Premier League Table: Week 21 Standings, Full Recap After Wednesday's Scores
A trio of mid-week clashes between top Premier League teams highlighted an excellent and exciting Matchday 21.
Below, we'll break down the results, standings and take a look at all the day's action.
Results
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
| Manchester City | 0-0 | Everton |
| Southampton | 2-0 | Watford |
| Stoke City | 3-1 | Norwich City |
| Chelsea | 2-2 | West Brom |
| Swansea City | 2-4 | Sunderland |
| Tottenham | 0-1 | Leicester City |
| Liverpool | 3-3 | Arsenal |
Standings
| 1 | Arsenal | 21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 21 | 16 | 43 |
| 2 | Leicester City | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 38 | 25 | 13 | 43 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 21 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 39 | 21 | 18 | 40 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 21 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 34 | 17 | 17 | 36 |
| 5 | West Ham United | 21 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 33 | 24 | 9 | 35 |
| 6 | Manchester United | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 34 |
| 7 | Stoke City | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 32 |
| 8 | Crystal Palace | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 31 |
| 9 | Liverpool | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 27 | -2 | 31 |
| 10 | Watford | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 29 |
| 11 | Everton | 21 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 28 |
| 12 | Southampton | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 24 | 4 | 27 |
| 13 | West Bromwich Albion | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 27 | -5 | 27 |
| 14 | Chelsea | 21 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 31 | -3 | 24 |
| 15 | Norwich City | 21 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 35 | -11 | 23 |
| 16 | Bournemouth | 21 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 37 | -14 | 21 |
| 17 | Swansea City | 21 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 30 | -11 | 19 |
| 18 | Sunderland | 21 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 41 | -15 | 18 |
| 19 | Newcastle United | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 38 | -16 | 18 |
| 20 | Aston Villa | 21 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 37 | -20 | 11 |
Analysis
Leicester City moved into a tie with Arsenal on points atop the Premier League table on Wednesday, traveling to White Hart Lane and knocking off Tottenham, 1-0. Arsenal remained atop the standings based on goal differential, however, following their 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
Robert Huth was the hero of Leicester, heading home the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute. The Foxes continue to surprise, hanging around the top of the table, and an away victory against Tottenham was another indication that they aren't about to drop off any time soon, as Max Bretos of ESPN noted:
Arsenal had a bittersweet afternoon, meanwhile. On one hand, earning a point at Anfield is no small feat. On the other hand, the Gunners held a 3-2 lead just a minute before regulation time expired, failing to capitalize on the opportunity to remain two points clear of Leicester and five points clear of Manchester City.
That was reflected in the club's comments after the game.
"There was total commitment from both teams," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said after the match, per the NBCSN broadcast. "Overall, you cannot fault both teams for giving it everything. Well done to [Jurgen] Klopp."
He added, however, "It's always frustrating when you are up on 89 minutes and you get caught on such a simple ball."
Forward Olivier Giroud, who notched a brace in the matchup, agreed, per BT Sport:
Arsenal seem to still be the favorites to win the Premier League title, if only because they have been in good form of late despite injuries to superstar Alexis Sanchez and key midfielders Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla.
What perhaps separates the Gunners from some of the other big-name contenders, like Manchester City, is Arsenal's relative stability. The only major change to the club's roster coming into the season was the addition of goalkeeper Petr Cech, who has been excellent. The fact that the club's players and manager are so familiar with one another—paired with the elite play of Mesut Ozil and excellent seasons from Giroud, Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal and Aaron Ramsey, among others—has definitely aided the Gunners this season.
Whether that will be enough to hold off City remains to be seen. The Citizens were stymied by the excellent play of Everton 'keeper Tim Howard on Wednesday, playing to a scoreless draw with the Toffees and failing to make up ground on Arsenal.
The Citizens certainly have the talent to make a late title push, but they've yet to truly look like the Premier League's top side this year. That has to be a disappointment for their supporters, as the Premier League isn't at its strongest this season. Failing to win a title this year, for City, would represent a failure.
If any team is indicative of the weaker Premier League this year, it's Chelsea. The Blues again failed to pick up three points on Wednesday, drawing 2-2 against West Brom. At this point, European football looks like a pipe dream for Chelsea unless they win the Champions League. Given their current form, that seems improbable at best.
At the bottom of the table, Sunderland pulled within a point of 17th-place Swansea City, beating them 4-2 behind Jermain Defoe's hat trick. Norwich City remained too close for comfort to the relegation zone, meanwhile, after losing 3-1 to Stoke City. Southampton improved their chances for European football with a 2-0 win over Watford, though they are still only in 12th.
After this week's results, meanwhile, Aston Villa remain buried in last place, with just 11 points and a mere two wins after Tuesday's triumph. Barring a remarkable reversal of form in 2016, the Villains appear destined for relegation.
