Predicting how the Premier League will look at the end of the season

Craig Burley says Tottenham have helped open the title race, but it’s hard to back them as a contender to Chelsea.

After a game where Liverpool squandered a chance for three points, the FC crew are interested in how the Reds recover.

So far, this Premier League season has been one of sudden sharp turns, the latest example of which came on Wednesday when Tottenham beat Chelsea. It was only in October that questions were being asked of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, but his side stopped the leaders’ 13-game winning streak and, in doing so, raised new questions about Chelsea.

The reality is that, with every club having played 20 games so far, all of the top sides have both suffered an apparent crisis and enjoyed an impressive surge. What’s true right now might be quite wrong in a few weeks.

Various other aspects, such as January signings, injuries to key players, general fitness and momentum at the right time, could further influence how teams fare between now and May.

At the same time, though, one thing seems clear: This is going to be a season in which all of the top six accrue a higher-than-normal points total. The average for fourth place over the past five seasons has been 71.4 points; far more are likely to be needed in the current campaign to secure Champions League football.

With that in mind, here are predictions for the remaining 18 rounds.

1. Chelsea (87 points)
Currently: First, 49 points

Wins: Hull (h), Arsenal (h), Burnley (a), Swansea (h), Watford (h), Crystal Palace (h), Man City (h), Southampton (h), Everton (h), West Brom (a), Sunderland (h)
Draws: Leicester (a), Liverpool (a), West Ham (a), Bournemouth (a), Middlesbrough (h)
Losses: Stoke (a), Man United (a)

2. Manchester City (84)
Currently: Fourth, 43 points

Wins: Swansea (h), Bournemouth (a), Sunderland (h), Stoke (h), Liverpool (h), Arsenal (a), Hull (h), West Brom (h), Middlesbrough (a), Crystal Palace (h), Leicester (h), Watford (a)
Draws: Everton (h), West Ham (a), Tottenham (h), Man United (h), Southampton (a)
Losses: Chelsea (a)

3. Liverpool (82)
Currently: Second, 44 points

Wins: Swansea (h), Hull (a), Leicester (a), Burnley (h), Everton (h), Bournemouth (h), Crystal Palace (h), Watford (a), Southampton (h), West Ham (a), Middlesbrough (h)
Draws: Man United (a), Chelsea (h), Arsenal (h), Tottenham (h), Stoke (a)
Losses: Man City (a), West Brom (a)

4. Tottenham (77)
Currently: Third, 42 points

Wins: West Brom (h), Sunderland (a), Middlesbrough (h), Stoke (h), Southampton (h), Swansea (a), Watford (h), Bournemouth (h), Hull (a)
Draws: Man City (a), Liverpool (a), Everton (h), Burnley (a), Leicester (a), Arsenal (h), West Ham (a), Man United (h)
Losses: Crystal Palace (a)

Too many draws with put paid to Tottenham’s Premier League title hopes.

5. Manchester United (77)
Currently: Sixth, 39 points

Wins: Hull (h), Watford (h), Bournemouth (h), Southampton (a), Leicester (a), West Brom (h), Everton (h), Sunderland (a), Chelsea (h), Swansea (h), Crystal Palace (h),
Draws: Liverpool (h), Stoke (a), Man City (a), Arsenal (a), Tottenham (a)
Losses: Middlesbrough (a), Burnley (a)

6. Arsenal (76)
Currently: Fifth, 41 points

Wins: Swansea (a), Burnley (h), Watford (h), Hull (h), Leicester (h), West Ham (h), Crystal Palace (a), Middlesbrough (a), Sunderland (h), Stoke (a)
Draws: West Brom (a), Tottenham (a), Man United (h), Liverpool (a), Everton (h)
Losses: Chelsea (a), Southampton (a), Man City (h)

7. Everton (54)
Currently: Seventh, 30 points

Wins: Bournemouth (h), Sunderland (h), West Brom (h), Hull (h), Burnley (h), Watford (h)
Draws: Man City (h), Stoke (a), Middlesbrough (a), Tottenham (a), Swansea (a), Arsenal (a)
Losses: Crystal Palace (a), Liverpool (a), Man United (a), Leicester (h), West Ham (a), Chelsea (a),

8. West Brom (47)
Currently: Eighth, 29 points

Wins: Sunderland (h), Bournemouth (h), Crystal Palace (h), Liverpool (h)
Draws: Stoke (h), Arsenal (h), Watford (a), Southampton (h), Leicester (h), Swansea (a)
Losses: Tottenham (a), Middlesbrough (a), West Ham (a), Everton (a), Man United (a), Man City (a), Burnley (a), Chelsea (h)

9. Leicester (45)
Currently: 15th, 21 points

Wins: Swansea (a), Hull (h), Stoke (h), Sunderland (h), Everton (a), Watford (h), Bournemouth (h)
Draws: Chelsea (h), Burnley (a), Tottenham (h), West Brom (a)
Losses: Southampton (a), Liverpool (h), Crystal Palace (a), Arsenal (a), Man United (h), West Ham (a), Man City (a)

There will be no repeat of last season’s celebrations, but Leicester will be good enough for a top-10 finish.

