How does this year’s Premier League title race compare to past three campaigns?

By Oscar Maung-Haley

With the Premier League entering its festive slate of fixtures, it’s time to look at how the 2021/22 title race compares to past campaigns.

Chelsea top the table through 12 rounds of action, with Liverpool and Manchester City hot on their heels and it seems we’re destined for a close battle all the way to the line.

While West Ham sit fourth, it seems unlikely they’ll be able to match the big three stride for stride, meaning it’s a three-horse race at the top of the Premier League.

But how does that compare to past seasons?

2020/2021 – Quantity over quality

Heading into the weekend, Chelsea were three points clear at the top of the table from Manchester City, with Liverpool a point further back in third.

However, this time last season, just three points separated the top six.

In fact, after 12 rounds of match action, last season’s leaders at this time were actually Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur.

Additionally, the top four also featured Liverpool in second, Leicester City in third…and Southampton in fourth!

Manchester United sat fifth, Chelsea sixth and eventual league champions Manchester City down in seventh.

Therefore, in terms of the closeness of the title race, it’d be fair to say that ranks pretty high on the scale.

However, in terms of quality, it’d be fair to say that this season’s title race between the current top three probably ranks higher.

Any title race containing Tottenham, Leicester and Southampton in it definitely seems like it’s a bit lacking on the quality front.

And in the end, Manchester City ended up winning the title with such ease, finishing 12 points clear of second placed Manchester United.

2019/20 – Liverpool’s year

Perhaps the most one-sided title race in years, the 2019/20 season had Liverpool steaming ahead of the competition through 12 rounds.

Jurgen Klopp’s men won 11 of their opening 12 league games, and sat eight points clear of Leicester and Chelsea and nine points clear of Manchester City.

While Covid-19 did cause the season to be postponed, Liverpool still won the title with ease, and therefore while this ranks quite low in terms of closeness of the title race, it does rank highly in terms of quality.

Liverpool’s 2019-20 team was surely one of the best sides to ever grace the Premier League.

2018/19 – A two-horse race

At this point in the 2018/19 season, it seemed like the race for the title would be a two-horse race between Manchester City and Liverpool.

Both started the season unbeaten and sat first and second respectively. Chelsea were also unbeaten but they tailed off, leading to a head-to-head race between City and Liverpool.

There might not have been too many contenders that season but in terms of closeness and quality between the two sides, it was probably the best.

After losing to Newcastle in late January, Manchester City won all 14 of their remaining games, while Liverpool won 11, drawing three.

In the end, City pipped Liverpool to the title by a point on the final day, but the season as a whole will be remembered for how both sides pushed each other from August to May.

PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES