Maddison should be one of those carrying the greatest threat for Tottenham. — Reuters
MANCHESTER City are back to winning ways and have resoundingly rubbished suggestions that they are no longer in the race to finish in the top four, which secures an automatic berth in the UEFA Champions League.
They are travelling to Crystal Palace today for a match they should win. And if they do, it will strengthen their position among the front runners for a league title that would see them claim an unprecedented fifth straight Premiership crown.
Chelsea, second behind Liverpool who have a seven-point cushion at the summit, should have their title credentials tested again when they visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for what is likely to be a hotly contested London derby.
Arsenal, pre-season favourites of many, are third behind the Blues on goal aggregate and will be just as keen to maintain their own title aspirations with the right result in another derby in the capital at Fulham.
Champions City ended a run of seven games without a win in all competitions when they comfortably saw off Nottingham Forest in midweek.
That fixture preceded talk of them missing out on the top four, never mind not retaining England’s biggest prize in football.
They destroyed that thought like an elephant stamping on an ant with the win over Forest.
It moved Pep Guardiola’s wounded warriors onto 26 points and into fourth spot from fifth – just two points behind Chelsea and Arsenal.
Against Palace, one would expect City to put on a show like they did in midweek – a sleek and comprehensive display of attacking football.
Kevin De Bruyne was in the sort of form that made him among the best in the world not so long ago.
A repeat of that showing could well turn the tables on a Palace outfit that seems to flourish in spurts.
Indeed, if the Eagles start slowly and their visitors hit the road running as they did against Forest, Oliver Glasner’s charges could be in for a torrid afternoon.
Chelsea will want to make sure they too start strong and keep Tottenham on the back foot.
Enzo Maresca’s side have not lost in the league since Liverpool on Oct 20 or in any competition since the Carabao League Cup defeat at the hands of Newcastle a week later.
In their last four outings across all competitions, Chelsea have not scored fewer than two in a game and conceded just two goals in all, while knocking in 12.
Since the beginning of September, the Blues have scored 48 goals – on six occasions during that period, they scored four goals or more and conceded 16 while registering six clean sheets.
By all accounts, that’s good football, and it’s no surprise that they are up to second in the Premiership and top the 36-team UEFA Conference League table with a goal aggregate of plus-15.
Centre striker Nicolas Jackson and midfield supremos Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer have been standouts of the Blues this season – against Spurs they’ll be expected to shine again.
Son Heung-min, Cristian Romero and James Maddison will probably carry the greatest threat for Tottenham as they endeavour to bounce back after the drawn fixture against Fulham, and lift them from eighth on the table.
Fulham will want to build on that result and put Arsenal to the sword tomorrow. They too will look to their 12th place in the standings as underachieving and aim to improve on it.
The Gunners are huge favourites to win it, but will they? And will City see off Palace as many expect, and Chelsea do the same at Spurs?
It’s all so finely poised, making it all the more intriguing as things really start cooking in the league.
