1 ARSENAL (P24 W17 D4 L3 F47 A21 Pts 55)
Premier League: LWWWWWDWWWLWWWDLDWWWWWDW
FA Cup: 5R v Liverpool (H) on 16 February
League Cup: lost 0-2 v Chelsea (H) in fourth round
Europe: Last 16 v Bayern Munich (H) on 19 February/(A) on 11 March
Top scorer: Olivier Giroud (14)
Players in: Kim Kallstrom
*
Players out: Chuba Akpom
*, Anthony Jeffrey, Nico Yennaris, Benik Afobe
*, Emmanuel Frimpong, Park Chu-Young
*
Arsenal regained the lead in the Premier League, which they ceded last week, after securing a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace. Two Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goals proved the difference as the Gunners completed a seventh victory by that exact scoreline, six of which have come at the Emirates. Yes, being impressive without being particularly spectacular has been the story behind a first genuine Arsenal title charge since 2010. Back then, though, Arsene Wenger's men still wound up third, and there is a danger that could be their fate this time as well, given the vagaries of the fixture list. Liverpool (twice), Manchester United, and Bayern Munich are the Gunners' next four games - then, after the return match against Bayern in March, Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur in a derby, Chelsea away, and Manchester City at home. So, while things look good in this part of North London at the moment, it will only be after all of that before a decisive judgement about their chances can be made.
2 MANCHESTER CITY (P24 W17 D2 L5 F68 A27 Pts 53)
Premier League: WLWDWLWWLWLWWWDWWWWWWWWL
FA Cup: 5R v Chelsea (H) on 15 February
League Cup: Final v Sunderland at Wembley on 2 March
Europe: Last 16 v Barcelona (H) on 18 February/(A) on 12 March
Top scorer: Sergio Agüero (26)
Players in: None
Players out: John Guidetti
*, Harry Bunn, Albert Rusnak
*, Abdisalam Ibrahim, Emyr Huws
*
Goals, glorious goals - Manchester City's forwards have been in lethal form this season, scoring an amazing total of 115 in all competitions so far. Broken down individually, Sergio Agüero leads the standings with 26, though his strike partner Alvaro Negredo - on 23 - will have a clear month to overtake the injured Argentine. But, even to a side as talented as Man City, Agüero will be a miss, and it will be interesting to see if Manuel Pellegrini's side start dropping silly points on the road as they did early in the season, in defeats to Cardiff City, Aston Villa, and Sunderland. Of course, the very best case scenario for Man City remains a unique quadruple, beginning with victory in the League Cup Final over their bogey team, Sunderland. Chelsea lie in wait in the FA Cup having already completed a double which spoilt the 100% record at the Etihad, while Barcelona will provide an awesome test over two legs in the Champions League. A second English league title in three seasons, after none in 43 years, is very much on, however: Man City are the even-money favourites with most bookmakers.
3 CHELSEA (P24 W16 D5 L3 F44 A20 Pts 53)
Premier League: WWDLWDWWWLDWWWLWDWWWWWDW
FA Cup: 5R v Manchester City (A) on 15 February
League Cup: lost 1-2 aet v Sunderland (A) in fifth round
Europe: Last 16 v Galatasaray (A) on 26 February/(H) on 18 March
Top scorer: Eden Hazard (10)
Players in: Bertrand Traore, Nemanja Matic, Mohamed Salah, Kurt Zouma
Players out: Gael Kakuta
*, Bertrand Traore
*, Patrick Bamford
*, Kenneth Omeruo
*, Ryan Bertrand
*, Nathaniel Chalobah
*, Kevin de Bruyne, Sam Walker, Josh McEachran
*, Michael Essian, Juan Mata, Matej Delac
*, Billy Clifford
*, Jonathan Muleba, Kurt Zouma
*
Jose Mourinho produced a tactical masterclass as Chelsea completed the double over Manchester City by ending their rival's 100% home record. Branislav Ivanovic hit the only goal of the match but the Londoners also hit the woodwork three times in an enterprising display rather out of keeping their efforts earlier in the season away at Arsenal and Manchester United. Both of those contests nevertheless finished 0-0, while Mourinho still has his own unbeaten home record, so it is fair to say that he can still be considered to be the Special One. For his part, the Portuguese played down Chelsea's chances of regaining the Premier League crown, referring to the title race as being "between two horses and a little horse that needs milk and needs to learn how to jump". In reality, after last night's result and performance, he is kidding nobody.
