The Premier League’s top six head-to-head table this season: Man Utd TOP, Arsenal 4th… | OneFootball

If Tottenham go down this season, we might have to permanently retire the entire concept of the Premier League‘s ‘big six’.

But most of the traditional powerhouses are still up there. It looks as though five of Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and party-crashers Aston Villa will qualify for the Champions League, with a fairly comfortable gap to the rest of the chasing pack.

But when you look at the record in games between sides in the breakaway top six this season, who’s performing best? We’ve delved into the results and put together this top six head-to-head table – and some of the results might surprise you.

Arsenal might have a healthy lead at the top of the table, but their record against top teams this season is decidedly mixed – three wins, three draws and three defeats.

All three of the Gunners’ defeats in the league this season have come against sides fighting to qualify for the Champions League, having lost to Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United.

The fact that Arsenal’s record in such games in sketchy might give Mikel Arteta pause for thought when it comes to facing elite-level sides in the Champions League, but this season they’ve bucked a longer-held trend by dispatching the sides lower down the table consistently and with minimal fuss.

It’s for that reason that points dropped against their would-be direct rivals look unlikely to be costly. In recent seasons, Arsenal held a proud and long unbeaten record against their fellow ‘big six’ competitors but ultimately missed out on the title by draws and defeats to midtable and bottom-half sides, often ones that would set up in a mid-block and look to frustrate.

Viktor Gyokeres has had his critics this season, not undeservedly so when you look at his record and performances against top sides, but his goals against bottom-half opposition have undoubtedly made a big difference for Arsenal this season.

But Arsenal have played four of their fellow top six home and away already. Their trip to the Etihad next month is their only remaining ‘top six’ game.

Manchester City’s recent draws against relegation-battlers West Ham and Nottingham Forest sum up where they’ve been going wrong this season.

Pep Guardiola’s men have a solid if unspectacular record in games against the top sides, but they’ve fallen behind Arsenal by dropping points against teams lower down the table.

Manchester United comfortably have the best record in the top six mini-league this season. The Red Devils have beaten all of the sides in the top six this season and are the only team to boast a better than 50% win record.

Meanwhile, it’s the reigning champions Liverpool who have the worst record against top-six opposition this season. They’ve taken four points from Champions League-elect Arsenal, but otherwise have a poor record.

Here’s how the full top six mini-league breaks down in full:

Goal Difference: +2

Played: 7

Goal Difference: +4

3. Aston Villa

Played: 8

Goals For: 10 Goals Against: 15

Goal Difference: -5

4. Arsenal

Played: 9

Goals For: 12 Goals Against: 10

Goal Difference: +2

5. Chelsea

Played: 7

Goals For: 11 Goals Against: 10

Goal Difference: +1

6. Liverpool

Played: 7