Premier League Power Rankings

The league never lies? A weekly look at who is making the real moves during the season!

1) Manchester City - Keeping the faith in City's title charge is hard to do. But just when you think they are out - they pull you back in. So many options - just a little more belief needed. It is simply there if they want it enough. Don't target fourth.

2) Manchester United - It is weekends like this when it is tempting to be down on United. It is tempting to say they will spiral down and it is all over. Then they will win five on the bounce with minimum effort.

3) Arsenal - The Gunners are classy on the pitch and not so much off it. Theo Walcott's celebration against Newcastle told a thousand words. Not many would have been disappointed to see them come unstuck. They will continue to come unstuck as they parade their 'look how beautifully we pass the ball' trophy around London to the waitong noone.

4) Tottenham Hotspur - A real sticky patch for Spurs who have lost their verve. They just got six points! A sign of hope through a tough winter, maybe. With Liverpool coming up on the rails it could all go wrong. For all Harry's bullying of Everton over Phil Neville they may end up just a place apart.


5) Liverpool - Kenny Dalglish has what it takes. A bit of old-fashioned cockiness and belief and suddenly the doom and gloom has gone. You don't need a lot to win games in the year of the average. And a few wins can take you a long way.

6) Chelsea - The big money experiment may be about to fail spectacularly. Wins at Bolton and Sunderland used to be routine - now they are seen as new dawns. Fernando Torres was widely accused of not 'putting it in' for Roy Hodgson. He must have had a problem with the way Spain played in the World Cup too. Elite sprinters have a shelf-life. Ask Michael Owen. PANIC!

7) Everton - And then Everton found their goal touch. The draw specialists - Arsenal-lite - finally put a game away they dominated. In truth this could have been eight. Beat Chelsea in the cup and this could be the start of something for David Moyes.

8) Newcastle United - The comeback kids are to be admired. It is gut-wrenching to lose your local hero. Joey Barton stepped up to fill that void of leadership.

9) Stoke City - Depressingly Stoke succeed in a league of weak officiating.

10) Sunderland - Suddenly Steve Bruce doesn't have the options going forward. The club was let down by Darren Bent ... for this season. Long term they will reap the rewards of that particular deal.

11) Fulham - To be fair to Mark Hughes his team seem to have found themselves again. Clint Dempsey is a star who receives little credit. He gives The Cottagers the X-factor they need to pull away from the falling pack.

12) Wolverhampton Wanderers - Spirit. Mick McCarthy's team have many problems but the ability to push other teams to the limit is their greatest quality. If you don't bring your A-game Wolves beat you. Too many teams don't bring it often enough.

13) Aston Villa - After the great hope that came with the Darren Bent statement came the realisation that Villa's season has drifted nowhere. If their was anybody who really believed relegation a possibilty (and it seemed the board did) then they will be satisfied. For everyone else it has all become a mid-table yawn.

14) Bolton Wanderers - They will feel they could have held on for a valuable point and most definitely should have had a penalty. The game would have been out of sight before all that if Mark Clattenburg hadn't been so desperate to make himself the centre of attention over a retaken penalty.

15) Birmingham City - There if a new life in this team and it will no doubt last until their big Wembley date. A month of high spirits will probably keep Blues up.

16) Blackburn Rovers - There is just something not right and it is not all about results. Rovers have the feel of a club where everything is about to go wrong. A defeat at the DW is not a good sign.

17) Wigan Athletic - Home wins have been few and far between and there is no doubt that Wigan have a tough looking fixture list. Ask yourself - how many games would you pick Latics as favourites to win in any of their previous years in the top flight? They are still punching above their weight.

18) West Bromwich Albion - Oh dear! They blinked. If Roberto DiMatteo was placed on that ridiculous gardening leave for footballing reasons then it will take years to rebuild confidence in this club.

19) Blackpool - It looked very much on .. then it seemed a matter of course .. but slowly but surely Blackpool are running out of gas. Literally. Manchester United and Everton have both seen off their challenge by 'keeping going'. Blackpool take a ridiculous amount of chances and like the gambling addict on a lucky streak it will never end well.

20) West Ham United - You felt the whole club needed that semi-final success more than anything. It seems it is the away form the will keep The Hammers up - a dangerous prospect.