Following Manchester United's 4-4 draw with Bournemouth, the latest Premier League standings after 16 rounds show Arsenal leading by 2 points over Manchester City.

On December 16th Beijing time, the 16th round of the Premier League finished with Manchester United drawing 4-4 against Bournemouth after a last-minute equalizer. This update places Arsenal 2 points clear at the top ahead of Manchester City in second, Aston Villa third trailing City by 1 point, Chelsea fourth, and Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Sunderland all level on 26 points from fifth to eighth place!

Manchester United faced Bournemouth. United had remained unbeaten for three rounds recently, steadily climbing the rankings. Hosting a strong Bournemouth side this round posed a major challenge. From the start, United quickly launched attacks and scored, but Bournemouth responded with goals of their own, making the match thrilling with many goals. Bournemouth scored twice in the final moments to equalize 4-4. During injury time, Bournemouth kept pressing hard, and if not for United’s goalkeeper’s heroic saves, the hosts might have lost. United was fortunate to secure a point, extending their unbeaten streak to four games and breaking into the top six!

In other matches, league leaders Arsenal faced bottom-placed Wolves and witnessed a bizarre scenario: Arsenal failed to score but still won 2-1. This was due to Wolves gifting Liverpool two own goals, allowing Arsenal to awkwardly claim three points and maintain their lead over Manchester City. City, facing the defensively solid Crystal Palace, lacked attacking momentum compared to Palace but showed clinical finishing. Thanks to a brace from Haaland and a goal from Foden, City won 3-0, shutting out their opponents. This steady City side sent a warning to the rest of the Premier League!

With the conclusion of the 16th round, the Premier League table has shifted. Arsenal leads by two points but Manchester City is hot on their heels. Aston Villa has also surged forward with a nine-match winning streak across competitions, breaking into the top three and turning the title race into a three-way battle. The points among the chasing teams remain mostly stable. Manchester United currently sits sixth, just two points behind Chelsea, and could challenge for a top-four spot at any time!

Written by / Sports Novel