Premier League Power Rankings 2014 Week 34: Examining Each EPL Club
Manchester City still hold the cards in the race for the Premier League title despite Liverpoolโs ninth win on the bounce, but that will change if they're beaten by the Reds at Anfield this weekend.
Another comfortable home win for Jose Mourinhoโs Chelsea side sees them perched nicely for the run-in, although, unlike their rivals, the Blues need results to go their way.
At the opposite end of the table, a debilitating home loss for Ole Gunnar Solskjaerโs Cardiff side could see the trap door to the championship opening fairly soon.
Letโs take a look at where the power has shifted across the division as we head into Week 34 of the Premier League season.
1. Manchester City (3rd, 70 pts.)
Manuel Pellegriniโs side are still in the box seat for Premier League success after their comfortable 4-1 win over Mauricio Pochettinoโs Southampton side.
David Silva was clearly offside when setting up Samir Nasri for Cityโs second goal, but that shouldnโt take away from the performance against one of the best passing sides in the EPL.
They head into the game of Week 34 against Liverpool knowing that three points will go a long way to having the title returned to the Etihad Stadium.
2. Liverpool (1st, 74 pts.)
What a run Brendan Rodgersโ side find themselves on at the moment. Nine wins in a row have taken Liverpool out on their own at the top of the table.
They were made to work for the three points in East London, with West Ham representing far tougher opposition than might have been predicted beforehand.
Captain Steven Gerrard is certainly getting some penalty practice in ahead of the World Cup, and his work rate was one of the chief reasons the Reds left Upton Park with a win.
A win against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday will shift the power firmly into Liverpoolโs domain.
Can Rodgersโ side make it a perfect 10?
3. Chelsea (2nd, 72 pts.)
Jose Mourinhoโs Chelsea side sit contentedly in second place in the league knowing that a win at Swansea followed by a draw between Liverpool and Manchester City will put the Blues joint top.
Their crunch match would surely then become the titanic Week 36 tussle at Anfield.
Dispatching the Welsh side shouldnโt cause too many problems for Mourinhoโs men. Swansea have won only three Premier League games since the turn of the year, and all have been against the teams around them in the table.
An easy 3-0 win against a robust Stoke City side at the weekend was enlivened by a stunning performance from Mohamed Salah. His goal, assist and general all-around play could well give the Portuguese some food for thought in the final few games of the season.
4. Everton (5th, 63 pts.)
If there is one moment that defines Evertonโs season, it is Romelu Lukakuโs celebration after scoring the Toffees' second goal against Arsene Wengerโs fading Arsenal side.
Heading straight for Roberto Martinez, he almost knocked the Spaniard off his feet in his exuberance.
It told us everything about the spirit in the camp, and the way Everton went about dismantling a poor Gunners XI suggests there will be life in this team until the very last minute of the season.
An away trip to Sunderland shouldnโt stop the bandwagon from rolling along, but Martinez will be acutely aware that a Black Cats side fighting for their lives, and in front of their own fans, could provide a surprise if they are not given appropriate respect.
5. Arsenal (4th, 64 pts.)
Arsene Wengerโs side are on an awful run of form at the most crucial stage of the season.
The Frenchman must surely be wondering how a Gunners side that comprehensively wiped the floor with Everton in the FA Cup just a month ago could be pushed aside as they were at Goodison Park on Saturday.
There was simply no life in the Arsenal midfield, something that has been a common theme of late.
Were they saving themselves for the FA Cup semi-final that is on the immediate horizon before a difficult home game against a stubborn West Ham side?
Wenger needs to reverse the slide with immediate effect. With Everton breathing down their necks, Arsenal could find themselves in the Europa League next season.
6. Tottenham (7th, 56 pts.)
Tim Sherwoodโs Tottenham side can overtake Manchester United and move into sixth place with a win against bottom club Sunderland.
Follow that up with three points at The Hawthorns in Week 34, and the Lilywhites will be sitting pretty with four weeks of the EPL season to go.
Importantly, Spurs have no new injury worries ahead of the Sunderland game, and with Emmanuel Adebayor returning, Sherwood will surely hope the Togolese can recapture the form from earlier in his tenure.
7. Manchester United (6th, 57 pts.)
David Moyesย only has himself to blame if his Manchester United side have left themselves too much to do in the final few games of the season.
A mini-revival from the Red Devils is evident after a fine 4-0 win at Newcastle followed their impressive performance against Champions League favourites Bayern Munich.
Week 34 should have seen Old Trafford hostย Hull City, but the Tigers will instead be involved in theย FA Cup semi-finals.
8. Southampton (8th, 48 pts.)
The South Coast side are still jostling for the European places, but the eight points that currently separate Mauricio Pochettino's men from seventh-placed Tottenham are likely to be too much ground to make up at this late stage.
Southampton could'veย done without the huge blow of losing Jay Rodriguez to a season-ending knee injury in the game against Manchester City, but they should still be too strong for Cardiff.
9. Newcastle United (9th, 46 pts.)
Newcastleโs season goes from bad to worse. The defeat to Manchester United was their third in succession without scoring. Eleven goals conceded during that time will concern Alan Pardew.
