EPL: Is the League Becoming Stronger Or the Elite Getting Softer?

After another week of Premier League football, the top three teams, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal, have all secured another three vital points in the race for the title.

Man United brushed aside Fulham at Old Trafford with a 3-0 victory. The man who cannot seem to stop scoring, Wayne Rooney, popped up with another two goals which drove United back to the summit of the Premier League.

A day previous Chelsea had beaten London rivals West Ham United convincingly 4-1 to leapfrog back to the top of the league. Their star striker Didier Drogba netted a brace to add to his season tally.

Arsenal left it late but also nabbed all three points to keep their train on track. Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner scored the winner against Hull City to cap off a very strong week for himself personally as well as for Arsenal.

It is safe to assume that the the top three spots are going to be occupied by the aforementioned three teams come the end of the season. The order is the only real question regarding that matter.

Below that, from fourth place down to seventh and then on down to 10th are all similar to the title race in the sense that the teams being very close to those around them.

Is this a sign that the rest of the Premier League teams are beginning to become stronger and put up a great fight, or is it a case of the elite teams becoming weaker and easier to "upset".

Man United, Chelsea, and Arsenal combined have 25 games remaining in the Premier League. United and Arsenal have eight each, while Chelsea have nine.

The top three teams combined have lost a total of 17 league games thus far this year. In the previous two years the top three teams ended the season with a combined total of 11 defeats. Three years ago in the 06/07 season, there was a combined total of 18 games lost, and then 16 games the season prior.

Going on the assumption that a side loses when Man United and Chelsea meet at Old Trafford in April, the total number of games lost by the top three would, at the very least, equal that of the 2006/07 season.

And that is if the top three teams can win all their remaining games. 

All three teams still have to play Tottenham. Man United also have tough games away to Man City and home to Liverpool. Chelsea have Aston Villa at home and Liverpool at Anfield. While Arsenal also have to face Man City.

There is a very good chance that this season the top three teams will end the year with the largest number of collective defeats in the past five years.

On top of that, this year the top three teams have conceded a combined 84 goals. That is more goals conceded this year already than the past four years. And there are still 25 games to go.

In saying that, Man United and Arsenal have both scored more league goals this year than all of last year's league campaign. Chelsea have already scored more goals this season than in any of their other last league campaigns.

Have the elite in the Premier League come down a notch or have the rest of the bunch managed to fight their way up the food chain? Or is this just a sign of defense on the decline in England?