Top 6 A Hope Or Hopeless Now?

Liverpool are currently top of the Barclays Premier League, despite the fact they began the season by losing their goal keeper Alisson Becker, who had been attributed to being worth as much as 12 points in their previous campaign, to injury. West Ham United had begun to look like serious top six contenders for this season, before hopes seemed to be dashed by the long term injury sustained by goal keeper Lukasz Fabianski in the game against Bournemouth last weekend .

Of course Liverpool had ex-Hammer Adrian San Miguel to call upon, and although he still 'goes walk about' during games, the keeper that left the London Stadium in the summer has acquitted himself well. So with that in mind is all the doom and gloom surrounding Fabianski's injury really justified?

West Ham United have the opportunity of being in the top three of the Premier League if they are victorious against Crystal Palace, unless Leicester City can stop Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool juggernaut at Anfield. Although Roberto will be playing in goal instead of the ever reliable Fabianski for the next three months, the odds on a top six or even top four are reasonable, top six is available at 5-1, whereas a top four finish is rated at 25-1.

Apart from Fabianski, only the perennially injured Jack Wilshere will be at the 'Andy Carroll' memorial medical centre to keep Michail Antonio company as the Hammers midfielder recovers from his hamstring operation, ahead of schedule incidentally. Even the Maori Warrior that is Winston Reid is scheduled to start a match for the first time in over 18 months as he drags himself back in to the action.

Reid is the 'forgotten man' of Manuel Pellegrini's squad, it is difficult to remember that he was once the main man in defence, even when he has hopefully recovered from his long term injury, Winston will find himself way down the pecking order for his old position, however he might be found a new role as a midfield enforcer to back up Declan Rice instead of Carlos Sanchez, it takes little imagination to guess which option the vast majority of fans would go for, in fact Winston's return could well trigger Sanchez's departure in the January transfer window.

This Barclays Premier League season has several similarities with Leicester's unbelievable 5000-1 title winning campaign, principally several of the 'established' top six are either out of form or in transition, there will never be a better time to break in to the 'privileged' places at the top, because next season the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal will be back with a vengeance, armed with pot loads of money to buy their way back in to 'their' elite places at the top table, incidentally Hammers are currently 1000-1 to win the title this season!

Top six is attainable, but you never know, if the clubs around the top six keep taking points off each other, there could even be a chance of a top four place, now wouldn't that be nice? A bit fanciful, but the season will be just about a quarter of the way through following this Saturday's games. - Ed