Following another bumper weekend of Premier League football, the top of the table is still very interesting. Just three points separate the top five, with Manchester City leading the pack on 28 points, Liverpool and Arsenal following close behind on 27 points, Spurs making up the top four on 26 points and Aston Villa in fifth on 25 points.
While nobody expected Arsenal to challenge for the title last season, the same could be said tenfold for Tottenham and Aston Villa, who 12 games in find themselves three points off the top of the league.
Nonetheless, one famous football pundit does not see all challengers for the Premier League title as equal.
Weekend's results see Liverpool and Arsenal edge closer to top spot
Man City were not made to pay for dropping two points in their dramatic 4-4 draw with Chelsea on Sunday as Spurs fell to a second straight defeat against Wolves.
However, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Villa all won their respective weekend games to put Pep Guardiola under some pressure.
As we sit, almost a third into the season, it is quite refreshing to have such an open title race involving as many as five teams, but football expert and BBC pundit isn't so sure that all five are genuine contenders.
Alan Shearer believes we are already down to a three-horse race
BBC Sport pundit, Alan Shearer, wrote in his column:
"A year ago, it was a little unexpected to see Arsenal five points clear of City when the Premier League paused for six weeks for the World Cup, with Newcastle in third place."
"The current top three is a lot less surprising."
"Yes, City dropped points at Stamford Bridge, but they are still top of the table heading into the international break, which is probably where most people expected them to be."
"The same goes for Liverpool and the Gunners, who are both a point behind them. I've always thought it would be those three battling it out at the top for the whole season, and I still don't see anyone different getting in there."
Whether Liverpool, Arsenal, or indeed the other two upstarts will actually be able to dethrone City is another question entirely. City have won five of the last six Premier League titles, and five of seven since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016.
It will be an unbelievable feat for anyone to wrestle the silverware away from the blue half of Manchester, and Alan Shearer believes it will be old foe Jurgen Klopp or former prodigy Mikel Arteta to do so if anyone.
