Fourth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

From Pretenders to Contenders: Manchester City emerged as genuine Premiership contenders by comprehensively beating Arsenal. The match-up was significant – not just because Man City are likely to be Arsenal’s main competitors for that final Champions League spot – but also because of the contrast in team-building philosophies. One club has been rather stingy of late in the transfer market; the other would probably pay 10 million for your granny if she can shoot straight.  (Guess which one is which)

Every minute counts: When Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe stunned United fans with a blinding scissors kick barely 60 seconds into the match, you could be excused for thinking that this might be Spurs’ year. But a match is more than a minute long, and Manchester United used the next 89 minutes to conduct a dispiriting dismantling of Harry Redknapp’s once-hopeful side. Chelsea, meanwhile, notched their third come-from-behind victory of the season by scoring each of their goals against Stoke City in what was a generous 13 minutes of stoppage time.

Portsmouth are going down: Granted, it was only the club’s fifth match of the season, but their match against Bolton on Saturday was essentially a relegation six-pointer since both will surely be scrapping it out at the bottom of the table come the spring. Portsmouth desperately need to get points from games like that if they have any prayer of staying up. As it is, Portsmouth have played five and lost five – the club’s worst ever start to a season in their 111-year history.

The growing gap between top and bottom: There have been just three draws in 46 Premier League games so far. While we have yet to confirm whether this represents an all-time low at this stage of the season, it has already created a disconcerting 15-point gap between the top and the bottom of the table. If the trend continues, this could become the least-competitive set of 20 clubs in the Premier League in recent memory – despite preseason predictions that more clubs were within shout of honors than ever before.

West Ham and Blackburn fought out one of the few stalemates

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Related articles:

First Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Second Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Third Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Premiership Predictions