Chelsea’s reign at the top of the Premier League continues but the Blues have finally suffered a blemish after three months unbeaten under Antonio Conte.
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Meanwhile, the battle at the bottom to stay up next season is heating up, with nine sides currently separated by 10 points.
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Check out the latest round of power rankings as the season reaches the second half.
| TEAM | RANKING | |
|---|
| 20 (20) | | Hull City: Mike Phelan has been shown the door and the Tigers are still searching for their first win since a November League Cup match against Newcastle. |
| | 19 (18) | |
Sunderland: A surprising draw against Liverpool will have the Black Cats temporarily pleased, but any truth to the rumors of a Jermain Defoe exit could all but end the team’s tenure in the Premier League. |
| | 18 (16) | | Crystal Palace: The Eagles have plummeted to 17th after dropping points in their last six fixtures. |
| | 17 (19) | | Swansea City: The Swans ended their four-match winless streak with a solid road win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday, giving the side the slightest momentum as the club looks to rebuild. |
| | 16 (15) | | Middlesbrough: The Boro remain teetering near the bottom but continue to remain above 18th due to their defensive resiliency. |
| | 15 (12) | | Watford: Five straight matches without a win have the Hornets in a precarious position. If the league’s bottom sides can start to pick up points consistently Watford could be in a world of trouble. |
| | 14 (17) | | Leicester City: After a decent display on New Year’s Eve against West Ham, the Foxes followed it up with a disappointing draw against Middlesbrough. Six points separates the reigning champs from the relegation zone. |
| 13 (13) | | Burnley: The side’s thrashing of Sunderland was following by a strong effort against Manchester City, giving Burnley optimism ahead of the second half of the campaign. |
| 12 (14) | | Stoke City: The Potters continue to ascend towards the top half of the table after early struggles this season.
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| | 11 (9) | | Southampton: Claude Puel’s men have lost three in a row and allowed nine in the process. The Saints face a rough portion of the schedule now, having to manage PL, League and FA Cup matches in January. |
| 10 (8) | | West Ham: The Hammers’ momentum has been halted, but matches against Palace and Boro upcoming could turn the tide once more for Slaven Bilic and co. |
| | 9 (11) | | Bournemouth: Frustration was surely the emotion after their 3-3 effort against Arsenal, however, the Cherries have played better as of late. |
| | 8 (10) | | West Bromwich Albion: Back-to-back wins have the Baggies up to eighth in the PL, and while the gap to top six is sizable, Tony Pulis and his team have much to be proud of. |
| 7 (7) | | Everton: The Toffees have found their groove recently although dreams of the top six are quickly fading. Everton will have to spend this month if they want to reel back the PL’s elite. |
| 6 (3) | | Manchester City: The league’s top three continue to outshine City to date but seven points are what separate Chelsea from the Etihad side.
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| | 5 (4) | | Arsenal: It was a remarkable comeback to witness against Bournemouth but it’s those type of slip-ups that will cost the Gunners dearly if they want to seriously be considered title contenders.
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| source: | 4 (5) | | Manchester United: Jose Mourinho’s side appears to be hitting perfect stride, and while Red Devils trail by 10 points as things stand United looks to firmly in the mix at the top. |
| | 3 (2) | | Liverpool: The Reds have yet to lose in their last six, and with Tottenham’s win over Chelsea the gap at the top has been cut to five points. |
| | 2 (6) | | Tottenham: Spurs have caught lightning in a bottle, and their latest win over Chelsea will surely give the side lifted title aspirations. |
| 1 (1) | | Chelsea: It had to end sometime but the Blues will be far from panicking following their first defeat in over three months. |