4 LIVERPOOL (P24 W14 D5 L5 F58 A29 Pts 47)
Premier League: WWWDLWWDWLWDLWWWWLLWWDWD
FA Cup: 5R v Arsenal (A) on 16 February
League Cup: lost 0-1 v Manchester United (A) in third round
Top scorer: Luis Suarez (23)
Players in: None
Players out: Adam Morgan, Craig Roddan
*, Ryan McLaughlin
*, Tiago Ilori
*, Michael Ngoo
*
Liverpool's faint hopes of a first English league title since 1990 faded further on Sunday after a soporific second half performance led to a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns. Yes, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are still scoring plenty of goals - 40 and counting between them so far this season - but weaknesses at the back in the absence of injured pair Daniel Agger and Mamadou Sahko have prevented the Reds from really running up a proper head of steam. The closest the Reds got to that was just before Christmas, and Liverpool actually led the Premier League on Christmas Day for the first time since 2008 after beating Cardiff City 3-1 for a fourth consecutive win. But successive 2-1 defeats at title contenders Manchester City and Chelsea, and more dropped points against Aston Villa and West Brom, leave Liverpool still looking over their shoulder as they attempt a first top four finish in five years. Thus, it now must be accepted that, if Brendan Rodgers can keep the Reds ahead of fellow Merseysiders Everton - as well as Tottenham Hotspur and the small matter of Manchester United - to grab that last Champions League spot, then this must still be considered a good season of progress at Anfield.
5 EVERTON (P24 W12 D9 L3 F37 A25 Pts 45)
Premier League: DDDWWWLWWDDDWWDWWLWDWDLW
FA Cup: 5R v Swansea City (H) on 16 February
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Fulham (A) in third round
Top scorer: Romelu Lukaku (9)
Players in: Aiden McGeady, Lacina Traore
*, Jindrich Stanek
Players out: John Heitinga, Shane Duffy
*, Hallam Hope
*, Matthew Pennington
*, Matthew Kennedy
*, Tyias Browning
*, Nikica Jelavic, Mason Springthorpe
*
Generally-solid Everton have lost just three times in the Premier League this season, a record shared with Arsenal and Chelsea - but, to the horror of the Toffees' fans, one of those reverses was a 4-0 hammering against Liverpool at Anfield, their biggest derby loss since 1982. In fairness to Everton, they did not mope about it on Saturday, and instead showing a lot of spirit to overcome visitors Aston Villa having fallen behind. In doing so, Roberto Martinez's kept up the pressure on their Merseyside neighbours in the top four. Meanwhile, with a home draw in the fifth round, the Spaniard can also harbour genuine hopes of becoming the first manager to win the FA Cup in consecutive years with two different clubs.
6 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (P24 W13 D5 L6 F31 A32 Pts 44)
Premier League: WWLWWDLWWDLLDWWLWDWWWWLD
FA Cup: lost 0-2 v Arsenal (A) in third round
League Cup: lost 1-2 v West Ham United (H) in fifth round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (A) on 20 February/(H) on 27 February
Top scorer: Roberto Soldado, Jermain Defoe (8)
Players in: None
Players out: Simon Dawkins, Shaquile Coulthirst
*, Jonathan Obika
*, Ryan Fredericks
*, Adam Smith, Lewis Holtby
*
Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in their usual spot in recent seasons of challenging for the final Champions League place (before usually finishing just short), but this has been far from a straightforward campaign at White Hart Lane, a fact which is demonstrated best perhaps by their negative goal difference. That poor record is the result of two defeats to Manchester City (1-11 on aggregate), a shock 0-3 reverse at home to West Ham United, and an even worse 0-5 loss at home to Liverpool which brought the curtain down on the ill-fated Andre Villas-Boas era. In has come Tim Sherwood who has overseen a slight upturn in fortunes - barring the second collapse to Man City - but, following defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup Third Round, Spurs' only chance of glory now is in the much-maligned Europa League.
