If Everton can surge up the table like they have done, if Fulham can be up there on a budget, if Birmingham can be up there on their first season up and if Stoke can be knocking on the door of tenth spot then that to me is far from a lock out. If you aren't good enough you wont be up there but it doesn't mean you can't get up there.

This is very interesting (although not unexpected...), the league table would look like this, if you took away goals scored by each teams top scorer (eg. Man U minus Rooney, so if he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win, Man U will lose 3 points from their current total)...

Premier League table 'minus each team's top scorer'

Team Top scorer (goals) Points change New points New position (change)
Arsenal Fabregas (12) 1 54 1st (+2)
Man Utd Rooney (23) 8 52 2nd (=)
Chelsea Drogba (19) 15 46 3rd (-2)
Spurs Defoe (16) 6 40 4th (=)
Aston Villa Agbonlahor (11) 8 37 5th (+2)
Man City Tevez (13) 9 37 6th (-1)
Liverpool Torres (12) 9 36 7th (-1)
Fulham Zamora (8) 7 30 8th (+1)
Stoke Huth/Tuncay (3) 4 30 9th (+2)
Birmingham Jerome (5) 7 30 10th (=)
Blackburn Dunn (5) 4 30 11th (=)
Everton Saha (13) 11 27 12th (-4)
West Ham C Cole (9) 3 24 13th (=)
Wolves Doyle (6) 4 20 14th (+2)
Hull S Hunt (6) 4 20 15th (+2)
Burnley Fletcher (7) 3 20 16th (+3)
Bolton Klasnic (6) 5 18 17th (+1)
Wigan Rodallega (7) 7 18 18th (-3)
Sunderland Bent (15) 11 15 19th (-5)
Portsmouth Dindane (5) 1 15 20th (=)

So basically, if it wasn't for bent, we'd have 11 less points than we have, meaning that before Pompey get 9 points taken away, we'd actually only be ahead of them on goal difference. Shit.....

It just goes to show why you pay the big bucks for a striker doesn't it? Strange that you've taken 3 points off for games that are won by a single goal scored by the leading scorer, surely those games would have ended in a draw not a defeat so you should only have taken off 2 points? ??

Yeah that was me being stupid, you'd knock 2 points off in that case, 3 points off if he's scored 2 in a 2-1 win... silly me... the table itself is right though!

but we'd have another forward who might have scored goals. No doubting bents contribution, but thats like saying take the goalie out and how many saves he's made and lets make another table.

Miserable fecker, get some fantasy about you man

My fantasy was Pompey being fecked to teach a few clubs a hard lesson. I've got fantasy and it came true.

Feel for the fans, but thats aboot it.

It's harsh on Pompey but a lesson alright for clubs.

On the title, hotting up to be some title race. I think Arsenal will win it. The fixtures suit them. United and Chelsea's slip ups have them where they'll be happy enough to be. If they go top, they'll see it out.

I see the clubs had a vote to see if there could be an alteration to european involvement but it didnt come off:
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Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn believes the Premier League has missed a great opportunity to really heat up things in the middle of the table.

The Black Cats chief is referring to the league’s decision to not have a four-way play-off for the fourth Champions League spot which he believes would be great for those clubs sitting from fourth to seventh.

Quinn says the race at the top of the table for the title is always exciting and the relegation battle is a massive part of the game but nothing much happens in the middle of the table so he was unhappy that the league decided against it despite a majority of the 20 chairman wanting the play-offs.

"The excitement at the top and the bottom of the table is amazing and the chase for a Champions League play-off spot could have spiced up the middle," Quinn said.

"More chairmen wanted to introduce it than those who didn't but the rules state that such a decision must have a two-to-one margin in favour and we didn't have that.

"There were a lot of reasons for and against introducing such a system and certainly more pros than cons for Sunderland so I voted in favour."

Quinn continued: "The big four naturally were uncomfortable with the thought of losing one of those coveted spots that they have pretty much carved up between them in the past. This was the opportunity to open it up a little but that chance has gone now.

"The subject was discussed thoroughly and fairly and I accepted the decision but who knows it could have been really good."

I agree with the vote decision. I think having the 4th place team getting in already makes a mockery of the competition. Top 2, then 3 into Uefa or whatever its called now and bring back the cup winners cup.