Barclays Premier League: Who Is Top of the Pile in London?

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about a supposed "power shift" in Manchester football. City appear to be the most likely to take the Premier League title and end the dominance United have had in Manchester for years.

But there is another power struggle further south this season, with the balance of power perhaps switching again.

For years, Arsenal were the top club in London, dominating in both League and Cup.

Then, when Roman Abramovich ushered in a new era at Chelsea, Blue was the colour of success in the capital.

This season has been a little different. With both Arsenal and Chelsea faltering this year, Spurs have stepped up to fly the flag for London.

Can this last?

Will Spurs keep up this impressive run, or will one of their rivals take the reins and stamp their authority? 

Tottenham Hotspur

What a year it's been for the boys from N17.

Third in the league and not looking like they're dropping down, this is the best Spurs side we have seen in the Premier League era.

The shrewdest team in the last transfer window, the signings of Friedel, Parker and Adebayor look to be genius.

And with Modric and Bale both on fire at the moment, Spurs have one of the strongest midfields in the league.

Their current form has even conjured up talk of title ambitions—mostly from Harry Redknapp and Spurs fans, but still, it's nice to be in a position to do so.

Seven points behind the leaders is not an impossible task, but it's a difficult one.

In previous seasons, Spurs have sometimes had difficulty attracting "marquee" signings. But with promise of a Champions League place and joining a club on the up, we might see more big names at White Hart Lane this year. 

Chelsea

It has been a peculiar last few months at Stamford Bridge.

The excitement of Andre Villas-Boas' arrival has worn off, and Chelsea fans are left not really knowing what to make of the season so far.

After a fairly impressive start—losing only one in eight—Chelsea looked to be well in with their normal shot at the title.

Then the trademark midseason blip, losing three of their next four games.

AVB has made obvious changes in Chelsea's game. Looking slick going forward, with Mata and Meireles adding more creative spark and Daniel Sturridge finding his scoring boots, there have been positives.

But looking like a Sunday league side at times in defence, goals have been leaked at crucial times.

Still in a top four position and through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, all is not lost, but the title is almost certainly now out of their reach.

Knowing Chelsea, they will spend big in January to try and cement a Champions League place.

But with four teams all fighting for those places, it's not going to be straightforward.

Arsenal

The less said about Arsenal's start to the season the better.

Lets just say it wasn't one of their best.

When Nasri and Fabregas both departed the club in the summer, eyebrows were raised.

And when Arsenal stalled at the start of the season, they were raised even higher.

Since the 8-2 drubbing they received at the hands of Manchester United, Arsenal have had a huge turnaround in fortunes.

Headed by Robin van Persie, Arsenal have gotten themselves back to a respectable position in the league table, now just a point behind Chelsea.

Arsenal certainly need strengthening in defence and midfield. A striker to take some of the goalscoring pressure off van Persie wouldn't do them any harm, either.

If they can get together a strong squad and stay consistent, Arsenal could get on an impressive run of results.

Verdict

With all three teams only five points apart in the league, it's difficult to say who will end up on top.

If all teams continue in their current form, Spurs will win the battle of London at a canter—but that is a big "if."

Although the current Spurs side look strong in all departments, one or two injuries to key players and they could be a very different side.

Of course injuries will have a negative impact on any side, but if Bale or Modric were to get injured, it is difficult to see where the goals will come from.

As Villas-Boas sculpts his new side and the players settle in to his tactics and ideas, Chelsea, surely, can only improve.

The Blues can still attract the biggest names, perhaps more so than Arsenal and Tottenham, and have the money to do so.

If even one of the names they are linked with arrives, they could have even more world-class talent to ignite the league with.

Arsenal need to improve, because even though they are getting results, they don't look like the Arsenal of seasons gone by. The defence is lacking stability, and they will need to firm up these issues to stay in touch with the teams around them.

In conclusion, I would say that despite recent results, Chelsea are still the top dogs in the capital at the moment. Purely for the quality running all the way through their squad and their spending power and position as a top European footballing force.

But the Premier League is never as we expect, so a surprise is surely in store.