Who will win the league?

[Jimmy Floyd]

So after 20 games, the title battle is delicately poised with six wonderful, thrilling sides within 10 points of each other. A quick profile of each to jog your memories.

Chelsea, 49pts
With a switch to a back three, the leaders have in one piece of tactical mastery from the Italian genius overcome the fact that half their team is demonstrably rubbish. Conte, whose hair is all his own, has certainly made a difference. I think they'll collapse in the second half, though.

Liverpool, 44pts
Another transformation here as man of the people Jürgen Klopp, through his floppy hair, shit jokes and inability to swear in the right places, evokes the magical spirit of the city. I can't see them keeping this run going, though.

Tottenham, 42pts
After ending Chelsea's run, with a new stadium in sight and Eric Dier and Dele Alli touching each other's bums often, Spurs seem to be on a roll - but as we learned last season, Spurs remain Spurs regardless of the personnel and the footballing logic.

Manchester City, 42pts
With one stroke of his pre-season beard, Guardiola instantly changed English football forever, but the great visionary's team are seven points off the lead nonetheless. Some of the great artistic sides in history - Holland 1974, Brazil 1982, Santos 1953-54 - came second, and I fear this may be the case for these wonderful magicians in their light blue shirts.

Arsenal, 41pts
You can't help the instinctive urge that this is nigh on certain to be their year. What they lack in flair, they certainly make up for in toughness, steel and gritty resolve, as summed up by their two British bulldogs, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott. Can anyone stop the juggernaut? I can't see it.

Manchester Utd, 39pts
Never keen to take the game or himself too seriously, the jovial Mourinho has instilled a sense of light-hearted banter and camaraderie among his unheralded squad, joy that has spurred them on to nine straight wins and hauled them back into the race. But are they just too far back?

Vote now, vote now, vote now.

[Giggles]

Spurs and Arsenal, no chance. They haven't the stones for it. I'll say Liverpool, because bad things just keep happening. United will end up closest to them as Chelsea are too thin and City don't look like they can concentrate for more than a couple of games at a time.

[Baz]

Chelsea. Put a free £5 bet on it at the start of the season, so that'll will at least take the sting out of it when Liverpool don't win it. And if Liverpool do win - happy days! It's only £30.

[7om]

I hope Chelsea win it just because they're so enjoyable to watch. Man City falling out the top 4 and Pep going full meltdown would be terrific entertainment as well.

[Offshore Toon]

I think Chelsea will win because Conte is a don.

[Adamski]

I wouldn't say Chelsea's style of play was anywhere near enjoyable to watch, as effective as it is.

Pep for me :cool:

[Lewis]

Probably Chelsea from here, but if United win on Sunday I would find it hard to bet against Corporate Mourinho winning the remaining big games now that he knows what he's doing.

[Smiffy]

So much Chelsea when by the beginning of next month they'll be involved in a five-way battle. :drool:

[Magic]

Chelsea
Man City
Either of the bottle jobs
Arsenal in 4th
Either of the bottle jobs
Scum.

[-james-]

Chelsea
United
Liverpool
City
Arsenal

[Smiffy]

Probably Chelsea from here, but if United win on Sunday I would find it hard to bet against Corporate Mourinho winning the remaining big games now that he knows what he's doing.

Beating Tottenham at Old Trafford in the only 'big game' in the past dozen or so matches means Mourinho knows what he's doing? It's going to take more than a few wins against your Hulls, Sunderlands and Middlesbroughs. December has been a decent month for United but you all seem to be buying into the whole "It's not as bad as it was" rubbish. Progress is clearly there but let's not pretend you're anything other than the 6th best on their best run.

[Adamski]

Surely thats not Liverpool fans tempering other teams expectations.

[Smiffy]

Lord forbid a football fan have an opinion, Adamski. It's true on both counts though. Chelsea are apparently unstoppable despite proving themselves to be very stoppable. Man United struggle still but it's easier on the eye than it has been, Arsenal will collapse like Arsenal do, Tottenham are an unknown quantity but very likely to revert to type alongside us (we'll drop points against the lesser sides) which leaves Man City to sneak in with a fully fit Aguero to take it and Pep be like "And what?"

[Adamski]

Glad we're on the same page.

[SvN]

Chelsea will win it by about 5 points I reckon. I can envisage there being about 4 points separating 2nd down to 6th.

[Smiffy]

Chelsea won't even have five points by the end of the month. Leicester, Liverpool, Hull and Arsenal. Oof.

[SvN]

Perhaps, but there's another 4 months after this month.

[Lewis]

Beating Tottenham at Old Trafford in the only 'big game' in the past dozen or so matches means Mourinho knows what he's doing? It's going to take more than a few wins against your Hulls, Sunderlands and Middlesbroughs. December has been a decent month for United but you all seem to be buying into the whole "It's not as bad as it was" rubbish. Progress is clearly there but let's not pretend you're anything other than the 6th best on their best run.

What I meant is that it clearly (for whatever reasons) took him a couple of months to decide on his best system/team. Now that he has, and now that the team is getting better with it, why would it not make sense for the best big game manager of the past decade to have a better chance than most of winning away at Tottenham and Arsenal and City, and beating Chelsea at home?

[Kikó]

It depends on the result v Liverpool on Sunday for me to get too giddy about United. I think our best hope is winning a cup.

I hope one of the London mob win it. Maybe Spurs.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think United will make top four from here (probably not massively better than that), which will be lol because it'll mean one of the others has a mare.

[Lewis]

What happens these days if United got fifth but won the UEFA Cup?

[7om]

Would Arsenal finishing in sixth be the end of Wenger?

[Kikó]

What happens these days if United got fifth but won the UEFA Cup?

CL place.

[Reg]

Chelsea. Will stick with them.

If I had to guess the rest of the top 4 I'd go with Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd (in no particular order).

[Jimmy Floyd]

1 Chelsea
2 Liverpool
3 Arsenal
4 Spurs
5 City - win CL
6 United - win Europa

This would result in Spurs missing out. In any other scenario, we'd have the top 4 + United should they win Europa. Spain had 5 teams in it this season (although Villarreal failed to qualify).

[Offshore Toon]

Why is it limited to 5 teams? If there are spots reserved for the winners, why does a team from the same league have to miss out?

[Giggles]

1 Chelsea
2 Liverpool
3 Arsenal
4 Spurs
5 City - win CL
6 United - win Europa

This would result in Spurs missing out. In any other scenario, we'd have the top 4 + United should they win Europa. Spain had 5 teams in it this season (although Villarreal failed to qualify).

After Chelsea, the club would implode if that happened.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why is it limited to 5 teams? If there are spots reserved for the winners, why does a team from the same league have to miss out?

There aren't really spots reserved for the winners. The rules kind of assume that the winners will qualify anyway and just have little loopholes to get round it should they not do so.

[Waffdon]

Chelsea will ease to the league. Imagine Conte will get a few decent acquisitions this window to make sure of it.

[Raoul Duke]

Chelsea look good but they feel one Costa injury/meltdown away from going on a shitty run to me. Everyone gets at least one.

If it's not Utd then I'd prefer Spurs to win it.