2014 EPL Top 8 Fixtures Favour Liverpool, Chelsea

After last night’s last round of English Premiership fixtures, which completed the first half of the season and the last round of matches for 2013, Arsenal sits top of the table but a mere point ahead of second-placed Manchester City. Chelsea is another point further back at third.

Only 9 points – or three straight victories – separate top team Arsenal and eighth-placed Newcastle United. This has been one of the most balanced of EPL seasons with as many as 10 teams still with a shot of the title; albeit, realistically, the traditional big teams should remain in the race as the season wounds up to its homestretch.

Liverpool sat top of the table on Christmas, which was as good an omen as it was bad. The league leaders at Christmas in the previous four seasons all went on to win the title. However, in each of the three occasions that Liverpool were top of the table at the same period, they failed to win the title at the end of the season.

The remaining fixture list for the clubs in the top eight against each other, however, is kinder to Liverpool and Chelsea and not kind at all to Manchester City. City have the best form against fellow top eight contenders; but this was achieved with most games played at home.

“ In contrast, Manchester City’s home game against Chelsea is the only one against a top eight contender that will be played at the Etihad. The rest are all away fixtures. This may be crucial because, while City have blown teams away at home, their away form have been patchy. ”

Liverpool play 6 of its remaining 7 games against fellow top-eight contenders at home; with only its high-octane encounter against Manchester United to be played away. Chelsea, on the other hand, play away to Manchester City and Liverpool; but the club’s remaining 5 games against top eight contenders are all at Stamford Bridge.

In contrast, Manchester City’s home game against Chelsea is the only one against a top eight contender that will be played at the Etihad. The rest are all away fixtures. This may be crucial because, while City have blown teams away at home, their away form has been patchy.

Below we take a look at the remaining fixtures for each of the top eight clubs against each other. The home form provided is based on the first half of the season with 19 matches completed.

Arsenal
Current Points: 42
Home Form: W-6 D-2 L-1
Away Form: W-7 D-1 L-2
Form against Top 8: W-3 D-2 L-2
Home Form against Top 8: W-2 D-2 L-0
Away Form against Top 8: W-1 D-0 L-2
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-3 A-4 Sequence: A-H-A-A-H-A-H
A v Liverpool 8 Feb
H v Man United 12 Feb
A v Tottenham 15 Mar
A v Chelsea 22 Mar
H v Man City 29 Mar
A v Everton 5 Apr
H v Newcastle 26 Apr

Manchester City
Current Points: 41
Home Form: W-10 D-0 L-0
Away Form: W-3 D-2 L-4
Form against Top 8: W-6 D-0 L-1
Home Form against Top 8: W-6 D-0 L-0
Away Form against Top 8: W-0 D-0 L-1
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-1 A-6 Sequence: A-A-H-A-A-A-A
A v Newcastle 11 Jan
A v Tottenham 29 Jan
H v Chelsea 3 Feb
A v Man United 2 Mar
A v Arsenal 29 Mar
A v Liverpool 12 Apr
A v Everton 3 May

Chelsea
Current Points: 40
Home Form: W-9 D-1 L-0
Away Form: W-3 D-3 L-3
Form against Top 8: W-2 D-3 L-2
Home Form against Top 8: W-2 D-0 L-0
Away Form against Top 9: W-0 D-3 L-2
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-5 A-2 Sequence: H-A-H-H-H-H-A
H v Man United 19 Jan
A v Man City 3 Feb
H v Newcastle United 8 Feb
H v Everton 22 Feb
H v Tottenham 8 Mar
H v Arsenal 22 Mar
A v Liverpool 26 Apr

Everton
Current Points: 37
Home Form: W-6 D-3 L-1
Away Form: W-4 D-4 L-1
Form against Top 8: W-3 D-3 L-1
Home Form against Top 8: W-2 D-2 L-0
Away Form against Top 8: W-1 D-1 L-1
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-3 A-4 Sequence: A-A-A-A-H-H-H
A v Liverpool 28 Jan
A v Tottenham 9 Feb
A v Chelsea 22 Feb
A v Newcastle 8 Mar
H v Arsenal 5 Apr
H v Man United 19 Apr
H v Man City 3 Mar

Liverpool
Current Points: 36
Home Form: W-8 D-0 L-1
Away Form: W-3 D-3 L-4
Form against Top 8: W-2 D-2 L-3
Home Form against Top 8: W-1 D-0 L-0
Away Form against Top 8: W-1 D-2 L-3
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-6 A-1 Sequence: H-H-A-H-H-H-H
H v Everton 28 Jan
H v Arsenal 8 Feb
A v Man United 15 Mar
H v Tottenham 29 Mar
H v Man City 12 Apr
H v Chelsea 26 Apr
H v Newcastle 11 May

Manchester United
Current Points: 34
Home Form: W-4 D-2 L-3
Away Form: W-6 D-2 L-2
Form against Top 8: W-1 D-2 L-4
Home Form against Top 8: W-1 D-1 L-2
Away Form against Top 8: W-0 D-1 L-2
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-3 A-4 Sequence: H-A-A-H-H-A-A
H v Tottenham 1 Jan
A v Chelsea 19 Jan
A v Arsenal 12 Feb
H v Man City 1 Mar
H v Liverpool 15 Mar
A v Newcastle 5 Apr
A v Everton 19 Apr

Tottenham Hotspur
Current Points: 34
Home Form: W-4 D-3 L-3
Away Form: W-6 D-1 L-2
Form against Top 8: W-0 D-3 L-4
Home Form against Top 8: W-0 D-2 L-2
Away Form against Top 8: W-0 D-1 L-2
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-3 A-4 Sequence: A-H-H-A-A-H-A
A v Man United 1 Jan
H v Man City 29 Jan
H v Everton 9 Feb
A v Newcastle 12 Feb
A v Chelsea 8 Mar
H v Arsenal 15 Mar
A v Liverpool 29 Mar

Newcastle United
Current Points: 33
Home Form: W-5 D-3 L-2
Away Form: W-5 D-0 L-4
Form against Top 8: W-3 D-1 L-3
Home Form against Top 8: W-1 D-1 L-1
Away Form against Top 8: W-2 D-0 L-2
Remaining Fixtures versus Top 8: H-4 A-3 Sequence: H-A-H-H-H-A-A
H v Man City 11 Jan
A v Chelsea 8 Feb
H v Tottenham 12 Feb
H v Everton 8 Mar
H v Man United 5 Apr
A v Arsenal 26 Apr
A v Liverpool 11 May

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