Following the international break, Chelsea stumble near the finish line. How does the rest of the league stand?
20. Sunderland (LW: 20)
David Moyes is trash, and his team is trash. A humdrum 1-0 loss to Watford over the weekend has the Black Cats staring at an all-but-insurmountable deficit to climb out of relegation. Ever the charmer, Moyes has apologized for telling a female reporter she “might get a slap.”
19. Middlesbrough (LW: 19)
Swansea are exactly the kind of team Boro need to beat if they’re to dig themselves out of relegation. Unfortunately, they failed in the former endeavor, and they may very well fail in the latter, as their upcoming schedule is one of the tougher remaining in the league.
18. Stoke (LW: 16)
A revitalized Leicester stomped through Stoke at home, leaving the Potters reeling. Mark Hughes’ side have not scored in their last four games away from home, a troubling run which has narrowed the gap between them and the bottom half of the table.
17. Southampton (LW : 13)
Southampton laid an egg against Bournemouth, despite several good looks on goal. Nevertheless, the Saints are seven points clear of the relegation zone with two games in hand, so their spot in the Premier League next season seems secure.
16. Watford (LW: 17)
The Hornets have won two in a row, beating Sunderland and West Brom in consecutive home matches to all but secure their mid-table status. Walter Mazzarri appears to be under the gun for not speaking enough English, with a side of “playing style” thrown in seemingly to avoid charges of xenophobia.
15. Burnley (LW: 11)
With their poor performance in a loss against Tottenham, the Clarets are now winless since January. The watchability factor here only really occurs in away games, of which they have won exactly zero this season. Are Burnley the Road Vincibles?
14. Bournemouth (LW: 14)
After the Cherries crawled to a draw against Southampton, manager Eddie Howe expressed his interest in signing Jack Wilshere long-term despite the fact that the former would not guarantee the latter’s place in the lineup. Wilshere, understandably, is keeping his options open for other possibilities …
13. West Ham (LW: 12)
… like, say, West Ham. The Hammers have expressed interest in the Arsenal loanee, and though they fell to Hull over the weekend, their place in the top flight next season seems relatively certain. Wilshere is itching for a permanent spot with a top club, but West Ham could do for now.
12. Chelsea (LW: 18)
The longtime presumptive title winners fell short against a white-hot Crystal Palace team, shortening their lead to seven points. Though the Blues remain the heavy favorites to claim the title, Antonio Conte will have to get his men back on track in the weeks ahead, starting with a huge match against Manchester City on Wednesday.
11. West Brom (LW: 9)
Credit where credit’s due: Jonny Evans was marvelous in his return to Old Trafford, helping to subdue the attack of United, his former club. The Baggies don’t figure to move much from their current position, being six points back from seventh and eight points clear of ninth, so remarkable individual performances offer the only remaining excitement at the Hawthorns.
10. Everton (LW: 10)
A dismal performance at Anfield left Ronald Koeman defending his players vigorously — one of whom, of course, may not be at Everton next season anyway. European play may definitively be out of the picture for the Toffees.
9. Manchester United (LW: 8)
Their pitiful showing against West Brom left plenty to be desired, with no finishing and too few true scoring chances. Afterward, Jose Mourinho criticized Luke Shaw, who has been in and out of the lineup this season, by questioning his professionalism. Shaw then made a substitute appearance against Everton, forcing the penalty that saved United a point. Glory, glory!
8. Swansea (LW: 7)
Following their draw against Middlesbrough, the Swans remain in relegation trouble. That’s why their next match, against Spurs, poses a rare opportunity to see two teams desperately hungry, albeit for different reasons. Expect Paul Clement’s men to charge out firing.
7. Hull (LW: 15)
Staring relegation in the face can make men out of boys, among other bildungsroman cliches. Hull exhibited exactly that essence in its 2-1 victory over West Ham, a thriller that had all the best late-season desperation can offer. The gap between ninth and 18th is slim, and getting slimmer.
6. Manchester City (LW: 6)
Following their draw with Arsenal, City have their eyes on former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who is currently fashioning works of art for Bayern in the Bundesliga. Given his history with City manager Pep Guardiola (not to mention the deep pockets at the Etihad), it stands to reason that the Blues could come out on top in that pursuit.
5. Arsenal (LW: 1)
Much ado about nothing, really — following a draw with City, Arsenal’s chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, seemed to further the idea that Arsene Wenger will remain in charge at the Emirates, though he noted that the Frenchman will have to be a “catalyst for change” in the upcoming summer. Arsenal: different, but exactly the same.
4. Liverpool (LW: 4)
Beating their crosstown rivals handily may be the confidence boost Jurgen Klopp’s men need rounding into the final stretch, which stands to be one of the easier schedules of any remaining. Of note, Sadio Mane’s injury may put the Reds in a precarious position for the rest of the season.
3. Tottenham (LW: 5)
If anyone is to stop Chelsea, it has to be Tottenham. Spurs have had their chances over the years — none more apparent and heartbreaking than last year’s campaign — and this is another uphill battle. Losing Harry Winks to injury, potentially for the remainder of the season, is news Mauricio Pochettino didn’t need.
2. Leicester (LW: 2)
Don’t look now, but the defending champion Foxes (saying that as many times as I can while it’s still true), only weeks removed from severe relegation danger, are swimming their way back up the table. Two 2-0 wins, against Stoke and Sunderland, have Leicester back in the top half of the table. All this with a Champions League quarterfinal on the horizon. Let chaos reign.
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1. Crystal Palace (LW: 3)
The Eagles are the hottest team in the Premier League right now, having reeled off four consecutive victories since a 1-0 loss to Stoke on Feb. 11. Behind impressive showings from both Mamadou Sakho and Wilfried Zaha, not to mention Christian Benteke’s sublime chipped goal, Sam Allardyce’s squad has shown serious mettle as they look to stay in England’s top flight.