By the time Enzo Maresca was picking the bones out of his first Premier League defeat in charge of Manchester City, the virtual table showed he had company at the top. City and Arsenal are now only separated by goal difference. They might be evenly matched, or end up separated by 19 places.
Either the division has a title race, or it doesn’t. It is an extraordinary variable that depends on more than form. Yet it is safe to say that there are many, whether at Premier League headquarters or elsewhere, who would prefer it if City do not procure the most points. It would seem strange, to put it mildly, if the title was decided by deductions, adjudicated with the aid of asterisks.
