90min
·4 Februari 2025
90min
·4 Februari 2025
There was nothing humble about Arsenal's 5-1 victory over Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, with the Gunners letting league leaders Liverpool know that they won't be going away anytime soon.
Mikel Arteta's side have long been waiting to produce a statement victory which reaffirmed their title credentials, with their mauling of the champions surely putting to bed any feint hopes of the Cityzens getting themselves involved.
Arsenal, however, still have plenty of work to do. Sunday's win was one of the most impressive of the Arteta era and capable of igniting a streak similar to what they produced after downing Liverpool 3-1 this time last year, but the Reds' lead at the summit remains healthy.
Liverpool are still favourites to lift the Premier League trophy / Bryn Lennon/GettyImages
Arsenal's victory was as crucial as it was impressive, with anything but three points potentially dashing their slim title hopes completely.
The issue for the Gunners is that Liverpool are really good, and they've now mitigated three tricky away days in the new year without tasting defeat. A 2-0 win at the red-hot Bournemouth on Saturday leaves them with a 90.74% chance of lifting their second Premier League title, according to Opta.
Arne Slot's side are projected to finish with 88.4 points - a healthy margin over Arsenal and their 79.82 expected points in second. The Gunners' title chances are rated at 9.18% despite their statement victory.
Man City, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea are the only other teams boasting anything but a 0% chance of winning the title. However, their odds are miniscule.
City are on course for their lowest points haul of the Guardiola era, but they are projected to have enough to retain a top-four spot alongside surprise package Forest. A coefficient improvement from last season is required for Chelsea to claim a Champions League place for 2025/26 in fifth.
Opta aren't projecting much change in the middle of the pack, with Manchester United and Tottenham poised to endure historically poor campaigns. United's expected 47.65 haul would be their lowest in Premier League history, while Spurs' 46.77 would just about pip the 46 they mustered in 2007/08. The supercomputer isn't all that bullish on Graham Potter at West Ham either, with the Hammers slated to finish below the pair of 'big six' under-performers in 15th.
Wolves took a big step towards easing relegation fears by beating Aston Villa 2-0 this weekend to claim West Midlands bragging rights. Their chances of succumbing to the second tier are now 18.41%, and Ipswich are no longer the most likely newly promoted side to beat the drop after they lost 2-1 at home to Southampton. Leicester are now predicted to finish 18th, but Opta gives the Foxes a mere 10.9% chance of survival.