Premier League Round-Up: Arsenal and Chelsea Held, City on the Upswing
01/05/2025 12:33 AM
The results after Saturday's fixtures leave Liverpool in prime position to put even greater distance between themselves and their most likely rivals in the title race.
Liverpool closed out 2024 in the best possible way: with a big win and their nearest rivals in the Premier League title race dropping points. On Saturday, Arsenal and Chelsea would get a chance to kick 2025 off in a fashion different to how they closed the previous year. Meanwhile, Liverpool return to action tomorrow with Manchester United paying Anfield a visit for another iteration of the Manchester Derby and got to use today to tune into what came of the Gunners and the Blues' respective fixtures.
Unfortunately for the London-based clubs, it was another case of dropped points. Both Arsenal and Chelsea saw 1 goal leads evaporate to Brighton and Crystal Palace respectively, with both fixtures ending 1-1. This means that Liverpool have the opportunity to extend their lead over Arsenal to 8 points with a match in-hand.
Title talk doesn't really begin to be real until March, but Liverpool will have to relish the opportunity to increase their lead at the expense of their greatest ever rivals. And for most of us having lived through those successive seasons watching the title come down to the wire against Manchester City, a Liverpool title win that's done at more of a canter would be welcome.
Still, there's a reason we postpone title dreams until later and that's because results like City's 4-1 win over West Ham, which means Pep Guardiola's side have now won 2 matches in a row for the first time since October. This may not mean much with the Citizens 11 points off the pace at the moment, but the specter of a City that may be picking itself off the mat isn't good for other teams in the league.
All told, it was a good run of results for the Reds with the only item on the brief to get the full three points. This Reds team knows what it's like to put on their own streak of positive results - Nottingham Forest aside, we are watching them do it again, this time under Arne Slot. Continuing that will mean, sooner and not later, the other teams no longer can bank on remaining perfect, but they'll necessarily require an abject run of form from the Reds to match. Here's hoping that dip in form never comes.
