Liverpool have had a more difficult start to the season in terms of quality of opponents and their respective finishing positions last year in the league.
Similar to last years thread this topic applies the same rules to all the Premier League clubs to give an indication of what is a good result and what is a poor result - and to analyse how well each team is doing based on who they have played.
Two season ago Chelsea won the title with the exact number of wins, draws and defeats that we have always used in our prediction method.
The following information depicts the 'easiest route' to achieve the points target. Fixtures illustrated relate of course to Liverpool.
Title Target (87 points)Requirements:
Win your 15 easiest games at home. Draw your hardest 4 (Last seasons top 4).
Win your 11 easiest games away. Draw your next hardest 5 (For us, last seasons 4th to 9th) . Defeated at your hardest 3 (Top 3).
P38 W26 D9 L3 Pts 87
A current score of 0 or above suggests you are on course for the title - below that suggests you are outside title form.
Top Four Target (70 points)Requirements:
Win your 12 easiest games at home. Draw your next hardest 5 . Defeated by hardest 2 teams
Win your 8 easiest games away. Draw your next hardest 5. Defeated at the hardest 6.
P38 W20 D10 L8 Pts 70
A score of 0 or above suggests you are on course for a top 4 spot - below that suggests you are outside top 4 form.
Story so far - Title RaceAs this thread has started a little later this year let's summarise.
There have been 10 games played. In the Premier League City, Arsenal and Liverpool are currently level on points. The stats currently indicate that Liverpool have had the best start based on who they have played and are doing 1 point better than Man City.
Man City - 'unexpected' results so farBeating Stoke and Man Utd away were better than expected.
Drawing at home to Everton and Southampton were worse than expected.
Overall score = 0.
Arsenal - 'unexpected' results so farLosing at home to Liverpool, drawing at home to Boro - worse than expected.
Drawing away at Leicester - marginally better than expected.
Overall score = -4.
Liverpool - 'unexpected' results so farBeating Arsenal, a point at Spurs, beating Leicester all better than expected.
Losing to Burnley and drawing against Man Utd worse than expected.
Overall score = +1.
Spurs - 'unexpected' results so farDrawing away at Everton, drawing against Liverpool at home, drawing at West Brom and Bournemouth - worse than expected.
Beating Stoke away and Man City at home - better than expected.
Overall score = -4.
Man Utd - 'unexpected' results so farLosing to City, Watford, Chelsea and drawing against Stoke and Burnley worse than expected.
Beating Leicester better than expected.
Overall score = -9.
As it stands (after week 10)Title challengeLiverpool +1
Man City 0
Chelsea -1
Arsenal -4
Spurs -4
Southampton -5
Man Utd-9
Leicester -9
...
Sunderland and Hull -17
West Ham -18
Top four challengeLiverpool 8
Man City 7
Chelsea 7
Spurs 1
Arsenal 0
Southampton -2
Leicester -3
Man Utd -4
...
Sunderland -12
Hull -13