Manchester City’s recent collapse in the Premier League gives the rest a chance to dream

Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

It’s May 19, 2024. You’ve got Liverpool v Wolves on the big TV, you’ve rolled into the small, very old one, one from the bedroom for Man City v West Ham, Arsenal v Everton is on the iPad, Graham Potter’s Palace (fresh from his painful 44 day spell at Manchester United) v Villa is on your phone and Sheffield United v Spurs is on the radio. All five could still win the title. It’s unprecedented. Sean Dyche’s Everton can still enter Europe with a win at the Emirates.

And that’s before we even consider Burnley v Forest: the winner will need everything to stay alive after Vincent Kompany’s side won six of their last eight. Forest manager Martin O’Neill has been given five games to rescue him after Julen Lopetegui’s disastrous and short-lived spell in charge since February. Rúben Neves, Jordan Henderson, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté all start for Newcastle at Brentford. Eddie Howe’s side need a win and results to finish fifth – which could still be enough to qualify for the Champions League.

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There is little to play for at Amex, but all eyes are on Roberto De Zerbi’s return as Manchester United manager. As for Jadon Sancho, ten goals in his last ten games is a reward for him. Meanwhile, interim Frank Lampard has called on Ivan Toney to help his Chelsea side make the leap over Bournemouth for a place in the Europa Conference League, securing his place on the plane to Germany.

You might suggest that most of the above is ridiculous until you start remembering what happened last year. Sam Allardyce at Leeds, the actual return of Lampard, and Roy Hodgson who turned into an Ardiles/Keegan hybrid at Palace for a few games.

December is often seen as the first setting of the settlement, as if the points are suddenly worth more (see also ‘the business end’ from Easter). European football and international breaks are over. Now it seems like there’s a plethora of Premier League matches happening on any given day and at any time as we approach Christmas. It’s impossible to keep track of everything, even if your job keeps track of it all.

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But right now it is possible to dream of a title race that might go very far. Like many, I assumed City would run away with the competition this year – especially as the teams below them would improve enough to take points off each other, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side to battle it out.

Pep has a habit of working it all out now, picking four centre-backs before telling John Stones to wander and win 20 games in a row. They have been vulnerable and have successfully played catch-up before – with neutrals or anyone who wants a new winner starting to believe.

And history – plus a fully fit Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne – suggests they will be difficult to stop. But that recent Villa game felt different. Unai Emery’s side may have won 1-0 but they battered them, limiting City to two shots. This way City doesn’t lose games.

Now for the hellish discussions about whether it’s time to ‘take Aston Villa seriously’: are they really in the title race? Well, yes. That doesn’t mean they will be in May, but they have only taken six points from Arsenal and Manchester City. That feels like ‘being taken seriously’ material.

I remember a former Villa player – I forget who – talking about how big and wide Villa Park is and that Emery’s use of width is key. And perhaps why their home form is so good. It gave the impression of some kind of giant savannah, impossible to see one end from the other – Pete Postlethwaite leaned out of a jeep and grabbed his binoculars to see John McGinn charge past a triceratops in the far opposition half.

In the slightly less exciting real world of dimensions, it is the same size as Spurs, Arsenal and City, while Anfield is just a little shorter. Still, it feels big, doesn’t it? Perhaps their side will find the corrosive Wembley grass a bit small if they reach the FA Cup final.

But Villa is in this. Just like Arsenal. Declan Rice is such a great footballer. When he drives the ball it is joyful. And in those slightly underrated wide men of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, along with Martin Ødegaard who almost sweeps the ball home from just inside the box every time you look up, they have a real chance. Last year’s experiences will certainly help them.

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Liverpool are top without anyone noticing. Stealth Liverpool. They have only lost once. And that was until an own goal at the last minute, when they had already scored with nine men That goal – the VAR goal. Howard Webb and his friends must hope that if they don’t win the title it will be by more than a point or two. Jürgen Klopp has conjured up a beautiful midfield somewhere, and five attacking players who all deliver something different. If they can navigate to the missing Mo Salah during Afcon and assume the Saudis aren’t going to offer Jon Rahm money for him in January, then they have every chance.

Speaking of Afcon, losing Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma to Spurs while Son Heung-min heads to the Asian Cup will certainly be costly. Writing like a full-fledged Ange disciple, he can do no wrong (except throw away five leads in five games). Seven points off the top with a relatively friendly fixture list for a while, they could stay in touch until mid-April if it’s Newcastle (a), Man City (h), Arsenal (h), Liverpool (a). Not the easiest.

Manchester United and Newcastle United no longer have European football. The former are bad and the latter are broken, but the form can change, players can get fitter, others get injured. At this point it doesn’t feel like either of them could keep up the pressure on anything, but they’ve both proven a lot of people wrong before.

The best part is, none of us know. We can dream, not think about the handball law – until we are confronted with it next time – and enjoy it. Don’t read this again at the beginning of May, when everything is done and we start to prepare for a European Championship quarter-final defeat against Portugal.