After West Ham’s impressive 2-0 win over Newcastle, the once-considered relegation candidates, are now just eight points off second place and are eyeing Europe after their surprise win at St. James’s Park.
Newcastle’s, Jarrod Bowen captured this season’s competitiveness perfectly. The Englishman highlighted that the 2024/2025 Premier League season is one of the most open seasons in English top-flight history.
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A League Full of Surprises
Ex-Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher noted how tight the race is at the top and bottom of the table. He added that West Ham’s win created a group of six teams at the bottom, with three likely to face relegation.
Former Arsenal winger, Theo Walcott added how no team is safe, everybody is beating everybody, making it almost impossible to predict a result. There’s only one point between Manchester City in second place and Brighton in fifth. That’s the closest the gap has ever been after 12 games. Before now, the smallest gap was two points.
Further down the table, the gap between second and 10th place is only five points, while 14th place is only eight points behind second, making both margins the smallest point gaps between positions in the league’s history.
How Many Teams Can Make It to Europe?
English clubs have four Champions League spots up for grabs, with a chance for an extra one based on results in European competitions. There are also two Europa League spots, one for fifth or sixth place, and another for the FA Cup winner. The Carabao Cup winner can also secure a Europa Conference League spot.
Why Is the League So Tight?
A lot of the unpredictability this season comes down to inconsistency. Between second and 12th place, only Manchester City, Newcastle, Arsenal, Fulham, and Brighton, have won back-to-back games more than once. Meanwhile, nine clubs have gone at least three games without a win at some point.
Additionally, clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Newcastle all have fewer points compared to this stage last season. Meanwhile, Aston Villa who have only won one League game in their last seven are just four points off second place Manchester City. Adding to the season’s open nature are Arsenal and City’s inconsistencies. Last season’s top two clubs have not managed to maintain their consistent performances, with City on a three-game losing streak, however, they remain second on the table.
On the other hand, teams like Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Fulham have exceeded expectations. So far, only five teams, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest, have managed to string together three straight wins.
As we enter the busiest period of the season it will be an interesting journey to see how this race for European spots plays out.
