Chelsea still narrowly ahead of United — but not close to City at the top

Manchester United’s win yesterday at Watford — a relatively tough away trip for any club this season — brings them closer to Chelsea in the current alt-3 league table; and it also now lifts United clearly above Arsenal. Both Chelsea and Arsenal won at home against relatively easy opponents in tonight’s Premier League matches, so in the alt-3 reckoning they both lose a bit of ground to United (since United had beaten higher-placed opposition, and away from home too).

Chelsea’s current alt-3 schedule-strength rating of +1.5 is what is keeping them just above United, still. But even that makes almost no dent on the enormous lead that Manchester City now have — by any reckoning! — at the top of the table.