Liverpool clear 3rd — two points better than Chelsea
This is still a fairly quiet part of the season for the alt-3 league table, but some schedule-strength differences are starting to emerge again after December’s halfway point.
A quick glance at today’s table might suggest that most of the action is near the bottom of the current Premier League table. But actually the schedule-strength differences are still fairly small at present, among the bottom 10 clubs. Southampton drop to 19th place in the alt-3 table though — clearly below Swansea, who climb just clear of the relegation zone. Southampton have faced a relatively easy fixture list up to now, compared with Swansea’s. (Southampton’s current schedule strength is −1.4 points, compared with +0.4 points for Swansea.)
Liverpool above Chelsea
After this week’s win for Liverpool at Huddersfield and Chelsea’s home defeat to Bournemouth, the official Premier League table puts Liverpool and Chelsea level on 50 points each. But once schedule strength is taken into account, a two-point gap opens up: Liverpool are now clearly in third place, ahead of Chelsea (and indeed now just two points behind Manchester United, in the alt-3 table).
Liverpool’s and Chelsea’s current schedule-strength charts show this graphically. For example, whereas Liverpool’s next 4 fixtures look relatively easy (they will play Spurs, West Ham and Newcastle at home, and Southampton away), Chelsea’s next 4 matches include away trips to both Manchester United and Manchester City.
To see any club’s current alt-3 schedule-strength chart, just click on the club name in the alt-3 league table.