The big story of the weekend in the Premier League was reigning champions Manchester City falling 11 points off the pace, and the numbers suggest we'll have a new champion come May.
City lost 2-0 at Liverpool, their fourth league loss on the spin and their seventh straight match without a win in all competitions. They end the weekend outside the Champions League places in fifth, and will be after an immediate response against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
Liverpool are now the runaway league leaders, sitting nine points ahead of closest challengers Arsenal and Chelsea. Both London sides were also victorious over the weekend, with Arsenal winning at West Ham and Chelsea getting the better of Aston Villa.
So, is City's latest lost the final nail in their title hopes? According to a supercomputer, Pep Guardiola can indeed wave goodbye to any hope of a fifth straight season as league champions.
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According to Casino Hawks' supercomputer, runaway leaders Liverpool will indeed come out on top. It would be their first league title since 2020, when they remained unbeaten until February under Jurgen Klopp and ended the season on 99 points.
It's expected to be a close-run thing, albeit not with City. The numbers have Arsenal second, just three points behind Liverpool, with City a further seven adrift in third.
Chelsea are tipped to finish fourth, with Tottenham one place behind them. Fifth place may yet be enough for Champions League qualification, depending on how well English clubs perform in European competition this season.
Who do you think will make up the top four? Have your say in the comments section
Ruben Amorim's Manchester United are not expected to finish in the top four
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Manchester United have enjoyed a promising start under new head coach Ruben Amorim, but the supercomputer isn't convinced the Portuguese can deliver European football. It has United remaining in their current position of ninth, below Brighton, Newcastle and Brentford.
United can still ensure European football through a cup win, as was the case in the 2023-24 season. They are due to take on Tottenham in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and currently occupy a play-off spot in the Europa League, while their FA Cup defence doesn't get underway until January's third round.
Ruud van Nistelrooy helped United pick up results in the league and cups during a spell as interim manager, and his next task will be keeping Leicester City in the Premier League. The supercomputer expects the Foxes to fall short, though, placing them in the bottom three with fellow newly-promoted sides Ipswich and Southampton.
Despite their healthy lead at the top, Liverpool are refusing to get carried away. Their manager Arne Slot was asked about the title after their latest win, a 2-0 victory over City, and pointed out there is still quality in the chasing pack.
"I don't think anyone, including me, would have predicted this [start]," Slot said. "I knew Jurgen [Klopp] left the team in a very good place.
"But, still, to win so much with all the difficult teams we have played already is not something you could predict at the start of the season. But, like I say, I saw Arsenal yesterday and Chelsea today and I saw City.
"They will come back because these teams have so much quality. They could go on the same run as us, so we have to stay sharp and focused."
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