Who Will Win The League?

[Baz]

This is how the top of the current Premier League table stands:

I think we'll all be very surprised if someone other than Leicester or Spurs win it; probably anyone other than Leicester, quite honestly.

I came across this article comparing the run of fixtures for the top two teams.

Both have seven games left to play:

Leicester
Southampton (H)
Sunderland (A)
West Ham (H)
Swansea (H)
United (A)
Everton (H)
Chelsea (A)

For Leicester, 17 is now the magic number. Any combination of Tottenham points dropped and Leicester points won that reaches that figure, wins them the title. 21 points are on the table.

From the reverse fixtures earlier in the season, Leicester took 17 points off the teams they face in the run-in, beating all of the teams they still have to face aside from draws with Manchester United and Southampton.

Spurs
Liverpool (A)
United (H)
Stoke (A)
West Brom (H)
Chelsea (A)
Southampton (H)
Newcastle (A)

Tottenham, meanwhile, took 10 points from their remaining opponents. That includes a defeat by Manchester United and only beating Southampton and Newcastle with the rest as draws - although it does not account for the obvious improvement they have shown.

Of the seven remaining gameweeks, Leicester play first in four, the final day kicks off simultaneously, while the penultimate weekend’s TV games are yet to be decided.

That could be perceived as an advantage, with Spurs having to wait until their rivals pile the pressure on before them. But if Tottenham can beat Liverpool on Saturday, April 2, the tension is ramped up for Leicester’s game against Southampton a day later

Leicester clearly have the easier run of games, and their record in the reverse fixtures swings it greatly in their favour, but I dunno - some part of me thinks Spurs might just do it.

Also I thought I'd add this, the league table from the same point in the year, when Liverpool looked like winning it before Gerrard let it slip away:

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So at this point, it was Man City's to lose and Chelsea sat top. But with two games to go (three for some) it looked like this:

Anyway, back to this season. So long as Kane stays fit, there's a chance Spurs could win the league. If that happened, would Leicester receive any ridicule for letting it go so late? Or would everyone be too disappointed to make fun of them? It seems like every "neutral" wants Leicester to win it, even with a gypo scally like Vardy up-front.

Also, is it too early to be writing off Arsenal and City? They still have to play eachother, at the Etihad, and then have another seven games on top of that.

Arsenal
Watford (H)
West Ham (A)
Palace (H)
West Brom (H)
Sunderland (A)
Norwich (H)
City (A)
Aston Villa (H)

City
Bournemouth (A)
West Brom (H)
Chelsea (A)
Newcastle (A)
Stoke (H)
Southampton (A)
Arsenal (H)
Swansea (A)
+at least 2 champions league games vs PSG

If Arsenal win all their games they'd finish on 79 points.
If Man City win all their games they'd finish on 75 points.
If Spurs win all their games they'd finish on 82 points.
If Leicester win all their games they'd finish on 87 points.

In 2015 Chelsea won the league with 87 points:


In 2014 Man City won the league with 86 points:


In 2013 Man Utd won the league with 89 points:


In 2012 Man City won the league with 89 points:


And in 2011 Man Utd won the league with just 80 points:


Arsenal winning it with 79 points would be something special, both in terms of Spurs and Leicester's downfall, and completely undeservedly winning the title.


I'll add a poll but I'm sure it'll be ~95% Leicester, with the Arsenal contingent picking their lot. If somehow Leicester mess up, it'll be interested to see who predicted it.

Also the next Premier League games aren't until 2nd April. How rubbish is that!

[Magic]

Great thread Baz.

[Lee]

We'll win it, I think. Probably before the last game too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Leicester will do it. There's no way on this earth that Spurs have it in them not to drop points from those fixtures.

[Giggles]

Arsenal.

[leedsrevolution]

I think Leicester will do it. But I wil be happy with anyone other than City. I don't think Leicester would get the Liverpool treatment of they blew it. If they finish in the top 3 it's an outstanding achievement.

[Browning]

That 17 points stat is ridiculously flawed, unless we are all just assuming it's a two horse race.

[Spammer]

I'm winning £25 if Leicester and Burton win their leagues.

[Davgooner]

Leicester have been scraping by, but Southampton will stop that and then it's on for the Middlesex mob, at which point I up my preparations for emigrating to a small pacific island with poor communication links.

[Davgooner]

Giggles probably truly believes that as well, the weirdo.

[Pepe]

What I want to know is which is the better team.

[Davgooner]

There's no way of telling.

[Giggles]

Giggles probably truly believes that as well, the weirdo.

I've done what?

EDIT: Oh Arsenal? I think they're the only ones from the three (I'm discounting City as too far back) that are equipped to do anything when it comes to the crunch. To far into unknown territory for Leicester who will have to feel the pressure soon, and Tottenham as a club are just spineless when any form of success is dangled under their nose.

[Yevrah]

I've done what?

EDIT: Oh Arsenal? I think they're the only ones from the three (I'm discounting City as too far back) that are equipped to do anything when it comes to the crunch.

How in the name of fuck have you come to that conclusion? They've been bottling it for 10 years.

[mugbull]

There's definitely a bottle table, in which Arsenal are 5th but Spurs are 15th and Leicester are wildcarding up and down so we don't know anything about them.

[Smiffy]

.....

[Davgooner]

How in the name of fuck have you come to that conclusion? They've been bottling it for 10 years.

I fucking knew you'd be straight on that.

