A Seat at the Premier League Table

Added on Nov 16, 2010 by Trent Sillanpaa in

Premier League

Entering an abbreviated international break and with the holiday schedule (and weather) on the horizon, every Premier League team was gifted two matches last week with which it could show its true intentions for the season. Depending on a team’s mental state entering the week, the prospect of having six points up in the air within a matter of days likely left the haves drooling and the have-nots doubting. Only five teams retained their spots in the table by the end of the week, so let’s sort out the carnage!

Biggest Rise: Stoke City (17th to 10th)
There’s more to be said for resilience over a 38-match season than will be written here today, but no team could have done more for their aspirations than Stoke City did in two impressive wins last week. Following a four-match losing stretch the Potters got the break they needed to outlast Birmingham City 3-2 after surrendering a 2-0 lead late on. Dean Whitehead slid home the winner five minutes from time and – as is the case in this sport – a side which had struggled for a month was well equipped to roll past thriving Liverpool 2-0 thanks in part to a Ricardo Fuller opener which looked like something straight out of a youth league match. Though likely to spend the season fighting to stay in the middle of the pack, jumping from the foot of the table to the top half in a week’s time is as much as Stoke City possibly could have hoped for.

Biggest Drop: Blackpool (12th to 15th)
Really, no team fell on its face last week, though Blackpool earns this distinction over the other teams which dropped three spots (Newcastle to 8th and Fulham to 16th) thanks to the golden opportunity it blew over the weekend. Every side is due to lose a match at the bitter end as Blackpool did when Villa’s James Collins headed home the winner in the 89th minute Wednesday to finish off the Tangerines, 3-2. For that they were unlucky. However, facing reeling West Ham to end the week meant Blackpool had a chance to further bury the last-place Hammers and keep the newly promoted side above the murky water that festers in the relegation zone. Instead the best that Blackpool could do was a scoreless draw in London. Then again, the glass-half-full type would point out that one point is the best that can be had without a goal…

Most Important Rise: Arsenal (3rd to 2nd)
Isn’t the most important rise the one that takes place at the top? Arsenal needed two more draws from Manchester United to overtake the Red Devils, but now that it has they may just be the team to challenge Chelsea. While United was lucky to get two points from as many road fixtures, Arsenal took a full six points from its own road trips and did so with relative ease. While the Gunners’ injury troubles persist, there’s little doubt that they can make up for a missing Robin van Persie more efficiently than United can make up for the loss of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

Most Important Drop: Liverpool (9th to 11th)
So I guess everything isn’t fixed. After apparently righting the ship with three straights league wins, including an emphatic victory over Chelsea, the Reds managed one point from Wigan and Stoke. That basically says it right there. It’s November, Liverpool overcame a miserable start to the season, and now it may just be settling into another mid-table finish. Plenty of matches remain, but can anyone expect Liverpool to overtake Tottenham and one of the current top four to snag a Champions League spot for next season?

Matches of the New Week: Arsenal vs. Tottenham, Saturday
Tottenham sits a full seven points behind its rival, but is still within three of the final Champions League spot. This is a big season for Spurs already because of their place in the Champions League, but also because they have every chance to battle for a spot in next season’s competition. Meanwhile, Arsenal may just be the biggest threat to Chelsea at the Premier League summit. Until Spurs proves otherwise, everyone expects more of the usual this weekend since Arsenal is always a cut above at home in this series.

Bolton vs. Newcastle United, Saturday
The ramifications here aren’t as big as they are in the above London derby. Both teams have overachieved, though a victory here gives their accomplishments a little more legitimacy. Can one of these two stay in the thick of the race for a spot in European competition? Who knows, but they’d each be greatly served to take a full three points here if they want to earn believers.