Liverpool have been knocked off top spot in the Premier League table in possibly the most arbitrary manner possible (alphabetical order) after they and Chelsea were left on identical records after five games apiece but it would take more than that to separate the sides come the end of the season.
A trio of clubs Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United each have 13 points having all won four games and drawn one but Jurgen Klopp’s men and Thomas Tuchel’s side both have a superior goal difference of plus 11 compared to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team’s plus nine.
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Liverpool and Chelsea cannot be separated on goals scored either as they have both scored 12 and conceded one and this is because even more remarkably, they’ve recorded identical scorelines each matchweek so far during the fledgling campaign.
In matchweek one on August 14, they both won 3-0, Chelsea at home to Crystal Palace in a 3pm kick-off, and Liverpool at Norwich City, starting at 5:30pm.
Matchweek two saw Liverpool defeat Burnley 2-0 in a 12:30pm game on Saturday August 21 before Chelsea triumphed by the same scoreline at Arsenal in a 4:30pm match the next day.
The rivals went head-to-head in matchweek three for the only game neither have won so far, as they played out a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday August 28 (5:30pm).
Returning after the international break, Chelsea overcame Aston Villa 3-0 at Stamford Bridge at 5:30pm on Saturday September 11 before Liverpool matched them again in a 4:30pm game against Leeds United at Elland Road the next day.
Then in matchday five this weekend, Liverpool defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 at home (they and Chelsea have now defeated the same opponent by an identical scoreline) in a 3pm Saturday fixture ahead of Chelsea repeating the trick to triumph at Tottenham Hotspur in 4:30pm game today.
All this leaves Chelsea nominally ahead given than C comes before L in the alphabet but if two sides vying for the title could not be separated by points, goal difference or goals scored come the end of the season then Premier League rules state they would contest a one-game play-off at a neutral ground to decide which club secured the crown.
