Premier League Power Rankings: Matchweek 14
By: Maxwell Argento
Tags: Europe, Writing, Sports, Premier League, Soccer

Premier League Power Rankings: Matchweek 14

By: Maxwell Argento

The schedule already being congested due to Covid-19 and the start of the festive fixtures means the next several weeks in the Premier League are coming faster than we expect. Looking beyond the league table to rank where every team currently resides is in order. Enjoy!

1. Liverpool (1st, 31 pts)

Winning 7–0 that casually against Crystal Palace on the weekend may just be the result that spurs the champions on and starts the beginning of another dominant run within the league. After having survived the injury bug they are quietly getting healthier and look to have their legs under them again. I know one thing for certain; whoever finishes the year with more points than Liverpool will be crowned your champion.

Liverpool’s Bobby Firmino providing his customary smiles during Liverpool’s trip to Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon, where they won 7–0.

2. Manchester United (3rd, 26 pts)

Three points from their game in hand and they will only be two points off champions Liverpool. If their home form can start to mimic their away form they won’t really drop many points. I currently have more faith in United’s strike force to score goals than basically any team in the league, which is saying something considering the quality of the top 6–7 squads.

3. Tottenham Hotspur (6th, 25 pts)

Can Tottenham’s traditional tendency of falling short be reversed by the serial success of Jose Mourinho? The last two results for Spurs surely have Tottenham fans feeling less confidence in their answer. When Harry Kane and Son Heung-min aren’t firing on all cylinders can they take enough chances to succeed under Mourinho’s system?

4. Manchester City (8th, 23 pts)

Have conceded the least number of goals in the league (12) but don’t seem to have enough answers on the other side of the pitch, which is never something you say about a Pep Guardiola managed squad. The sort of January transfer window City have should tell us a lot about how they see their season going beyond the New Year.

5. Chelsea (5th, 25 pts)

Chelsea certainly don’t look the same side they did two weeks ago, but will be very happy with their response in a 3–0 London derby victory over West Ham. Out of my top five teams in the league Chelsea are by far the least experienced (even when it comes to their manager) but still have more than enough quality in their side to claim a top four spot. Can the Blues continue to secure points and improve simultaneously? If so, Lampard’s men should look a near-finished article come the end of the year.

6. Leicester City (2nd, 27 pts)

It is no longer wise to consider Brendan Rodger’s side as anything other than a top-six team. It seems that whoever Leicester find to replace the players they lose every season come good, and Jamie Vardy is still one of the best out-and-out strikers in Europe’s top five leagues. James Maddison is playing so well he may not be long for Leicester colors, and Kasper Schmeichel is the most underrated goalkeeper in Europe.

Leicester City claimed a 2–0 victory on the road over Tottenham Hotspur behind a Jamie Vardy penalty, stamping their top-four intent.

7. Everton (4th, 26 pts)

Having one of the best managers currently alive in world football must be such a luxury for Everton, who finally feel they can stand up to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in that regard. Every player in the squad seems to have improved under Carlo Ancelotti’s tutelage, but I have doubts over whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin can lead the line consistently enough throughout the course of 38 league games to get Everton a top-four spot.

8. Southampton (7th, 24 pts)

Ralph Hasenhüttl deserves to be Manager of the Year in the Premier League through 14 match weeks. Danny Ings and James Ward-Prowse being in serious contention for spots in England’s Euro 2021 squad speaks to the big Austrian’s ability to get the most out of his side. Despite being ostensibly pretty vanilla tactically by using that 4–4–2, the Saints actually play some sumptuous football and have given the biggest clubs in the league some really tough matches.

9. Wolverhampton Wanderers (11th, 20 pts)

It’s all about how Wolves handle the festive period without their best player and talisman up front, Raúl Jiménez. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo always says he loves having a thin squad because it keeps everyone involved more, but during a season that requires more man power because of match congestion I wonder how fit Wolves will look when games 20–38 arrive on the calendar. Following up a 2–1 victory over Chelsea with a flat 2–1 defeat at Turf Moor against Burnley may be a brief look into the inconsistencies that await on the horizon for the team in gold and black.