7 MANCHESTER UNITED (P24 W12 D4 L8 F39 A29 Pts 40)
Premier League: WDLWLLWDWWWDDLLWWWWLWLWL
FA Cup: lost 1-2 v Swansea City (H) in third round
League Cup: lost 1-2 on pens after 3-3 agg v Sunderland (1-2a, 2-1h) in semi final
Europe: Last 16 v Olympiakos (A) on 25 February/(H) on 19 March
Top scorer: Robin van Persie (12)
Players in: Juan Mata
Players out: Anderson
*, Jack Barmby
*, Fabio da Silva, Wilfried Zaha
*, Charni Ekangamene
*, Sam Byrne
*, Will Keane
*, Federico Macheda
*, Larnell Cole, Ryan Tunnicliffe
So, the bounce of Juan Mata's transfer window signing lasted just one game before Manchester United fell to an eighth league defeat of the season at Stoke City. The Potters thus became the latest side to end their barren run of 30 years against the Red Devils after Everton, Newcastle United and Swansea City had ended similar sequences. Days after the Swansea defeat in the FA Cup, the last hope of a trophy in David Moyes's first season in charge at Old Trafford ended in defeat in a farcical penalty shootout against Sunderland in the League Cup semi finals. Now even a top four placing which the Man United support would have taken for granted looks odds against.
8 NEWCASTLE UNITED (P24 W11 D4 L9 F32 A31 Pts 37)
Premier League: LDWWLLWDLWWWWLWDWWLLLWDL
FA Cup: lost 1-2 v Cardiff City (H) in third round
League Cup: lost 0-2 aet v Manchester City (H) in fourth round
Top scorer: Loic Remy (11)
Players in: Luuk de Jong
*
Players out: James Tavernier
*, Haris Vuckic
*, Jonas Gutierrez
*, Yohan Cabaye, Curtis Good
*
Newcastle United may look as if they are sitting pretty in eighth, and it was not long ago that I was singing their praises. But things now are not nearly as rosy as the league table suggests following a third straight derby defeat to Sunderland, their worst sequence in the fixture for 91 years. A second 3-0 home humiliation to the Black Cats inside 10 months came at the end of a week in which the Magpies sold and failed to replace their talented and influential midfielder Yohan Cabaye. Remember too that top scorer Loic Remy - responsible for much of Newcastle's decent autumn form - does not belong to the club and, by the summer, the Magpies will have gone 18 months without making a permanent signing. The derby capitulations and the lame surrender to Cardiff in the FA Cup simply add to the feeling of a club which is going nowhere fast under Alan Pardew and the Mike Ashley regime.
9 SOUTHAMPTON (P24 W9 D8 L7 F34 A27 Pts 35)
Premier League: WDLDWWWDWDWLLLDDLWLLWDDW
FA Cup: 5R v Sunderland (A) on 15 February
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Sunderland (A) in fourth round
Top scorer: Jay Rodriguez (12)
Players in: None
Players out: Tadanari Lee, Billy Sharp
*, Lee Barnard
*, Aaron Martin, Danny Fox
*, Jason Puncheon, Daniel Osvaldo
*
An excellent start for Southampton extended to just one defeat in their first 14 league games - but it was followed by a wobble on and off the pitch. On the pitch, Mauricio Pochettino's men then embarked on a run of just one win in nine league games, six of which ended in defeat. If anything, though, the news off the pitch was more worrying when Nicola Cortese resigned as chairman, and was replaced by the club's reclusive owner, Katharina Liebherr. Ms Liebherr had inherited the club from her late father but shown no great interest in actually running it, and Pochettino - who had a close working relationship with Cortese - had threatened to leave himself. Thankfully, for Southampton fans, the Argentinian manager had a change of heart, and the Saints' most recent form has improved again. Dominant in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal, they then thrashed Fulham 3-0 at the weekend, the three second half goals coming from the three Englishmen - Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, and Jay Rodriguez - who had done much to make the south coast club the flavour of the month earlier in the season. Another strong run between now and May could yet make this a real season to remember for Southampton.
