Arsene Wenger: 2015/16 season tight at the top

Arsene Wenger taking a look at the keen contest in the English Premier League this current season, says between six and eight teams are in position to snatch the title.

He also said  with the way things are, the total points that could be won by the champion may be less than 80 points. A number of teams have already played  16 matches, with Manchester City back atop with just 32 points,  leading Leicester City, with match in hand, on goal difference.

“I haven’t counted, I am looking more at ourselves, but you could say six to eight teams could compete for the title,” Wenger said today ahead of Arsenal’s trip to bottom league, Aston Villa.

Arsenal themselves are third on the table with 30 points.

To Wenger  this season’s Barclays Premier League champions could be crowned with one of the lowest points totals in the history of the competition.

“If you look at the total now and if you extrapolate, it could be less than 80,” Wenger said. “It could be 70 or 80, something like that.

“[The total points will be lower] because of the quality of the competition and because of the intensity of the competition. The improvement of the teams that do not fight for the championship but can consistently beat the teams that do fight for it.

The lowest points total for champions at the end of a season is 75, for Manchester United in 1996/97.

Only on two other occasions have the champions ended the season with fewer than 80 points: Wenger’s Arsenal team of 1997/98 and the Man Utd side of the next season.

In the past four seasons, each of the champions have earned at least 86 points.