Premier League Table Week 11: Clubs That Must Bounce Back Fast

The English Premier League table for the 2013-14 season remains tightly contested as Matchday 11 approaches, with Arsenal still reigning superior atop the standings with 25 points.

While there is some distance between Arsene Wenger's Gunners and the next wave of clubs, there isn't much separation in the top 10. Three are tied for second place with 20 points, while three others are in joint fifth, separated by only one point.

That makes for some compelling football to come.

Given the incredible closeness of the current table, there are teams coming off losses that must bounce back in short order so as not to lose ground.

Pos.	Club	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1	Arsenal	10	8	1	1	13	25
2	Chelsea	10	6	2	2	8	20
3	Liverpool	10	6	2	2	7	20
4	Tottenham Hotspur	10	6	2	2	4	20
5	Manchester City	10	6	1	3	17	19
6	Southampton	10	5	4	1	7	19
7	Everton	10	5	4	1	4	19
8	Manchester United	10	5	2	3	4	17
9	Newcastle United	10	4	2	4	-2	14
10	Hull City	10	4	2	4	-2	14
11	West Bromwich Albion	10	3	4	3	0	13
12	Cardiff City	10	3	3	4	-4	12
13	Swansea City	10	3	2	4	0	11
14	Aston Villa	10	3	2	5	-3	11
15	West Ham United	10	2	4	4	0	10
16	Fulham	10	3	1	6	-5	10
17	Stoke City	10	2	3	5	-4	9
18	Norwich City	10	2	2	6	-14	8
19	Sunderland	10	1	1	8	-15	4
20	Crystal Palace	10	1	0	9	-15	3

Chelsea

Manager Jose Mourinho has a strict style of coaching which produces undeniable results but can cause friction.

A 2-0 road loss to Newcastle United snapped Chelsea's six-game winning streak. Mourinho intimated that his club failed to keep the foot on the proverbial gas and fell into bad habits that didn't surface as much in the midst of their impressive recent run, per The World Game:

"

When you win a lot, you cannot forget why you win. You cannot think that you win just because you have a nice shirt or you are on a good run or you are in a lucky moment. When you think that, you are in trouble. You never can forget why you are winning matches and maybe we forgot.

I hope now they don't forget why they won a lot of matches and why they lost against Newcastle. If they have that clear in their minds we are fine.

"

That's where captain centre-back John Terry can help. He's seen just about every scenario imaginable in his storied career and can help the Blues right the ship.

A Champions League clash with FC Schalke 04 stands between Chelsea and their next EPL fixture with West Bromwich Albion. That could factor into how effective Mourinho's club is after that difficult showdown.

West Brom's only loss since Matchday 3 was to Liverpool, so even though the Blues play host to the Baggies, it will be key to reassert themselves by notching a victory at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool

Star striker Luis Suarez and the Reds were shut out 2-0 by the front-running Gunners in their most recent encounter, which thwarted a bid to take sole command of first place.

That missed chance is sure to sting. But Liverpool cannot afford to let it linger into Saturday's home contest at Anfield against Fulham, who are desperately seeking momentum as they hover near the relegation zone in 16th.

Even with Matchday 10's clean sheet, the Reds still have one of the most powerful attacks in the league. They have a formidable scoring duo in Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who have combined for 14 goals in 15 games.

Despite their brilliance, Sturridge deflects the praise the two have been getting and chooses to recognize his teammates, per LiverpoolFC.com:

"

We get on well and that's the most important thing. There is no rivalry there, no hidden agendas. We both go out and work hard to help the team. It's not about the SAS strike-force, it's about the team. The players behind us work so hard, they make our jobs easy really. We just try to do what we do best.

"

That type of leadership and maturity from the 24-year-old should help hold the Reds together in the midst of a legitimate run for the EPL trophy.

However, it will all be mere talk if Liverpool don't come back strong after the defeat at Emirates Stadium.

Southampton

After working their way back into the EPL after a seven-season hiatus, the Saints placed a respectable 14th in last year's table. Now they are becoming a force to be reckoned with, tied with Manchester City and Everton for fifth.

As encouraging as that progress is, Southampton suffered a letdown this past Saturday at Britannia Stadium, managing only one point against a struggling Stoke City in a 1-1 draw.

Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic cleared the ball out of his end in the opening moments of the match, and it somehow went over the head of his counterpart Artur Boruc:

The Saints did recover and knotted the score in the 42nd minute thanks to a goal from Jay Rodriguez, but they weren't able to capitalize on a golden opportunity to pull out three points.

Matchday 11 presents a fixture with Hull City on the friendly grounds of St. Mary's Stadium, where it will be critical for Southampton to maintain their momentum by getting the home win.