10 ASTON VILLA (P24 W7 D6 L11 F27 A34 Pts 27)
Premier League: WLLLWWDLLDWDDWLLLLDWLDWL
FA Cup: lost 1-2 v Sheffield United (H) in third round
League Cup: lost 0-4 v Tottenham Hotspur (H) in third round
Top scorer: Christian Benteke (8)
Players in: Grant Holt
*, Ryan Bertrand
*
Players out: Shay Given
*, Jordan Graham
*, Stephen Ireland, Nathan Delfouneso
*
Aston Villa are edging towards another season of Premier League mid-table respectability but, once again, this has hardly been a campaign to set the pulses racing at Villa Park. In particular, the Villains have continued to struggle at home with their thrilling 4-3 Midlands derby win over West Brom last Wednesday only a third success all season, following just five wins in 2012/13 and four in 2011/12. Back to this season, and seven of Villa's matches at home have ended in defeat with Paul Lambert's men struggling to score when talisman Christian Benteke is out injured.
11 STOKE CITY (P24 W6 D7 L11 F24 A38 Pts 25)
Premier League: LWWDLLLDLDDWLDWDWLLDLLLW
FA Cup: lost 0-1 v Chelsea (A) in fourth round
League Cup: lost 0-2 v Manchester United (H) in fifth round
Top scorer: Charlie Adam (8)
Players in: John Guidetti
*, Stephen Ireland, Juan Agudelo, Peter Odemwingie
Players out: Juan Agudelo
*, Jamie Ness
*, Jermaine Pennant, Brek Shea
*, Kenwyne Jones
A virtuoso display by Scottish midfielder Charlie Adam earned Stoke City a first win over Manchester United since Boxing Day 1984, and ended a more recent barren run. Before victory on Saturday at the Britannia, the Potters had taken just one point from their previous 18 and slid dangerously down the table. Still in some trouble, scoring goals has predictably been the biggest problem for Stoke City with the Potters averaging just one per game. That is, nevertheless, a better ratio than in three of the previous five seasons and they did, of course, survive in each of those.
12 SWANSEA CITY (P24 W6 D6 L12 F29 A35 Pts 24)
Premier League: LLWDWLLWDLDWLWDDLLDLLLWL
FA Cup: 5R v Everton (A) on 16 February
League Cup: lost 1-3 v Birmingham City (A) in third round
Europe: Europa League last 32 v Napoli (H) on 20 February/(A) on 27 February
Top scorer: Wilfried Bony (13)
Players in: David Ngog, Raheem Hanley, Jay Fulton, Marvin Emnes
*
Players out: Daniel Alfei
*, Alan Tate
*, Rory Donnelly
*
Swansea City swept aside any notion of second season syndrome last year with an eighth-placed finish topped off by a League Cup win but this third top-flight campaign has proved to be a lot tougher. An ankle injury to the excellent Michu has been keenly felt with the Swans' passing game often a case of much effort for little gain. Despite a noticeable improvement up front from Wilfried Bony, City are currently on a run of just one league win in 10 has also featured six defeats. A vital home derby against Cardiff City awaits on Saturday evening - and, while Michu might be back for it, the little Spaniard's return has come too late to save Michael Laudrup's job following the Dane's surprise sacking.
