PL contenders’ highs and lows

​​​​​​​It was another unpredictable weekend in what’s shaping up to be a thrilling Premier League title race, with Chelsea moving top of the table after Liverpool dropped points at Southampton.

Manchester City and Tottenham beat Crystal Palace and West Ham respectively to keep pace with the leaders, while Arsenal grabbed a late equaliser to frustrate Manchester United at Old Trafford.

There are only four points between first and fifth place after three months of the season, and from Chelsea to United, all of the contenders have experienced their share of highs and lows… 

CHELSEA

Highs

There have been some dizzying highs for Chelsea under Antonio Conte. The 4-0 thrashing of Jose Mourinho’s United was an extraordinary show of strength, and that was sandwiched by similarly emphatic victories over champions Leicester and Ronald Koeman’s Everton.

Their brilliant run of form continued against Middlesbrough on Super Sunday. The 1-0 win was not as comfortable as it might have been, but it was yet another clean sheet and, more importantly, it meant they ended the weekend as Premier League leaders for the first time since clinching the title in 2015.

Lows

Chelsea are buoyant after their six-game winning streak but it was a very different story just a couple of months ago, when a 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool was followed up with a bitterly disappointing 3-0 loss at Arsenal.

Conte’s side were comprehensively dismantled by the Gunners during a punishing first half at the Emirates Stadium, and the defeat left them eighth in the Premier League table. “We didn’t have the right attitude from the first minute,” said a downbeat Conte after the game. It’s been quite the transformation since then.

LIVERPOOL

Highs

Optimism has come flooding back to Liverpool this season. The 4-3 win over Arsenal on the opening day of the season set the tone, and in their first game at Anfield they thrashed Leicester 4-1 with two goals from Roberto Firmino and a home debut strike from summer signing Sadio Mane.

Jordan Henderson’s stunning goal in the 2-1 win at Chelsea was another brilliant moment, and there have also been thrilling attacking performances against Hull, Crystal Palace and Watford. They have racked up more goals (30) than any other Premier League side, and their 6-1 win over the Hornets sent them top for the first time in over two years.

Lows

Following up their win at Arsenal with a 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted Burnley was hugely deflating. Liverpool had 80 per cent of the possession and took 26 shots to Burnley’s three at Turf Moor, but the defeat suggested they had still not overcome the inconsistency that plagued them last season.

That result remains their only …

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