Barclays Premier League Table: Updated 2015 EPL Outlook After Week 23 Results

Saturday's top clash between Chelsea and Manchester City failed to live up to its billing, but the hosts will take the 1-1 draw any day of the week, ensuring they keep their five-point lead at the top of the standings after Matchday 23 of the 2014-15 Premier League season.

Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all comfortably won their Week 23 matches, while Arsenal and Southampton will take to the pitch on Sunday. At the bottom of the standings, Sunderland were the big winners with a 2-0 win over Burnley.

Here's the full schedule for Week 23 of the 2014-15 Premier League season:

Date	Home	Score	Away
Saturday, Jan. 31	Hull	0-3	Newcastle
Saturday, Jan. 31	Crystal Palace	0-1	Everton
Saturday, Jan. 31	Liverpool	2-0	West Ham
Saturday, Jan. 31	Manchester United	3-1	Leicester
Saturday, Jan. 31	Stoke City	3-1	QPR
Saturday, Jan. 31	Sunderland	2-0	Burnley
Saturday, Jan. 31	WBA	0-3	Tottenham
Saturday, Jan. 31	Chelsea	1-1	Manchester City
Sunday, Feb. 2	Arsenal	TBD	Aston Villa
Sunday, Feb. 2	Southampton	TBD	Swansea

The current standings:

#	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	23	16	5	2	52	20	32	53
2	Manchester City	23	14	6	3	46	23	23	48
3	Manchester United	23	12	7	4	39	22	17	43
4	Southampton	22	13	3	6	37	16	21	42
5	Tottenham	23	12	4	7	35	30	5	40
6	Arsenal	22	11	6	5	39	25	14	39
7	Liverpool	23	11	5	7	33	27	6	38
8	West Ham	23	10	6	7	35	27	8	36
9	Stoke City	23	9	5	9	26	28	-2	32
10	Swansea	22	8	6	8	26	30	-4	30
11	Newcastle	23	8	6	9	29	35	-6	30
12	Everton	23	6	8	9	31	34	-3	26
13	Crystal Palace	23	5	8	10	25	34	-9	23
14	Sunderland	23	4	11	8	21	33	-12	23
15	WBA	23	5	7	11	20	32	-12	22
16	Aston Villa	22	5	7	10	11	25	-14	22
17	Burnley	23	4	8	11	21	38	-17	20
18	Hull City	23	4	7	12	20	33	-13	19
19	QPR	23	5	4	14	24	42	-18	19
20	Leicester	23	4	5	14	21	37	-16	17

The Title Contenders

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

The 1-1 draw between title favourites Chelsea and Manchester City means little changes at the top of the standings, with the Blues likely the happier side after the match. As shared by BBC Sport's Phil McNulty, it mainly means the Citizens didn't gain any ground:

"

Chelsea 1 Man City at FT. Better result for Chelsea as it maintains 5-point gap but City will not feel that is unassailable.

— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) January 31, 2015"

City were the better team in the second half but couldn't find a way past one of the top defences on the continent, and while there's still plenty of football to be played, it's hard to shake the feeling the defending champions needed a win at Stamford Bridge with their eyes on the title.

The Blues have looked like the top team in England all year, and providing Jose Mourinho's squad stays healthy, they seem less likely to drop many points than Manuel Pellegrini's men.

That said, five points is a relatively small lead with 15 matches left on the schedule. Barring a meltdown for the ages, one of these two teams will win this year's title, and while Chelsea have the advantage, the race is far from over.

The Race for the European Spots

Jon Super/Associated Press

Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool all took care of business on Saturday, putting pressure on Southampton and Arsenal to replicate their performances when both play on Sunday.

The Red Devils didn't allow Leicester City to surprise them again, going into half-time with a three-goal advantage and holding on for a 3-1 win. United looked far from perfect but got the job done on individual quality, shining particularly on the attacking end. The Sport Bible's Liam would still like to see defensive reinforcements in the transfer window:

Daniel Sturridge needed just 12 minutes to score on his return for Liverpool, helping out in the Reds' most troublesome department—scoring. If the England international can return to form in a hurry, Brendan Rodgers' squad could make a late run on the European slots.

The forward was visibly relieved his return went so well, as shared by the club's official Twitter feed:

"

Hear from @D_Sturridge as he talks to @LFCTV after the @PremierLeague clash finishes #LFC 2-0 @whufc_official. https://t.co/WBFIL07ksb

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 31, 2015"

Tottenham easily dispatched of West Bromwich Albion thanks to the efforts of their two most valuable attacking players of the campaign, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane.

Depending on your point of view, the continued efforts of the young duo is either a testament to their incredible quality or a clear sign Spurs don't have any options besides Eriksen and Kane. Tottenham are clear candidates for a Europa League spot, but other contributors will have to step up as we move into the latter part of the season.

The Relegation Battle

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

February is upon us, and Queens Park Rangers have yet to win a single point away from Loftus Road. Let that sink in for a second.

At this point, the club's record on the road is starting to become embarrassing. Rangers have the quality to be a Premier League side, but if you can't win away from home, you simply don't deserve to survive the drop. Bleacher Report UK voiced how most fans likely feel at this point:

Of the three promoted teams, Burnley currently sit in the best position, just one spot above the relegation zone. Based on sheer quality alone, both QPR and Leicester City should have the edge over the Clarets, a statement to how well the latter cub has played in recent weeks.

Hull City and Aston Villa are right in the mix as well, but looking at how the teams have played, one has to believe the three newly promoted teams are the top candidates to go back down to the Championship at the end of the season.

The race to survive the drop is a close one, but expect the quality sides to start separating themselves from the rest of the pack in the next few weeks.

Follow @ReverschPass