Barclays Premier League Table: Updated 2014 EPL Outlook After Week 15 Results
The Premier League title race was blown wide open on Saturday night as Chelsea lost to Newcastle and Manchester City defeated Everton—reducing the gap at the top to just three points.
Jose Mourinho's kingpins have been riding high at the top since the early part of the season but have been pegged back by Manuel Pellegrini's Sky Blues to just a solitary win between the pair.
Arsenal suffered a setback to their challenge as they fell to a surprise defeat to Stoke City, losing the tie 3-1. The Potters were 3-0 up in the match before the Gunners mounted a strong comeback.
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Here are the current results and league standings for this week:
| Saturday, Dec. 6 | Newcastle United | 2-1 | Chelsea |
| Saturday, Dec. 6 | Hull City | 0-0 | West Bromwich Albion |
| Saturday, Dec. 6 | Liverpool | 0-0 | Sunderland |
| Saturday, Dec. 6 | Queens Park Rangers | 2-0 | Burnley |
| Saturday, Dec. 6 | Stoke City | 3-2 | Arsenal |
| Saturday, Dec. 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0-0 | Crystal Palace |
| Saturday, Dec. 6 | Manchester City | 1-0 | Everton |
| Sunday, Dec. 7 | West Ham United | vs. | Swansea City |
| Sunday, Dec. 7 | Aston Villa | vs. | Leicester City |
| Monday, Dec. 8 | Southampton | vs. | Manchester United |
| 1 | Chelsea | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 13 | 21 | 36 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 14 | 18 | 33 |
| 3 | Southampton | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 26 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 25 |
| 5 | West Ham United | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 24 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 23 |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 18 | -1 | 23 |
| 8 | Swansea City | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 22 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 21 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 21 | -3 | 21 |
| 11 | Everton | 15 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 18 |
| 12 | Stoke City | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 20 | -3 | 18 |
| 13 | Aston Villa | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 18 | -10 | 16 |
| 14 | Sunderland | 15 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 23 | -10 | 15 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 14 |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 20 | -6 | 14 |
| 17 | Queens Park Rangers | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 27 | -11 | 14 |
| 18 | Hull City | 15 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 13 |
| 19 | Burnley | 15 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 24 | -14 | 12 |
| 20 | Leicester City | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 24 | -10 | 10 |
Chelsea
In many ways, Chelsea have been a boring side to watch this year. Their ruthless efficiency has paralysed almost every opponent they have faced and it has felt like the Blues were on a simple procession to the Premier League title.
But the wheels have now started to come off—and they seem rather interesting once more.
Chelsea have slipped to fourth in the Premier League form guide after their Geordie collapse, and the team have just four points from their last nine.
This is not the kind of figures Mourinho would have been wanting his side to post just before the pain of the crowded Christmas calendar hits his campaign.
On the pitch, most aspects still feel in order—but the latest results will surely hurt their confidence as they watch their lead slip.
But The Times chief football correspondent, Oliver Kay, does not think there is much wrong with Mourinho's team—choosing to wash praise on Alan Pardew and his side instead:
In the main, Kay is correct—Chelsea pressurised Newcastle enough for this not to constitute a crisis.
But if another quick defeat visits the Blues in the next handful of games—and opens the door to their Manchester rivals—the alarm bells will surly start to ring out aloud.
Mourinho will be disappointed that his side failed to utilise the returning Diego Costa in the strike position, but he will not be panicking just yet as he attempts to steady his ship and avoid further icebergs.
Manchester City
Manuel Pellegrini will be delighted that his team are only a clutch of points behind Chelsea now—but he will be sat at home, praying that Sergio Aguero is not seriously injured after the Argentine limped off the Eastlands pitch in tears.
Aguero has been vital for the Sky Blues—without him they would be also-rans this term—rather than title challengers.
Aguero's figures have been stratospheric this term. The little wizard has hit 14 goals in 15 Premier League matches this season, per WhoScored.com, and has been the ace in Pellegrini's pack for when he has needed him.
City have won 10 of their 15 league matches this season but it has been very hard work for the champions at times, with Aguero the difference.
But it now seems certain the forward could miss a significant part of the season if his diagnosis is a bad one, per Simon Rice of The Independent.
City desperately need Aguero at this time, especially when you consider that the team's stock of strikers is hardly world-class.
But more worryingly, when Aguero was out last season it was Yaya Toure who carried the fight—and his form has been inconsistent since the World Cup.
City have battled hard to get so close to Chelsea and narrow the gap, but their biggest fight may be just around the corner as they look to survive without their former Atletico Madrid hit-man.
Liverpool
It has all gone so horribly wrong for Liverpool—and it is absolutely no surprise.
The title challenge last season boosted the hopes of Scousers everywhere but it was certainly a false dawn—based on the talent of one brilliant, yet compromised, Uruguayan assassin.
Luis Suarez was never going to be replaceable unless the Merseyside team picked up a player in the £50 million category, and instead they bought Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli.
It was a recipe for disaster and Brendan Rodgers has shown a level of naivety taking his side into the new season—so very much under-prepared.
Liverpool drew their match on Saturday against Sunderland at Anfield, unable to find the net and lacking the verve we all witnessed just months previous.
That specific Liverpool thrust is now obsolete and Rodgers will have to build a brand new team with a totally different equilibrium.
As things stand, Liverpool will not be in the Champions League next season—certainly not with the current balance between defence and attack.
Raheem Sterling is the flicker of light who could set their season on fire but his team-mates are not on the same page as him, and his lack of experience means he will continue to run down blind alleys until he has a suitable supporting cast for his talents.
