Only Sheffield United and Burnley have accumulated fewer points than Chelsea in the second half of Premier League games this season, while league leaders Liverpool are only marginally better in the first 45 minutes than Manchester United.
Jurgen Klopp’s team currently leads the standings after 27 games, with Manchester City trailing just a point behind, and Arsenal, scheduled to play against Sheffield United on Monday night, expected to close the gap to one point.
Illustrated in their latest late victory over Nottingham Forest this weekend, Liverpool has developed a habit of securing wins from losing positions, demonstrating resilience even as the game approaches the 90-minute mark, or even beyond it. Consequently, the contrast between their first and second half league positions this season is unsurprising. Tables from SoccerSTATS.com depict league rankings based solely on goals scored in either half of the game.
Liverpool dominates in the second half, amassing 64 points – nine more than the second-placed Arsenal. Klopp’s team has also recorded the highest number of goals (42) and conceded the fewest (11) after halftime. On the other hand, Aston Villa, under Unai Emery’s management, has collected the most points in the first 45 minutes, though they hold just a one-point advantage over Manchester City. Meanwhile, Liverpool finds itself among several teams in pursuit, one point behind Arsenal, having earned two more points than Newcastle and Chelsea and five more than Manchester United.
Chelsea, positioned eighth in the first-half league table – a less than stellar position, would be in the relegation zone based solely on their second-half results. Mauricio Pochettino’s team dropped into the bottom half of the league after a 2-2 draw with an out-of-form Brentford on Saturday, conceding twice after halftime before scoring late through Axel Disasi.
Such second-half performances would have seen Chelsea accumulate just 24 points from their 26 games, a dismal record only matched by Sheffield United and Burnley.