I think it will be too early to be talking about the team that will emerge as the champion of the premier league come may 2020 despite Liverpool and Manchester City having a good start to the season. It is obviously clear now that other teams are behind these two clubs and they will have to fight for other vital positions such as the third and fourth positions to boost of their success at the end of the season.
Liverpool continues to maintain their 100% performance before the international break while Manchester City were so unlucky to have shared the points against Tottenham and occupied the second position but one of those things that makes the league so competitive is the fact that some teams in the past has had a good start from the begin but never win the title at the end despite some even topping the table till December period.
Below are some of the clubs that never won the league despite having a good start to their season.
- Newcastle United (95/96)
- Liverpool (96/97)
- Arsenal (07/08)
- Chelsea (08/09)
Newcastle United
Newcastle United in the 95/96 season look so promising until they lost the trophy to Manchester United the team they are leading with 12 points by the end of January. The club won their first five matches in style by scoring 19 good goals in those games to show how flying the side are, the impressive performance continues even till Christmas but they never won the league at the end after a five shocking defeats in eight game between the period of February and April. The club finished on the second position that year while Manchester United won the trophy under sir Alex Ferguson.
Liverpool
I'm not really surprised with the team performance now because this is not the first time they are looking fly at the beginning and falling apart at the end, the team seems to have a good starting but don't really know how to hold on to the last minutes. We all see what happens last season when Manchester City mount the pressure on them and they eventually lost the trophy to the Citizens at the end. In 96/96 season, the team looks like they are ready to break 6 years deadlock of not winning the league under Roy Evans but failed at the end despite leading the table till December as well and that has also repeated itself in 2008, 2013 before last year again to Manchester City.
Arsenal
Another team to talk about here is Arsenal in 07/08 season when they won eight games out of their first nine games. Although the team lost their hitman to Spanish side that year but don't really miss the French forward by holding the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United in the league. They could have won the title that year since winning it in 2004 but the problem begins for them in February when the lost one of their key player Eduardo to injury against Birmingham in a game that ended 2-2. The club went on to win just one game in eight games and that gave Manchester United the chance to move ahead them to win the title and the club that season finished in the third position also loosing the second spot for the Blues.
Chelsea
The Blues had the chance to win the title under Scolari the man who came to the bridge when the pressure was so high by winning 12 of their first 13 games and a lost to Liverpool which is not really bad for them. In fact, they were so clinical in front of goal by scoring 32 goals in those matches before the problem started for them in the month of December after drawing some games and also loosing to the Gunners, Manchester United and Liverpool. Scolari never had the chance just like other managers who has worked with club and he was sacked by the owner of the club Roman Abramovich which makes the club to settled for the third position at the end of the season.
