunity.
The top of the Premier League -- Chelsea aside -- has been like this for most of the season, though. Every time we think that the top teams are really good, they let us down like this. How can you excuse Arsenal conceding twice at home in the early moments against 13th place Watford and slumping to a loss? Or Manchester United failing to beat lowly Hull at home? Even Spurs, whose draw at Sunderland is hardly a bad result, didn't exactly light the world on fire. The top of the Premier League doesn't really look so good.
Then again, the top of the Premier League is stronger than it's been in years. Chelsea really are an extraordinary squad, while a league being able to go six deep with legitimately good teams is exceedingly rare. How do you balance that against the results we saw on Tuesday and Wednesday? Good luck trying to figure that one out.
In the meantime, all that's left is for the teams to do is look ahead to the weekend. Chelsea and Arsenal play in the first match on Saturday, meaning that by the time the other four teams take the field, at least one contender will have dropped points and maybe even two of them. It will be a chance for them all to make up ground. More than one of them might actually do just that this time.