Week 34 sees the Magpies travel to the Britannia Stadium to meet a Stoke City side that have lost only two games (to Chelsea and Manchester City) since the beginning of February.
A win for the hosts will bring them to within three points of their visitors.
With any Mark Hughes team noted for their physicality and hard work, Newcastle will have their work cut out for them to take anything away from the Potteries.
10. West Ham (11th, 37 pts)
Sam Allardyceโs West Ham were booed off the pitch against Hull City, even though the Hammers had won.
Itโs indicative of Big Samโs style that he doesnโt care how he gets the win as long as he gets it. But that doesnโt sit well with the patrons of East London, who have been brought up on a diet of good football.
With little to play for other than mid-table safety, the Hammersโ season is petering out, but a London derby at rivals Arsenal will get the juices flowing.
Allardyce has always enjoyed a game against the North Londoners, from right back in the days when he was Bolton Wanderers manager.
He could bring Arsenalโs Champions League aspirations to a grinding halt in Week 34.
11. Stoke City (10th, 40 pts.)
Mark Hughes' side sit in the middle of the table without a great deal to play for other than keeping themselves ahead of West Ham and Hull City just below them and perhaps professional pride.
Hughes returned to his old stomping ground at the weekend, but Chelsea were simply too good for his team.
The arrival of a fragile Newcastle outfitย shouldnโt present too many problems for Stoke, who certainly have more momentum than their opponents.
12. Aston Villa (13th, 34 pts.)
Aston Villa have flattered to deceive this season. Paul Lambert has them playing wonderful football at times, but a soft underbelly has let them down.
The loss of Christian Benteke to a season-ending injury could trouble them in their final few games, including their Week 34 trip to a resurgent Crystal Palace.
13. Hull City (12th, 36 pts.)
Steve Bruceโs side might have thoughts of an FA Cup final date on their minds, but the EPL is their bread and butter.
The trip to Manchester United is postponed until May, and Bruce will want to make sure his men have done enough to secure survival before that fixture.
14. Crystal Palace (14th, 34 pts.)
A fine win away at Cardiff has continued Tony Pulisโ Crystal Palace revival. Now seven points clear of the drop zone, Palace go into their game against a poor Aston Villa side with confidence.
Despite Cameron Jerome failing to get among the goals again, Palaceโs midfielders are weighing in with their share.ย
Battling qualities are also in evidence after the win against Chelsea. That is vital at this stage of the season, and it should ease them past Villa in Week 34.
15. West Brom (16th, 32 pts.)
Pepe Mel is enjoying something of a late-season revival at The Hawthorns.
Two losses in the last six is a vast improvement, and one loss at home in the EPL since January can give Baggies fans hope that the five-point cushion they have over the bottom three remains.
16. Swansea City (15th, 33 pts.)
Swansea remain in danger of being sucked into the bottom three right at the end of the season.
Just one win in their last 11 games is relegation form, and the last thing Garry Monk would want is to face a Chelsea side battling for the title and in need of every point themselves in Week 34.
Players such as Jonjo Shelvey, Wilfried Bony and Wayne Routledge will need to step it up from here to avoid plummeting back into the championship.
17. Norwich City (17th, 32 pts.)
Sacking your manager really isnโt the best preparation for going into a true โsix-pointerโ against a relegation rival.
But thatโs exactly what the Norwich board have done, removing Chris Hughton after Saturdayโs awful 1-0 home defeat to Pepe Melโs West Bromwich Albion.
The Canaries travel to Fulham in Week 34, and three points for the home side will see them trailing Norwich by just two points.
Time will tell whether the board pulled off a masterstroke.
18. Fulham (18th, 27 pts)
A fabulous win for Felix Magathโs battle-hardened team over a lackluster Aston Villa side seesย Fulham on the verge of completing what seemed impossible just a few weeks ago.
If the Cottagers can make home advantage count against managerless Norwich, they will close to within two points of their visitors and a place outside the bottom three.
The momentum is with the London side, and with no new injuries to report, Magath can approach the fixture with a degree of confidence.
19. Cardiff City (19th, 26 pts)
Poor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The move to Wales really hasnโt worked out for him in any way, shape or form.
Just when you thought things couldnโt get any worse, his team succumbed to Crystal Palace, who had scored three on just two previous occasions this season, one of which was back in August.
An away fixture at Southampton, a team that is winning plaudits from all sides, is not really what the doctor ordered.
The games are beginning to run out for the Welsh side, so a win is absolutely imperative if Cardiff are to retain any hopes of EPL status.
20. Sunderland (20th, 25 pts.)
The Black Cats are playing like a team that is already relegated.
An away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night of Week 33 followed by Everton at home in Week 34 are two tough tests Gus Poyet couldโve done without at this stage of the season.
Sunderland are already seven points adrift. Losses in those two matches could seeย Sunderland fall through the trap door in Week 35.
Theyโve never really recovered from the disastrous start under Paolo Di Canio. Poyet has restored pride and taken the team to Wembley, but little else has gone right for them.
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