Chelsea rivals should forget about the Premier League as five teams vie for three Champions League spots.
Chelsea surge to the top of the Premier League table is no longer news. Having taken everyone by surprise, they now lead the pack by eight points and it is difficult to see them dropping points easily. They are now strong favourites to win the title and it now looks more like one-horse race.
Antonio Conte has built a team that has been getting results on the pitch. Of the top six only Chelsea and Arsenal won over the weekend, Liverpool lost to Swansea while the encounter between Manchester City and Tottenham ended in a draw, and Manchester United needed an injury-time from Wayne Rooney to rescue a draw.
The lack of consistency among the other teams has given Chelsea the edge. Both Manchester clubs are obviously out of the title race, City and United are 14 and 12 points behind the top spot respectively and can only vie for a place in the top spot.
Tottenham who have fought their way back to the top four after defeating Chelsea are third with 46 points while Liverpool have continued to slide down the table and are now fourth with 45 points, they once topped the table.
Chelsea’s 15 wins in 16 matches have left their rivals with no other option than to get themselves busy with vying for a place in the Champions League instead of competing with the Blues for the league title. Five clubs will slug it against one another to get a spot in the remaining three spots.
There are still 16 matches remaining but it is left to see which club will join Chelsea to complete the top four at the end of the season.