'As open as it has ever been' - is this the tightest Premier League?

"The Premier League is arsenic unfastened arsenic it has ever been."

After helping West Ham to a stunning 2-0 triumph astatine Newcastle connected Monday, Jarrod Bowen's words summed up England's apical formation perfectly.

Before the match, the Hammers were being talked astir arsenic successful a relegation fight. Now they are conscionable 8 points disconnected 2nd spot and eyeing Europe.

Apart from runaway leaders Liverpool, the contention for Europe successful the Premier League has ne'er been tighter.

There is conscionable 1 constituent separating 2nd to 5th - the smallest the spread has ever been astatine this signifier of the season. The erstwhile debased aft 12 matches was 2 points, which had lone happened 3 different times.

Looking further down the array and the spread betwixt 2nd to 10th is conscionable 5 points, which is the associated lowest aft 12 matches. It has happened lone doubly previously.

The spread betwixt 2nd to West Ham successful 14th is conscionable 8 points - which has been matched lone erstwhile antecedently - though the Hammers are present 4 points wide of the bottommost six.

Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott told Sky Sports: "Everyone is beating everyone. You conscionable can't foretell immoderate results now. The league is much unpredictable than ever."

Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher added: "That triumph has created a radical of six astatine the bottommost and possibly 3 of those six volition present go.

"That was a atrocious 1 for Newcastle. A triumph and they would person been close successful the mix. There are truthful galore teams truthful adjacent together, who volition beryllium looking astatine those European places."

English clubs are guaranteed 4 places successful the Champions League adjacent play but volition beryllium hopeful of gaining an other spot, fixed to 2 countries with the strongest performances successful this season's European competitions.

There volition beryllium past 2 English teams successful the Europa League adjacent campaign. One spot fixed to the 5th oregon sixth-placed teams - depending connected however galore teams suffice for the Champions League - and 1 for the victor of the FA Cup. That spot volition revert to the league though if the FA Cup victor has already qualified for Europe.

The winners of the Carabao Cup would past suffice for the Europa Conference League but, again if they person already secured a spot successful Europe, that spot would beryllium for the adjacent highest-ranked squad successful the Premier League.

As you tin spot determination is plentifulness to play for.

How agelong is simply a portion of string? It is 1 of those questions that feels intolerable to reply definitively but 1 happening you tin accidental is simply a batch of teams person been inconsistent.

Between 2nd to 12th, Manchester City, Arsenal, Brighton, Fulham and Newcastle are the lone sides who person won back-to-back games much than erstwhile each season, portion 9 of them person astatine immoderate constituent gone 3 games without a win.

Many of the teams we would beryllium expecting to beryllium challenging for a Champions League spot person underperformed this season.

Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Manchester United each person less points astatine this signifier than they did past campaign.

Aston Villa, successful the Champions League this season, person 1 triumph successful 7 but are inactive lone 4 points disconnected second. Chelsea, successful third, person 2 wins successful six, and fourth-placed Arsenal person 1 successful five. Manchester City person mislaid their past 3 and stay second.

Meanwhile, it would beryllium just to reason that Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Fulham are overachieving compared with galore people's expectations, with their points tally importantly amended than astatine this signifier past season.

Just 5 teams person won 3 matches successful a enactment - Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

As we participate the busiest play of the season, determination volition beryllium a batch of teams inactive fancying their chances of making a propulsion for Europe.