[Giggles]

How in the name of fuck have you come to that conclusion? They've been bottling it for 10 years.

It's not just Arsenal we're taking about here though.

[Yevrah]

It's not just Arsenal we're taking about here though.

It's not. I'll give you Spurs, but how can you possibly know Leicester are going to be as bottly?

[Giggles]

It's not. I'll give you Spurs, but how can you possibly know Leicester are going to be as bottly?

Exactly. None of us do, so it's all down to opinion. Mine is that they will feel the strain and fall away.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Arsenal are 11 points behind. That is simply far too big a gap.

People have been saying Leicester will fall away since October and it simply has not happened, nor has it particularly looked like happening.

[Josh]

I think Leicester will win it but I had a little go at the predictor and it came out like this. Leicester need to change one of my predicted draws into a win.

[Magic]

Spurs will win it.

[Lewis]

There was a good letter on Football365 earlier about how BT might be stuffed if our Champions' League include Leicester and West Ham, so the latter getting fourth would be quite lol. Then again, 'LvG' getting fourth and mouthing off would be equally so. City missing out entirely... It's really all about fourth now.

[Disco]

It better be Leicester after all this, I shall be most of annoyed if it turns out to be one of the other boring options, Arsenal especially.

[Vim]

Spurs is a very not boring option, that's the thing. I want to see Ranieri do it, but Spurs winning the league with such a young squad would also be really great.

It's probably been said a million times, but if Arsenal don't win the league (and it looks like they won't) in the year where all the other top teams are shit then when will they win it ...

[Magic]

I think Leicester will win it but I had a little go at the predictor and it came out like this. Leicester need to change one of my predicted draws into a win.

Being punished by all those shite 1-0 wins.

[Lee]

All five of them.

Hope they punish us for the eight wins in which we've scored three or more too.

[Magic]

The seethe/meltdown when Leicester fuck it up from Lee and Max is going to be utterly glorious. I almost want the Yids to win.

[ScousePig]

Leicester.

And it's fucking incredible.

[ScousePig]

What I want to know is which is the better team.

Overall Spurs are better than Leicester, but Leicester will win the league

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[Lee]

The seethe/meltdown when Leicester fuck it up from Lee and Max is going to be utterly glorious. I almost want the Yids to win.

I'm not sure there will be one. I'll be gutted immediately after not winning it of course, given that we'll likely not get the chance again, but we are basically guaranteed a top two finish and automatic Champions' League qualification. No matter what, this season will have been brilliant.

If we don't win it, it's going to be Spurs. I like Spurs and they're still a club outside of the usual suspects. If they manage to overhaul us from here they'll be worthy of it.

[Magic]

Of course mate, because 4th was all that mattered.

[Magic]

Look at you being all modest and humble. You fucking loser. No wonder the consultants think you're a mug and properly take the piss.

[Lee]

Of course mate, because 4th was all that mattered.

Silly me, as a fan of Leicester fucking City, scarcely being able to believe we might win the league for most of the season.

And the the consultants are refusing to talk to me (lol) precisely because I'm the opposite of those things. Entitled cunts.

[Davgooner]

I like Spurs

For fuck sake.

Maybe it's just London that hates the cunts.

[niko_cee]

Everyone ought to hate Spurs. Maybe it's a generational thing.

Hopefully Liverpool can put pay to their season, although they are overdue a win against us.

[Reg]

I've never felt at all strongly about Spurs in any way. I kind of liked that side with van der Vaart and Crouch.

Leicester will win it. Then Man City will win it next season.

[Disco]

Why do people hate Spurs? Other than the normal local rivalry rubbish I mean.

[Jeet]

Arsenal have been given a warchest again! Same one from 2008 and every other year, why doesn't it increase?

I think the title race will come down to the last day of the season - Spurs GD will be a huge advantage

[Smiffy]

.....

[ScousePig]

Why do people hate Spurs? Other than the normal local rivalry rubbish I mean.

Horrible place, horrible fans.

[Giggles]

Ideas above their station too I suspect. Their fans generally think they're a lot bigger than they actually are. Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Newcastle would fit that bill too.

[Disco]

How though? I mean Ledley was a bit odd sometimes but that's a pretty small sample.

Edit: Ah ok, cheers Classic Giggles.

[The Merse]

Why do people hate Spurs? Other than the normal local rivalry rubbish I mean.

They're horrible cunts with a ridiculously inflated collected ego about being the beautiful bridesmaid and deserving more and a huge chip on their shoulder.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Spurs are ghastly. Arsenal are far worse nowadays though. It was not ever thus.

[ItalAussie]

I'm just a touch nervous that voting for Leicester will jinx it.

What a crazy season we have, that Spurs winning the league would be seen as a let-down. Any other season, and it's one for the history books.

[niko_cee]

Why do people hate Spurs? Other than the normal local rivalry rubbish I mean.

Well, aside from the blindingly (depressingly) obvious?

Ideas above their station too I suspect. Their fans generally think they're a lot bigger than they actually are. Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, Newcastle would fit that bill too.

Yeah, probably this.

[John]

I know one person who actually wants Spurs to win the league, with the stated reason that Leicester are only up there because the bigger teams have been crap. I've lolled at him just enough to get him entrenched in that bonkers reasoning, so hopefully there's a decent seethe to come when Leicester do it.

[GS]

I want Leicester to win, but as stated several times now I remain convinced that they will, somehow, fuck it up.