13 HULL CITY (P24 W6 D6 L12 F23 A30 Pts 24)
Premier League: LWLDWWDLLWLLWLDDDLWLLLLD
FA Cup: 5R v Brighton & Hove Albion (A) on 17 February
League Cup: lost 7-8 on pens (after 2-2 aet) v Tottenham Hotspur (A) in fourth round
Top scorer: Robert Brady (4)
Players in: Nikica Jelavic, Shane Long, Elliot Kebbie
Players out: Tom Cairney, Jack Hobbs, Conor Townsend
*, Eldin Jakupovic
*, Cameron Stewart
*, Aaron McLean, Nick Proschwitz
*
Hull City threatened to undo a solid start after following up their eye-catching 6-0 thrashing of Fulham by failing to score in four consecutive league defeats in January. Manager Steve Bruce has at least noticed the Tigers' biggest problem is their poor goal return, and so has shelled out some transfer window cash on Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long. Neither of them are particularly prolific, of course - though the latter repaid some of the outlay with his first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, and results like that are exactly why Bruce's men will surely retain their top-flight status.
14 SUNDERLAND (P24 W6 D6 L12 F25 A36 Pts 24)
Premier League: LDLLLLLLWLWLDLLDDWDLWDWW
FA Cup: 5R v Southampton (H) on 15 February
League Cup: Final v Manchester City at Wembley on 2 March
Top scorer: Adam Johnson (9)
Players in: Marcus Alonso
*, Santiago Vergini
*, Oscar Ustari, Ignacio Scocco, Liam Bridcutt
Players out: Connor Wickham
*, Mikael Mandron
*, Cabral
*, Ji Dong-Won, Billy Knott
*, Modibo Diakite
*, Duncan Watmore
*, Danny Graham
*, David Vaughan
*, Alfred N'Diaye
*
What a turnaround! As recently as New Year's Day, Sunderland still sat bottom of the Premier League pile but it looks more and more likely the Wearsiders will reach safety with ease. Indeed, in the four league matches since a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa, the Black Cats have taken 10 points from 12 and scored 10 goals including three away against their bitter rivals Newcastle United for the second successive season. Moreover, Gus Poyet's men beat Manchester United on penalties to reach the new Wembley for the first time in the League Cup Final, and they are still in the FA Cup.
15 NORWICH CITY (P24 W6 D6 L12 F19 A37 Pts 24)
Premier League: DLWLLWLLDLWLWLWDDLLDLWDL
FA Cup: lost 0-3 v Fulham (A) in third round replay, following 1-1
League Cup: lost 0-4 v Manchester United (A) in fourth round
Top scorer: Gary Hooper (7)
Players in: Jonas Gutierrez
*, Joseph Yobo
*
Players out: Jamar Loza
*, Cameron McGeehan
*, Daniel Ayala
Goal-shy Norwich City have won just once in the last nine league games - and it does not get any easier with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur the next two sides to visit Carrow Road. Generally poor on the road, the onus is nevertheless on the Canaries to pick up most of their points at home - and, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in their last four fixtures, Chris Hughton's men are under pressure to move towards safety by mid-April. Lacking quality up front, their big signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel - no goals since the opening day - has been the biggest failure of a squad which simply does not look as if it has enough.
16 WEST BROMWICH ALBION (P24 W4 D11 L9 F28 A34 Pts 23)
Premier League: LDLDWWDDLWDDLLLLDDDWLDLD
FA Cup: lost 0-2 v Crystal Palace (H) in third round
League Cup: lost 3-4 on pens (after 1-1 aet) v Arsenal (H) in third round
Top scorer: Saido Berahino (8)
Players in: Thievy Bifouma
*
Players out: Lee Camp, Kemar Roofe
*, Shane Long, George Thorne
*
Draw specialists West Bromwich Albion earned their latest single-point haul on Sunday in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at the Hawthorns following an encouraging second half performance. Victor Anichebe scored what could prove to be an absolutely vital equaliser - but the result still means it is only one win in 15 league and cup games for the Baggies. Indeed, an extended sequence going back to the second half of last season has seen West Brom win just eight of their last 44 top-flight matches. The malaise at the Midlands club is well-set then, and even a change of manager - with Pepe Mel eventually coming in for Steve Clarke - has yet been unable to break it.
