Premier League after round 13: Dramatic title fight, frequent changes of coaches or unexpected awakening of the Gunners

The English Premier League has played 13 rounds and the league competition is in its third round. What interesting things have happened during this period? A big title battle is looming, with leaders Chelsea and third-placed Liverpool separated by just two points. There have also been several coaching changes this season, with 6 teams having already changed manager, most recently Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Which team has been the biggest surprise of the season? Who is the biggest disappointment?

It’s shaping up to be an exciting battle for the league title

In the last two seasons, Liverpool and Manchester City have won the league well in advance. In those seasons, they had no competition. The last time there was an even battle for the title was in the 2018/19 season, when it was decided between these two aforementioned teams. Before the start of the current season, there were four candidates for the title – Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United.

The Red Devils have already dropped out of this duel, but the other 3 teams meet the paper requirements and are still in the game. There is only a two-point gap between the first Chelsea and the third Liverpool. This trio is in great form, virtually unbeaten. It looks like the title fight this time could be thrilling until the very end. After the first third of the season, it certainly looks that way.

Big managerial changes

The season has only been going on for a few months, yet several clubs have decided to make a radical cut at the head coach position. Six in particular. And that’s just for the period from the beginning of October to the end of November. Watford’s coach (Xisco Munoz), Newcastle’s (Steve Bruce), Tottenham’s (Nuno Espirito Santo), Norwich’s (Daniel Farke), Aston Villa’s (Dean Smith) and Manchester United’s (Ole Gunnar Solskjaer) have all been dismissed.

In their place came interesting replacements. The biggest stir was the arrival of Antonio Conte to Tottenham and Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa. More coaching shuffles can be expected fairly soon. Rafa Benítez (Everton) is in a precarious position and Brendan Rodgers (Leicester) is not in an ideal position either.

Disappointing season: Manchester United

A big favourite for the title before the start of the season, they were supposed to be battling it out with Chelsea and Manchester City to become league champions. Over the summer, this team has strengthened massively. Star players such as Varane and Sancho came in, and there was a big comeback for Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United. The team had high expectations, the squad looked very strong, in theory it had no weakness.

However, coach Solskjaer couldn’t make a group of stars into a properly functioning team. Sancho’s game woes, mediocre performances full of chaos and helplessness, a non-existent system without any game face, a shaky defence. A team fighting for the title soon became a team on the verge of top 10.

Coach Solskjaer could not coax this team and after the recent debacle with Watford(1::4) he was sacked. His successor will be Ralf Rangnick, former coach of Leipzig. His tasks are clear. Repair the damage from the start of the season, instill a clear game face in the team, create an organized squad, fight for the top 4 and try to triumph in the cup competition. And that won’t be easy at all.

Surprise of the season: Arsenal

Start by Arsenal? Terrifying. The worst in Premier League history. Three games, three losses and last place in the table. However, coach Arteta’s men managed to pick themselves up and started a successful points streak. The summer signings soon caught on and it gave the whole team a boost.

Tomiyasu or White lifted the defensive line, Ramsdale got into great shape. Arsenal earned several close wins over weaker opponents, regained lost confidence and got into the groove.

Since the crushing defeat to Manchester City in the 3rd round (0::5), Arsenal have won seven of their last 10 games, losing only to Liverpool (0::4). Thanks to a great winning streak, they are back in the fight for the Top 4, currently in 5th place with 23 points (fourth place West Ham has the same number of points).

The current position of the Gunners is better than what the pre-season expectations were. If they can maintain this performance and improve their productivity, finishing in the TOP 5 is a realistic ambition. They can also take advantage of the miserable season of Manchester United, Tottenham or Leicester, who were supposed to fight for the TOP 6 together with the Gunners. For Arteta and co. a unique chance for TOP 4 that may not be repeated for a long time.

Premier League table after round 13:

Source: Twitter, Livesport