Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool making this the most exciting Premier League season ever

Three teams absent from recent title races sit atop the Premier League table and could just be getting comfortable. Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham have not troubled the shorter end of bookmakers’ odds for some seasons but there is a growing sense that money on the trio this year may not be misplaced.

Their emergence promises to provide the most widely-run Premier League race in history with the Manchester neighbours and Chelsea expected get serious soon too.

Arsenal’s last title came in 2004 while it is 23 years since Liverpool claimed a league crown they once wore a record number of times. Spurs have to look back to 1961 and their legendary manager Bill Nicholson for precedent.

The most recent proper challenge came in 2007-08 from Arsenal, who were three points clear in late February but fell away after a 2-2 draw at Birmingham saw Eduardo’s leg broken and William Gallas perform a centre-circle tantrum.

There are always a few anomalies in early season as fixture lists and form find configuration and the usual questions over mentality remain. But perhaps this year is different. Here’s why…