Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all draw but are still the best – who will come out on top?

Three times this season the unthinkable has happened in England. A few weeks ago the Premier League’s big four, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all failed to win. It was the first time in living memory that had happened.

Failed to win

Then, shortly after that the big four all failed to win in Europe. I think that was the first time in about four years that at least one of them hadn’t won their game.

This weekend, all four teams drew again and failed to register a win between them.

OK, the big four occupy four of the top five places with only Aston Villa making a bid to split them up, but do these winless days mean that the gap between the big four and the rest is getting smaller?

Let’s look at the league games that they have failed to win.

Liverpool

At home Liverpool won their first two games but then managed only a 0-0 against Stoke. They won their next three but goalless draws followed against Fulham and West Ham and then on Saturday they could only manage a 2-2 draw with Hull.

Away from home, Liverpool have won six of their eight games, getting a creditable draw at Aston Villa and losing at Tottenham.

So Liverpool have lost just once so far in their seventeen games but can we read anything into the teams they have failed to beat? Stoke, Fulham, West Ham, Hull, Aston Villa and Tottenham have all prevented them from taking all three points.

Chelsea

Away from home Chelsea have won all eight of their matches in a phenomenal run. It is at home that they have struggled.

Chelsea have lost to Liverpool and Arsenal and drawn with Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle and West Ham.

Manchester United

Manchester United have won six of seven at home but only three of nine away. An opening day draw against Newcastle was their only slip up at Old Trafford, but on their travels they have lost at Liverpool and Arsenal and collected just a point from Chelsea, Everton, Aston Villa and Tottenham.

Arsenal

Arsenal have faltered at home and away, winning five of eight at the Emirates and four of nine away from home. At home they have drawn with Tottenham and lost Hull and Aston Villa.

Away from the Emirates Arsenal have lost to Fulham, Stoke and Manchester City and picked up only a point at Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Better away

So we can see that Liverpool and Chelsea seem to be better away than they are at home, Manchester United are far stronger at Old Trafford than on their travels and Arsenal are equally strong, or weak, wherever they play.

What does all this tell us about the likely destination of the title?

Manchester United are fairly invincible at home and they have played two more away games at this time. Included in those away games are trips to Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Everton. In other words, the likely other top five teams in the top six at the end of the season have all got to go to Old Trafford later in the season.

I think you will agree that puts United in a very strong position.

Confident

Liverpool have travelled to Aston Villa, Everton and Chelsea, but with home draws against the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Hull, they won’t be feeling too confident about the home games against the big teams.

Chelsea may feel that they are well positioned in so much as they are better away from home and they still have to travel to Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Problems

Arsenal will be confident in the games against the other top teams as they have already beaten Everton, Manchester United and Chelsea, although they lost to Aston Villa. It seems that Arsenal’s problems come against the likes of Stoke, Hull and Fulham, not the big teams.

So does all this give us a definitive guide as to who may be triumphant at the end of the season? No it doesn’t. Your guess is as good as mine.

Stuttering

Does all of this mean that the other teams are closing the gap on the top four? I really don’t think it does. Arsenal may be in danger of being caught by Villa, but the other three are still well clear of the rest. Even with the stuttering start that the big four have made, themselves and Aston Villa are three points clear of the rest and five points clear of Everton, their most likely challengers.

The Premier League is more interesting this season than it has been for a while, but I’m afraid it is still a battle between the same old teams.