17 CRYSTAL PALACE (P23 W7 D2 L14 F15 A31 Pts 23)
Premier League: LLWLLLLLLLDWLWWLLWLDLWWL
FA Cup: lost 1-2 v Wigan Athletic (A) in fourth round
League Cup: lost 1-2 v Bristol City (A) in second round
Top scorer: Marouane Chamakh (5)
Players in: Wayne Hennessey, Jason Puncheon, Scott Dann, Joe Ledley, Tom Ince
*
Players out: Kevin Phillips, Jason Banton, Jimmy Kebe
*, Matt Parsons, Kwesi Appiah
*, Elliot Grandin, Jack Hunt
*, Stephen Dobbie
*, Jose Campana
*
That Crystal Palace still have any chance of survival is nothing short of remarkable following defeats in nine of their first 10 Premier League games. That Palace actually look likely to stay up is almost miraculous - and it can almost entirely credited to former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis. The Welshman came in after Ian Holloway's resignation in October and, immediately, Palace tightened up at the back. While still short of goals, the south Londoners have become masters of the 1-0 win, registering five under Pulis, including a particular sweet one against his former club. Holloway resigned because he decided he could not manage all the players which had been brought in over the summer. But Pulis is now putting his own stamp on the club following a busy transfer deadline day which sees the Eagles eyeing a Premier League place beyond the end of the current season.
18 WEST HAM UNITED (P24 W5 D7 L12 F24 A33 Pts 22)
Premier League: WDLDLLWLDDLLWLLDLLDLWLDW
FA Cup: lost 0-5 v Nottingham Forest (A) in third round
League Cup: lost 0-9 agg v Manchester City (0-6a, 0-3h) in semi final
Top scorer: Carlton Cole, Ravel Morrison (5)
Players in: Janaai Gordon, Roger Johnson
*, Antonio Nocerino
*, Marco Borriello
*, Abdul Razak, Pablo Armero
*
Players out: Blair Turgott
*, Pelly Ruddock, Mladen Petric, Razvan Rat, Modibo Maiga
*
West Ham United are the only club in the bottom five not to have changed their manager this season, with Sam Allardyce stubbornly remaining in the hotseat at the Boleyn Ground. Yet, despite an excellent point against Chelsea and a 2-0 win over Swansea City in the last two games, the pressure is still on Allardyce with those four points unable to take the Hammers outside of the bottom three. The two domestic cups were effectively sacrificed for the sake of Premier League safety in three embarrassing displays which were all in front of the television cameras. So it will be of considerable embarrassment to Allardyce if the Londoners fall short. The chances are that they will not - some of the clubs above them - Norwich, West Brom and Swansea - are looking vulnerable while West Ham have shown they have the guts to grind out results when required, having registered a league-high 11 clean sheets, six of which have come in 0-0 draws.
19 CARDIFF CITY (P24 W5 D6 L13 F19 A41 Pts 21)
Premier League: LWDDLWLLDWLDLDLWLLDLLLLW
FA Cup: 5R v Wigan Athletic (H) on 15 February
League Cup: lost 2-3 v West Ham United (A) in third round
Top scorer: Fraizer Campbell (7)
Players in: Jo Inge Berget, Magnus Wolff Eikrem, Mats Moeller Daehli, Kenwyne Jones, Fabio da Silva, Wilfried Zaha
*
Players out: Rudy Gestede, Filip Kiss
*, John Brayford
*, Peter Odemwingie, Simon Moore
*, Craig Conway
Will Cardiff City pay for the folly of a few weeks at the turn of the year when owner Vincent Tan dithered over dumping Malky Mackay before eventually wielding the axe on 27 December? All of the uncertainty was surely a factor in the Bluebirds' relatively encouraging start grinding to halt in a run of one win in eight before Mackay departed. Ultimately, the poisoned chalice has been picked up by former Manchester United supersub Ole Gunnar Solksjaer but the Norwegian has found it tough going so far, losing his first three in the league. Relief in the Welsh capital came on Saturday with victory over Norwich City but it is surely only a matter of time before Tan interferes again.
