Barclays Premier League Table: Updated 2014 EPL Outlook After Week 13 Results
Chelsea missed out on a unique opportunity to put some distance between themselves and their main Premier League title rivals, managing only a draw away at Sunderland the day before Southampton and Manchester City go head-to-head.
This is music to the ears of not just those two teams, but just about every contender for major silverware in 2014-15. All of the Premier League's top clubs won their Saturday fixtures, with some halting losing streaks at just the right time.
The full results for Week 13:
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| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Sunderland | 0 - 0 | Chelsea |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 - 1 | Arsenal |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Burnley | 1 - 1 | Aston Villa |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Liverpool | 1 - 0 | Stoke City |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Manchester United | 3 - 0 | Hull City |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Queens Park Rangers | 3 - 2 | Leicester City |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | Swansea City | 1 - 1 | Crystal Palace |
| Saturday, Nov. 29 | West Ham United | 1 - 0 | Newcastle United |
| Sunday, Nov. 30 | Southampton | v | Manchester City |
| Sunday, Nov. 30 | Tottenham Hotspur | v | Everton |
The current Premier League standings:
| 1 | Chelsea | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 11 | 19 | 33 |
| 2 | Southampton | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 6 | 18 | 26 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| 5 | West Ham United | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 21 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 20 |
| 7 | Swansea City | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 19 |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 19 |
| 9 | Everton | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 17 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 17 | -1 | 17 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 18 | -2 | 17 |
| 12 | Stoke City | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | -3 | 15 |
| 13 | Sunderland | 13 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 14 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 22 | -4 | 13 |
| 15 | West Bromwich Albion | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 18 | -5 | 13 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 18 | -11 | 13 |
| 17 | Hull City | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 20 | -6 | 11 |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 25 | -11 | 11 |
| 19 | Burnley | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 21 | -12 | 11 |
| 20 | Leicester City | 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 21 | -8 | 10 |
Chelsea
Last year's upset loss against Sunderand at Stamford Bridge ended Jose Mourinho's impressive unbeaten streak at home, so from that perspective, a draw at the Stadium of Light isn't such a disaster.
After a strong week that included a 5-0 hammering of Schalke 04 in the Champions League, it should come as no surprise that perhaps the team was in store for a lesser performance. That's exactly what The Independent's Miguel Delaney saw:
Sunderland turned the match into an aggressive battle, and Chelsea's forwards had no response. It didn't help that Diego Costa felt the need to engage the Black Cats in their physical play, spending more time fighting than focusing and picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the process.
That means the Spaniard won't be available for the Blues' midweek fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Like John O'Shea, Jan Vertonghen loves to try and get in a forward's head and distract him from the actual match—perhaps Didier Drogba or Loic Remy can show Costa how to handle such tactics in the Premier League.
Manchester United
The 3-0 win over Hull City means Manchester United have now won three in a row, a better run than any of the teams ahead of the club, regardless of Sunday's result.
Perhaps even more important was the manner in which Louis van Gaal's men dominated the match—from start to finish, with an emphasis on movement and the creation of chances. Was this the Dutchman's philosophy working at full strength? He certainly seems to think so, via the Sunday World's Kevin Palmer:
Fans shouldn't get too carried away yet—Hull City don't sit this close to the relegation zone for nothing. But there's no denying Saturday's win was one of the best matches the squad has played all season and United definitely appear to be trending in the right direction.
Title contenders? Maybe that's too soon, but the Red Devils certainly look like a top-three team right now.
Arsenal and Liverpool
Arsenal and Liverpool occupy very different spots in the Premier League standings, but for the past few weeks, their fates have been somewhat linked. On Saturday, both clubs ended losing streaks with 1-0 wins, although they did in different manners.
The Gunners dominated West Bromwich Albion from start to finish and could have scored more than once, with Danny Welbeck eventually bagging the winner in the second half.
For once, the back four looked solid, giving away virtually no chances until late in the match. The pressure may not be off manager Arsene Wenger's shoulders, but former Premier League star Jan Aage Fjortoft believes Saturday's win was yet another example of his uncanny ability to win the matches he absolutely must:
Liverpool didn't dominate Stoke City—in fact, one could say the visitors had the better chances and would have deserved at least a point. Big whoop. The Reds couldn't care less, and in football, the result is all that matters.
Few will have expected Glen Johnson to play the hero, leading to much hilarity on social media. New York Yankees pitcher Brandon McCarthy made a keen observation:
The month of December is right around the corner, and the holiday season traditionally presents Premier League clubs with the busiest part of their schedule. Both clubs have to translate talent into consistent results, and in one month, all early-season struggles could forgotten in a hurry.
