Barclays Premier League Table: Updated 2014 EPL Outlook After Week 10 Results
Chelsea continued their Premier League dominance with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, and the Blues are still undefeated after 10 matches.
With the Manchester derby between United and City on the schedule for Sunday, Jose Mourinho and his troops will be winners of Week 10 in any situation.
The same goes for Arsenal and Southampton, who took full advantage of Liverpool's poor run of form to strengthen their position near the top of the standings.
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The Premier League title race is Chelsea's to lose, but behind the Blues, the battle for the European spots is shaping up to be one for the ages.
The full results for Week 10:
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Newcastle United | 1 - 0 | Liverpool |
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Arsenal | 3 - 0 | Burnley |
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Chelsea | 2 - 1 | Queens Park Rangers |
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Everton | 0 - 0 | Swansea City |
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Hull City | 0 - 1 | Southampton |
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Leicester City | 0 - 1 | West Bromwich Albion |
| Saturday, Nov. 1 | Stoke City | 2 - 2 | West Ham United |
| Sunday, Nov. 2 | Manchester City | v | Manchester United |
| Sunday, Nov. 2 | Aston Villa | v | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Monday, Nov. 3 | Crystal Palace | v | Sunderland |
The current Premier League standings:
| 1 | Chelsea | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 10 | 16 | 26 |
| 2 | Southampton | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 22 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 17 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 17 |
| 5 | West Ham United | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 17 |
| 6 | Swansea City | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 15 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 14 |
| 8 | Manchester United | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 13 |
| 9 | Everton | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 13 |
| 10 | West Bromwich Albion | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| 11 | Newcastle United | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 13 |
| 12 | Stoke City | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 12 |
| 13 | Hull City | 10 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 14 | -1 | 11 |
| 14 | Tottenham Hotspur | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 13 | -2 | 11 |
| 15 | Aston Villa | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 14 | -10 | 10 |
| 16 | Crystal Palace | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 9 |
| 17 | Leicester City | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 16 | -5 | 9 |
| 18 | Sunderland | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 17 | -9 | 8 |
| 19 | Queens Park Rangers | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 20 | -11 | 7 |
| 20 | Burnley | 10 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 19 | -14 | 4 |
Liverpool
Where do the Reds go from here?
Yes, Newcastle United had won back-to-back Premier League matches coming into Saturday's fixture, and Alan Pardew's side is surging in a way few had seen coming just two weeks ago.
But just days after a dreadful showing against Swansea City in the Capital One Cup, Liverpool once again looked slow, sluggish and quite frankly, boring. The lack of creativity in the attacking third is astonishing, given the amount of talented creative midfielders Brendan Rodgers has at his disposal.
The Reds boss told reporters after the match he felt his team deserved more, via Liverpoolfc.com's James Carroll:
"It was disappointing. I didn't think we deserved to lose the game, but we didn't do enough to win it.
We had enough of the ball and good movement in front of the ball, but we just lacked that bit of creativity and invention in the final third of the field.
Anything we had to deal with up until the goal, we dealt well with defensively - there were no real issues. But we made a mistake and the mistake, unfortunately, has cost us the game and that's the biggest disappointment.
"
Harsh as it may sound, it's time for Rodgers to step up and admit something is wrong. Liverpool held the ball for long spells, but their movement in front of the ball wasn't good—it was awful. Tactically, the Reds were a mess on Saturday.
ESPN FC's Kevin Palmer agrees:
It's unfortunate Ayoze Perez's winner came after a defensive mistake, because the defensive unit has actually improved in its performance in the past few weeks.
But as shared by the BBC's Ben Smith, that defence is in for a rough week:
The 2014-15 season was always going to be filled with ups and downs for the Reds. This is a young squad with plenty of new faces, and it will take time for them to jell and adapt to the pace of the Premier League.
But their lack of effort on the pitch is inexcusable. Rodgers needs to get things in order in a hurry, or Liverpool's chances of finishing in the top four may be gone by Christmas.
Chelsea
The Blues didn't particularly impress against west London rivals Queens Park Rangers, but in a title chase, it's often the "ugly" wins that make the difference.
Full credit goes to Harry Redknapp and QPR, who came to Stamford Bridge to play. But ultimately, the Blues' quality shone through, as Jose Mourinho's squad picked up another three points.
ESPN FC's Ian Macintosh saw a win and little more:
The hosts shifted to a 4-4-2 in search of a late winner, and the tactic paid off, with Eden Hazard converting a penalty in the 76th minute. It's this tactical versatility that makes the Blues so deadly—when the inevitable injuries start rearing their ugly heads, Mourinho will have an answer.
Manchester City and Manchester United will play on Sunday, meaning at least one of Chelsea's main title rivals will drop points. And as the likes of Liverpool keep shooting themselves in the foot, the unbeaten Blues remain in the driver's seat for the Premier League title.
Arsenal, Southampton
After a difficult start to the 2014-15 campaign, Arsenal are slowly getting healthy again, and it shows on the pitch. The 3-0 win over Burnley was as routine as they come, save for a brief scare in the second half.
Alexis Sanchez's impact on this squad cannot be understated. The Chilean brings a lot to the table, but his ability as a scorer is something Arsenal have lacked in recent years. As shared by OptaJoe, it's pretty clear how vital his contributions have been so far:
Health will be key for the Gunners—unlike other top clubs, Arsene Wenger's squad doesn't have the depth to deal with one or two key injuries. But at full strength, there's no reason Arsenal can't push for a top-three finish.
Underestimate Southampton at your own risk. Ronald Koeman's squad booked a crucial 1-0 win at Hull City, the same squad who held Liverpool and Arsenal to draws in the previous weeks.
Saints are playing solid, organised football, with the league's best defensive record and the second best attack, per WhoScored. Victor Wanyama's lone goal was a perfect example of how Koeman's troops play—opportunistic, and with the confidence required to continue their excellent run.
Former footballer Jan Aage Fjortoft is impressed:
Finishing in the top three will be very difficult for Southampton in 2014-15, but we've yet to see any indication their strong start to the season is a fluke. Like with Arsenal, health will be key, but if the conditions are right, Saints should be able to push for a top-six finish.