10. Bournemouth (44)
Currently: Ninth, 25 points

Wins: Watford (h), West Ham (h), Swansea (h), Middlesbrough (h), Stoke (h)
Draws: Hull (a), Crystal Palace (h), Chelsea (h), Burnley (h)
Losses: Everton (a), Man City (h), West Brom (a), Man United (a), Southampton (a), Liverpool (a), Tottenham (a), Sunderland (a), Leicester (a)

11. Stoke (44)
Currently: 11th, 24 points

Wins: Sunderland (a), Middlesbrough (h), Chelsea (h), West Ham (h), Hull (h)
Draws: Man United (h), Everton (h), West Brom (a), Liverpool (h), Southampton (a)
Losses: Crystal Palace (h), Tottenham (a), Man City (a), Leicester (a), Burnley (a), Swansea (a), Bournemouth (a), Arsenal (h)

12. Southampton (42)
Currently: 10th, 24 points

Wins: Leicester (h), Arsenal (h), Bournemouth (h), Crystal Palace (h)
Draws: Burnley (a), West Ham (h), West Brom (a), Man City (h), Middlesbrough (a), Stoke (h)
Losses: Swansea (a), Sunderland (a), Watford (a), Man United (h), Tottenham (a), Chelsea (a), Hull (h), Liverpool (a)

13. West Ham (41)
Currently: 13th, 22 points

Wins: West Brom (h), Leicester City (h), Swansea (h), Everton (h)
Draws: Crystal Palace (h), Man City (h), Middlesbrough (a), Southampton (a), Chelsea (h), Hull (a), Tottenham (h)
Losses: Watford (a), Bournemouth (a), Arsenal (a), Sunderland (a), Stoke (a), Liverpool (h), Burnley (a)

14. Burnley (40)
Currently: 12th, 23 points

Wins: Stoke (h), Man United (h), West Brom (h), West Ham (h)
Draws: Southampton (h), Leicester (h), Sunderland (a), Tottenham (h), Bournemouth (a)
Losses: Arsenal (a), Watford (a), Chelsea (h), Hull (a), Swansea (a), Liverpool (a), Middlesbrough (a), Everton (a), Crystal Palace (a)

Burnley’s strong home form will be enough to save them from relegation.

15. Crystal Palace (39)
Currently: 17th, 16 points

Wins: Everton (h), Stoke (a), Tottenham (h), Burnley (h), Hull (h), Leicester (h)
Draws: West Ham (a), Bournemouth (a), Sunderland (h), Middlesbrough (h), Watford (h),
Losses: West Brom (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (a), Arsenal (h), Liverpool (a), Man City (a), Man United (a)

16. Watford (38)
Currently: 14th, 22 points

Wins: Burnley (h), West Ham (h), Southampton (h), Sunderland (h)
Draws: Middlesbrough (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Brom (h), Hull (a)
Losses: Bournemouth (a), Arsenal (a), Man United (a), Chelsea (a), Tottenham (a), Swansea (h), Liverpool (h), Leicester (a), Everton (a), Man City (h)

17. Middlesbrough (36)
Currently: 16th, 19 points

Wins: West Brom (h), Man United (h), Burnley (h)
Draws: Watford (a), West Ham (h), Everton (h), Crystal Palace (a), Sunderland (h), Swansea (a), Chelsea (a), Southampton (h)
Losses: Tottenham (a), Stoke (a), Hull (a), Arsenal (h), Bournemouth (a), Man City (h), Liverpool (a)

18. Swansea (32)
Currently: 19th, 15 points

Wins: Southampton (h), Burnley (h), Watford (h), Stoke (h)
Draws: Hull (a), Middlesbrough (h), Everton (h), Sunderland (a), West Brom (h)
Losses: Arsenal (h), Liverpool (a), Man City (a), Leicester (h), Chelsea (a), Bournemouth (a), West Ham (a), Man United (a), Tottenham (h)

19. Sunderland (31)
Currently: 18th, 15 points

Wins: Southampton (h), West Ham (h), Bournemouth (h), Hull (a)
Draws: Crystal Palace (a), Middlesbrough (a), Burnley (h), Swansea (h)
Losses: Stoke (h), West Brom (a), Tottenham (h), Everton (a), Man City (h), Watford (a), Leicester (a), Man United (h), Arsenal (a), Chelsea (a)

20. Hull (26)
Currently: 20th, 13 points

Wins: Burnley (h), Middlesbrough (h), Southampton (a)
Draws: Bournemouth (h), Swansea (h), West Ham (h), Watford (h)
Losses: Chelsea (a), Man United (a), Liverpool (h), Arsenal (a), Leicester (a), Everton (a), Stoke (a), Man City (a), Sunderland (h), Crystal Palace (a), Tottenham (h)

Miguel Delaney covers the Premier League and Champions League for ESPN FC. Twitter: @MiguelDelaney.