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'Title fight looking likely': Premier League back at its best in 2021-22

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Roar Rookie
10th November, 2021
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As we enter the last international break of the calendar year, the Premier League looks set to produce one of its best seasons in recent years.

The top four are separated by just the four points and the powerhouses are producing some of their best football in years. Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool all look like the best teams in the world on their day and I expect we’ll see the three of them battling it out into the final few match days of the season for the title.

Arsenal seem to be on the way up and are looking the best they have been since Arsene Wenger’s departure in 2018, which is frustrating for someone who doesn’t support Arsenal, but for the league as a whole, it is good to see one of the prominent clubs producing quality football.

Manchester United are a club in shambles with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job coming under increased scrutiny. That been said, even with no identity to their style of play, and a defence as shaky as a skyscraper during an earthquake, they do have a certain Portuguese attacker who has the ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat anytime he steps on the football pitch.

While Manchester United have struggled for consistency, Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to prove why he is one of the most clutch players in the history of the sport, bailing out the Red Devils out on multiple occasions already this season.

Ronaldo is the man for the big moment (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

West Ham have continued to defy expectations and are another example of mid-table clubs being able to take the step up and break into the top six, something which seemed far out of reach until Leicester broke the stranglehold that the big six have had on European spots.

What makes West Ham’s meteoric rise in the last year is the fact that they were staring down the barrel of relegation just 18 months ago.

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Declan Rice is playing like one of the best midfielders on the league and even without the Jesse Lingard X-factor that they had in the second half of last season, they are still a threat in attack, managing to put three goals past one of the best defences in football at the moment.

The Hammers are proving that last season wasn’t a fluke and that they have what it takes to be a competitive outfit.

I expect to see them challenged by Leicester and Tottenham for the final few European spots at the end of the season, not too dissimilar to the last campaign.

For Leicester City, the return of Wesley Fofana and James Justin cannot come soon enough as their defensive woes continue to put a dent in their European aspirations and remain a top-six club.

They are currently sitting in 12th, although in attack they look good enough to beat anyone on any given day. Jamie Vardy is continuing to be a Fox in the box, while Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka are both proving themselves as quality strike partners.

If Brendan Rodgers can plug the leaks at the back and improve the side from set pieces, then I expect to see them skyrocketing back up the table in a matter of time.

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Tottenham under Antonio Conte could be a sleeping giant considering the attacking talent they have; however, they could also do a Tottenham and shoot themselves in the foot. It wasn’t too long ago that I thought the Spurs would be a title contender under José Mourinho – we all know how that ended.

The Premier League is at its most entertaining it has been in years with a title fight looking likely and with any club seeming more than capable of picking up a win on any given day. Well, most teams. Looking at you, Norwich and Newcastle.

However, the new takeover and manager for Newcastle means it won’t be long until we see them being competitive as well. Sadly, however, I can’t say the same for Norwich.

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