Are top teams in EPL getting weaker or are mid-table sides getting better?

WITH 21 games played and 17 to go, the Premier League takes a brief back seat this weekend as the FA Cup moves centrestage.

The league now feels split into two clear battles: Arsenal, Manchester City, and Aston Villa are fighting for the title, while teams from Liverpool down to Sunderland are battling for the remaining Champions League spots.

Just five points separate fourth place from 10th – a clear reflection of how competitive the league has become.​

Arsenal fans were quick to mock Liverpool last season, claiming their title win came in a weak campaign and branding them the ‘’weakest champions ever’’.

Looking at the table now, the question must be asked: are the top teams getting weaker, or are the mid-table sides simply getting better?

It is difficult to say, but what is clear is that almost every team from bottom to top are capable of beating anyone on any given day.​

Arsenal had the opportunity to go eight points clear of both City and Villa but failed to capitalise, settling for a draw against Liverpool at the Emirates.

The lead now stands at six points, and if you ask me, Arsenal should be satisfied that that margin could be enough to win the league this season.

As usual, the only thing preventing Arsenal from pulling further away is Arsenal themselves.

It is largely a mental issue, one that the squad must overcome collectively.

Mikel Arteta has the depth, the tactics, and the players – what remains missing is belief.​

Remember Liverpool’s transformation under Juergen Klopp? All it took was the phrase “from doubters to believers”, and suddenly a 30-year wait was over.

Perhaps Arteta can draw inspiration from that journey, because this feels like the season where Arsenal have their best chance to win it all.​

That opportunity is amplified by City’s growing defensive crisis. Injuries continue to pile up in the back line, and it is now three draws in a row for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Curiously, rather than reinforcing defence, City chose to spend big on another winger, bringing in Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

Perhaps Guardiola plans to outscore opponents instead.

Where Semenyo fits remains to be seen, but Pep roulette is back, much to the frustration of Fantasy Premier League managers.​

Villa remain the league’s dark horses. Unai Emery’s squad are thin, and with European fixtures returning, rotation will be vital.

Whether the board backs Emery in January will determine how serious Villa are about sustaining a title push.

A six-point gap is manageable, and ambition will ultimately determine the outcome.​

For Liverpool, the title defence is over. Sitting 14 points behind the leaders, consistency has been their undoing.

They are unbeaten in six matches, but draws do little to close the gap.

Arne Slot’s priority now must be securing Champions League qualification.

Beyond that, it would not be surprising if he departs in the summer to make way for a new direction.

Liverpool, once known for high-octane, heavy-metal football, have become arguably the most tedious side in the league and endless sideways passes have replaced intensity. With Luis Enrique reportedly unwilling to extend his contract at PSG, could Anfield tempt him next?​

Manchester United, meanwhile, have hit the reset button once again with the sacking of Ruben Amorim.

That makes 10 managers, including interims, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Darren Fletcher steps in as interim, while rumours suggest Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could return until the season’s end. United sit just three points off fourth place, and missing out on European football again would be catastrophic financially.

Over to you, Jim Ratcliffe, do the right thing because your name is being dragged through the mud for your inability to run a football team or for not putting the right people in charge to manage it.​

One of the season’s surprise packages is Brentford, who sit just two points off fourth while playing fearless attacking football.

Igor Thiago has been a revelation, becoming the highest scoring Brazilian in the league with 16 goals.

Keith Andrews has organised the side superbly, and the presence of Jordan Henderson has lifted professionalism across the squad.

Champions League football here would be one of the great modern Premier League stories.

With 17 games to play, there is plenty of football ahead. For now, attention turns to the FA Cup because no club want to end the season without silverware.

The transfer window is open, squads will shift, and momentum can change quickly. Whatever happens, the next few weeks promise drama.