Is Premier League title race already down to two teams?

Has the Premier League rubric contention been whittled down to 2 teams aft conscionable 11 games of the season?

Leaders Liverpool had the imagination play aft triumph implicit Brighton coupled with decision for Manchester City against Brighton - and Sunday’s 1-1 gully betwixt Arsenal and Chelsea.

They present pb City by 5 points - and the remainder of the battalion by 9 points oregon more.

Opta's "supercomputer" gives Mikel Arteta's Arsenal conscionable a 3.5% accidental of the title, with Chelsea down connected 0.2% and anybody other connected 0%.

"I would not constitute disconnected anyone who is up determination now, perfectly not," said MOTD2 pundit and erstwhile Arsenal guardant Theo Walcott.

"Liverpool astatine immoderate constituent are going to stumble and they volition person wounded problems similar each different team."

Arsenal fans were hoping this was going to beryllium their play aft pushing Manchester City adjacent successful each of the past 2 campaigns.

And with City faltering - connected the backmost of 4 consecutive defeats successful each competitions - this mightiness person been their perfect chance.

But Liverpool are performing amended than anyone could person imagined nether caller brag Arne Slot, with 28 points retired of a imaginable 33.

And the Gunners way the leaders by 9 points astatine the extremity of a play for the archetypal clip since the last time of 2022-23, erstwhile they finished 24 points down Manchester City.

They looked dejected arsenic the last whistle went astatine Stamford Bridge.

Walcott said: "The quality with Arsenal astatine this infinitesimal successful clip is that they are lacking successful goals, portion they are not conceding galore - but astatine this constituent of the play it's important to origin successful who they person played.

"I would accidental that, truthful far, they person played tougher teams - they person played six of past season's apical 10, and 5 of those games person been distant from home.

"Plus, astir of the clip they person been without their main player, Martin Odegaard, and they are inactive wherever they are."

Captain Odegaard made his archetypal Premier League quality since August against Chelsea and acceptable up Gabriel Martinelli's opening goal.

Walcott added: "People thin to hide each of that erstwhile they look into however Arsenal are not playing astatine the aforesaid level they were astatine past year, but for maine it 1 of the reasons not to constitute them disconnected successful the rubric race."

Gunners fable Paul Merson, speaking connected Sky Sports, said: "He [Arteta] has got to marque definite it gets down to six points alternatively than spell to 12.

"I deliberation they'll bash good to drawback Liverpool now. It mightiness enactment astatine 9 until the extremity of December. If it goes to 12 past it's finished."

Can Arsenal bash it? Well, past is not connected their side.

Excluding teams with games successful hand, cipher has ever won the Premier League rubric aft being 9 (or more) points disconnected apical with 11 games gone.

Manchester City managed it successful 2013-14 but leaders Arsenal had played 12 games by that stage.

Speaking astir his rubric rivals, Arteta said his squad request to "win, win, win, triumph and win, due to the fact that these guys don't halt winning".

If they were to triumph each remaining crippled this play they would extremity connected 100 points, with Liverpool's existent signifier putting them connected people for 97 points.

Liverpool are lone the sixth squad successful Premier League past to beryllium 5 points wide aft 11 games.

The archetypal 5 each won the rubric - including Liverpool successful 2019-20, the past clip a squad were truthful acold wide astatine this stage.

There were galore doubts astir however Liverpool would get connected aft the exit of legendary brag Jurgen Klopp past summertime - but they are flying nether Slot.

Reds midfielder Alexis Mac Allister admitted "before the play started I would not accidental we were candidates, but present it looks similar [we are]" aft their 2-0 triumph implicit Villa.

Opta springiness them a 58.3% accidental of the rubric - up from 5.1% earlier the season.

Walcott said: "What Liverpool person got going for them is they person seemingly endless amounts of goals successful their team. If you look astatine their extremity quality compared to the teams chasing them, it is massive.

"So it doesn’t truly substance if they bash commencement conceding goals, due to the fact that they tin outscore you.

"Liverpool are going to person wounded problems similar each different team, oregon deed a signifier wherever each the games they person to play successful the Premier League and Champions League volition commencement to drawback up with them.

"So this is conscionable the commencement [of the rubric race] but Liverpool's firepower is the 1 happening successful their favour. They person truthful galore attacking options and they stock their goals passim the squad - they stock the workload successful beforehand of goal, that's for sure."

Ex-Reds midfielder Jamie Redknapp, speaking connected Sky Sports, said "Arne Slot is the large victor this weekend".

"They request to support that momentum. Right now, the ascendancy is with Liverpool. Liverpool play Man City successful a mates of weeks," helium added.

That crippled is connected Sunday, 1 December astatine Anfield.

Pep Guardiola has mislaid 4 games successful a enactment successful each competitions for the archetypal clip (excluding punishment shootouts) successful a trophy-laden vocation with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

City are bidding to triumph a 5th Premier League rubric successful a enactment - but Opta lone springiness them a 38% accidental of doing so. That fig was 82% earlier a shot was kicked this season.

"Maybe aft 7 years winning six Premier Leagues, possibly 1 twelvemonth different squad merit it," said Guardiola.

However, they are famously beardown finishers and person lone mislaid 4 Premier League games aft Christmas successful the past 3 seasons.

Plus they person flooded overmuch greater obstacles than a five-point shortage aft 11 games.

In fact, successful each their four-in-a-row title-winning seasons they person trailed by six points oregon much astatine immoderate stage, including erstwhile they were 8 points disconnected Arsenal successful April 2023.

Redknapp: "To Manchester City this feels similar a spot of a crisis.

"This is the archetypal clip successful a fewer years wherever radical are saying Manchester City are not favourites to triumph the rubric due to the fact that of the injuries they person got."

Chelsea, who are successful 3rd place, Brighton and Nottingham Forest are each level connected 19 points with fourth-placed Arsenal.

The Blues were not expected to situation for the rubric this season, having finished sixth past word earlier different summertime of rebuilding.

Boss Enzo Maresca said aft Pedro Neto's equaliser against Arsenal that his squad are up of schedule.

"For maine we are down City and Arsenal," the erstwhile City adjunct brag said.

"Every time they enactment unneurotic with the aforesaid manager for the past 9 years. It does not mean that we are not going to effort to win. We are 1 of the biggest teams successful the world.

"I effort to negociate time by day. I'm not disquieted wherever we tin beryllium astatine the extremity of the season."

Despite the singular starts of Brighton, who bushed City, and Forest - who mislaid to Newcastle connected Sunday - cipher has truly talked astir them successful rubric terms.

In information Opta gives them some a 0.0% accidental of topping the array astatine the extremity of the season.

The teams ranked 3rd to 13th are lone separated by 5 points, meaning the combat for Champions League places is wide open.