20 FULHAM (P24 W6 D1 L17 F22 A53 Pts 19)
Premier League: WLLDLLWWLLLLLLWLLWLWLLLL
FA Cup: lost 0-1 aet v Sheffield United (H) in fourth round replay
League Cup: lost 3-4 v Leicester City (A) in fourth round
Top scorer: Steve Sidwell (6)
Players in: Clint Dempsey
*, William Kvist
*, Lewis Holtby
*, Konstantinos Mitroglou, John Heitinga, Larnell Cole, Ryan Tunnicliffe
Players out: Dimitar Berbatov
*, Stephen Arthurworrey
*, Marcus Bettinelli
*, Jack Grimmer
*, Bryan Ruiz
*, Aaron Hughes
*, Philippe Senderos
Things are looking bleak for rock-bottom Fulham who sunk to a 17th league defeat of the season in a rotten 3-0 home loss to Southampton at the weekend. The previous five sides to have lost as many of their first 24 matches have all finished bottom of the league, and the Cottagers are set to join them. Much of the blame must be pinned on the leaky defence which regularly leaves the Londoners unable to stay in the game and grind out a draw. Fulham have drawn just once all season - and all but four of the 17 defeats have come by more than a one-goal margin.
Note: Players In/Players Out refer to deals made during the January 2014 transfer window. Top scorer totals refer to goals in all competitions. *= Loan transfer.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Following nine successive wins in the Championship,
Leicester City have stretched out a lead of 10 points ahead of Harry Redknapp's
Queens Park Rangers who are in the other automatic promotion place. The London club are three points clear of third-placed
Burnley with whom they shared a 3-3 draw on Saturday.
East Midlands rivals
Derby County and
Nottingham Forest sit fourth and fifth, the latter on the back of an unbeaten run of 13 league and cup games - and
Reading round off the teams in the playoff spots having enjoyed a couple of big home wins recently over Bolton Wanderers (7-1) and Blackpool (5-1).
Yeovil Town predictably prop up the division but will not go down without a fight.
Barnsley and
Charlton Athletic are also in the bottom three, with the Addicks' fellow Londoners
Millwall only just two points outside.
In League One,
Brentford lead the table on the strength of an unbeaten league run which has now lasted 18 games. The Bees are ahead of
Wolverhampton Wanderers by two points with
Leyton Orient a further point behind but with a game in hand on their two title rivals. Behind the runaway trio,
Preston North End,
Rotherham, and
Walsall complete the playoff spots with
Peterborough United threatening just a point behind.
At the bottom,
Stevenage have numerous games in hand on their relegation rivals but the Hertfordshire club are five points adrift of safety. The extra games may be of more assistance to second-bottom
Sheffield United who are just a point away from three clubs,
Notts County,
Shrewsbury Town, and
Bristol City. The Robins are outside of the relegation zone on goal difference alone.
In League Two,
Chesterfield lead by three points from
Scunthorpe United with
Oxford United in third, a further two points behind. Just a single point behind the Us are
Fleetwood Town, and they are also just a point ahead
Southend United,
Rochdale, and
Burton Albion in a tight top seven, all of whom look set to make the playoffs at least.
In danger of falling out of the Football League are
Northampton Town, six points adrift of
Torquay United, also in a relegation place, and
Wycombe Wanderers, outside on goal difference alone. One saving grace on Northampton is that they have a game in hand on the teams above them.
