We have officially reached the halfway point of the Premier League season and this year’s title race looks set to be the most dramatic in years.
Liverpool
Liverpool will head into 2024 at the top of the table and will be looking to build on their slim two-point lead.
Boasting the best defensive record in the league, Liverpool have tasted defeat just once all season with that defeat coming in incredibly controversial circumstances against Tottenham.
At the top end of the pitch Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo have all chipped in with vital goals but it’s Mohammed Salah who remains the most vital cog in the team.
Liverpool’s main goal scoring threat, Salah will miss most of January due to his African Cup of Nations commitments. With tricky league fixtures against Newcastle, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Arsenal, this next set of games will be vital. If the Reds can come through this period unscathed, they will have a great chance of winning their second Premier League title.
Arsenal
Viewed as Man City’s biggest challengers, for the second consecutive season Arsenal find themselves firmly in the title mix.
Difficult matches against Liverpool and West Ham over the Christmas period only yielded one point and they saw their position at the top of the table usurped by Liverpool.
Looking to bounce back, January and February offer the chance for the Gunners to pick up plenty of points with games against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest all looking winnable. After their most turbulent spell of the season, they will be looking for maximum points to keep their title bid firmly on track.
Aston Villa
Despite suffering a heart-breaking loss against Manchester United, Villa remain firmly locked in the title conversation. The key to Villa’s success has been their home form with the Villains currently boasting the best home record in the league.
January and February shouldn’t hold any fears as Villa have matches against Burnley, Everton, Newcastle and Sheffield Utd. This run of fixtures will be key as Unai Emery will have to carefully balance his squad ahead of their Europa Conference League campaign resuming.
Manchester City
Despite not being in festive action due to their Club World Cup commitments, Manchester City fans would have loved what they saw as all their main title rivals ended up dropping crucial points.
Although they have ground to make up, they remain firmly in striking distance and are still the favourites for Premier League glory with most UK betting sites.
Worryingly for the rest of the league, Kevin De Bruyne is close to a return and Erling Haaland should return to action soon after suffering a niggling foot injury. Games against Sheffield United, Newcastle, Burnley and Brentford should yield maximum returns and should see City primed for a serious title challenge as the second half of the season begins.