10. West Ham United (10th, 21 pts)

David Moyes finally looks to have found his group of players that he can count on to carry out his system and fight for the badge on the front of the shirt as opposed to the last name on the back of it. Not having Michail Antonio fit for selection has been a real miss, but they seem to have dealt with his absense about as well as they could’ve. Will club captain and midfield stalwart Declan Rice leave in January, or will dreams of somehow claiming European football next season give the young Englishman motivation to stay? Losing 3–0 to Chelsea (whom Rice was formerly a youth player for) may be enough to show him that the grass may indeed be greener with another club.

11. Aston Villa (9th, 22 pts)

Watching their team’s wastefulness in the penalty box against Burnley would’ve worried fans of Villa, who were otherwise buoyed by their club’s performance through 12 matches played. The 3–0 victory yesterday over West Brom was the perfect way to put those worries to rest, despite doing it against ten men after a half-hour. They have more than enough quality to stay in the league, and will benefit massively from another year of profit that that affords. I am really excited to see how Villa carry on in the next few years, especially if they are able to hang onto club captain Jack Grealish, which will be their biggest test.

Dean Smith’s men handled a 10-man West Brom side 3–0, showing Sam Allardyce a loss in his first match in charge of the Baggies.

12. Leeds United (14th, 17 pts)

Every match they play within the league is a seductive watch. Will playing such an aggressive style with basically the same starting 11 eventually come back to bite Marcelo Bielsa, or are his squad just that fit? I would love to see Leeds back their team’s great start and give the Argentinian manager some funds to bolster his squad for the home stretch. A Premier League with Leeds United present is a much better Premier League, both for fans and television companies alike.

13. Crystal Palace (13th, 18 pts)

How will Crystal Palace respond to being humiliated in their own ground at the hands of Liverpool, conceding seven goals and scoring none? To me, the Palace archetype is that of a team that have more than enough quality to stay in the division but at the same time are hopelessly far away from challenging for the league title. That reality manifests itself in Palace’s performances being understandably inconsistent.

14. Arsenal (15th, 14 pts)

Another poor result and the entire Arsenal fan base will have to face the improbable reality that their team is in the middle of a relegation scrap. On the horizon; a London derby with rivals Chelsea and then what will be described widely as a “relegation six-pointer” with Brighton. Anything other than four or more points from six for Mikel Arteta and his leash may just run out of length.

15. Brighton (17th, 12 pts)

Graham Potter has his men playing the prettiest football out of the division’s bottom six clubs, but that doesn't make the threat of relegation any less real. Midfield standout Yves Bissouma has warranted interest from big-six clubs and will be a big loss for Potter come January if he does choose to leave. Their fixture list until the beginning of February is relatively unkind, so a result against Arsenal is a must.

16. Burnley (16th, 13 pts)

Other than Marcelo Bielsa, Sean Dyche is the best manager in the bottom half of the table, and will be able to keep his team up if his strike force can figure out consistently putting the ball in the back of the net. A goal each for Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood against Wolves is a great start. Skipper Ben Mee and winger Dwight McNeil will need to continue to be key performers for Burnley if they intend on staying up.

17. Newcastle United (12th, 18 pts)

Newcastle fans looking at their club sitting 12th in the Premier League with 18 points must be ecsatic, even though manager Steve Bruce will know that it has largely been achieved through smoke and mirrors. Having a -5 goal difference and only being able to rely on Callum Wilson for goals should worry Newcastle fans, who have Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester City to look forward to in the league in their next three fixtures. Will zero points from those three matches spell the end for Bruce?

18. Fulham (18th, 10 pts)

Even though the last several weeks have been much better from Scott Parker’s men, it is always going to be hard for a newly promoted Championship side to come in and stay up, especially during a congested season. Will money be spent with the aim of keeping the team from London afloat, and will it even matter?

Nothing separated Fulham and Newcastle during a 1–1 draw that saw Joachim Andersen sent off in the 62nd minute.

19. West Bromwich Albion (19th, 7 pts)

Realistically and in every tangible way, West Bromwich Albion are a Championship club. The lone exception to that rule is their manager Sam Allardyce, who based off his record of never allowing a Premier League team under his management to be relegated, should be a breath of fresh air. The Baggies will surely concede less and become much harder to beat, but will they score enough to stay up? I doubt it.

20. Sheffield United (20th, 2 pts)

Is it a simple matter of Chris Wilder’s squad having been found out by their opposition, or were they just massively overrated last year? I suspect it’s a mixture of both. Only claiming two points from their first 14 matches unfortunately for the Blades means that a return to the Championship is a near-certainty.