LEICESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 27: Leonardo Ulloa of Leicester City celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Norwich City at The King Power Stadium on February 27, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The 2015/16 Premier League season is winding down, and with only a remaining seven or eight games left (depending on who you are). This also means that the race for the top of the table is becoming more and more solidified. It is pretty clear that there are two teams left in the running, Leicester City and Tottenham, with Arsenal hoping to make an unlikely run for the title late in the season. Manchester City, in 4th place, are looking more likely to be in a scrap for Champions League next season than they are of winning the Premier League.
That leaves us with three teams total. Currently, Leicester (66) are five points ahead of Tottenham (61), who are an additional six points ahead of Arsenal (55). Arsenal have the chance to shorten that to three points since they have a game in hand. With that in mind, this could be the weekend that makes it clear who is going to win the Premier League once and for all. From a look at the point tallies alone, a loss this weekend for Arsenal will end their title challenge, regardless of having the game in hand. They simply will be too far back. Even if both Leicester and Tottenham lose, they will only have seven games to overcome a eleven point gap. They would need a miracle. As for Tottenham, they need a win to keep pressure on Leicester. A loss this weekend, assuming Leicester win, would put them eight points behind with only six games remaining. Much like Arsenal, that’s a massive deficit to overcome.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 14: Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur clears with Sergio Aguero of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on February 14, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The games this weekend aren’t exactly favorable either. Tottenham play at Anfield Liverpool, who have been something of a bogey team for them. It could be an incredibly difficult fixture without the added pressure that a title chase adds. Then there is Arsenal, who play Watford. While Arsenal should be able to count on having Petr Cech in the net, Watford has all the tools to beat them this weekend. Watford may have been out of form lately, but they are a big, strong team, which is exactly the kind of team Arsenal traditionally struggle against. On the flip-side, Leicester will play Southampton. If they can not collapse like Liverpool did two weekends ago, they will come away from that battle with points. They have been too consistent to not.
Finally, let’s look at the remaining schedules. Leicester play Southampton, Sunderland, West Ham, Swansea, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea. Tottenham play Liverpool, Manchester United, Stoke, West Brom, Chelsea, Southampton, and Newcastle. Finally, Arsenal play Watford, West Ham, Crystal Palace, West Brom, Sunderland, Norwich, Manchester City, and Aston Villa.
Far and away, Arsenal have what you would consider the easiest schedule. Not only do they have what should amount to the automatic three points that is Aston Villa, they play the other relegation favorites as well. This is where the potential banana peel is, though. Sunderland, Norwich, and Newcastle will all fight with everything they have to avoid relegation. They’ve done it before, and it wouldn’t shock me if they do it again. Then Arsenal has difficult matches in Manchester City and West Ham. With their schedule and current point total, they can’t lose a single match. This next game will be crucial.
HULL, ENGLAND – MARCH 08: Theo Walcott of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round Replay match between Hull City and Arsenal at KC Stadium on March 8, 2016 in Hull, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Tottenham are in the opposite boat. They have the hardest schedule. The only game where they play a team that has nothing to play for is West Brom. Every other team they play is either chasing Europe or avoiding relegation. Much like Arsenal, however, they can’t afford to lose anymore points.
With the season’s end coming closer and closer, where each team will fall in the table becomes clearer. With how well Leicester has done already this season, the teams chasing them will need a turnaround starting this week. Otherwise, Leicester might just have this season sewed up.
