Several of the Premier League's top title contenders dropped points in Week 9, and with the competition's marquee fixture between Chelsea and Manchester United still to come on Sunday, the standings could look much different when the final ball has been kicked.Arsenal escaped Sunderland with a 2-0 win while defending champions Manchester City lost 2-1 against West Ham United and Liverpool couldn't find a winner against Hull City.The Hammers and Southampton continued their excellent early-season form, making for some unfamiliar names near the top of the table. Here's the schedule for Week 9:The Premier League table:Manchester CityThe Citizens' second loss of the season arguably couldn't have come at a worse time. City had won three straight, keeping pace with league leaders Chelsea, and with an emotional derby against United on the schedule, a solid performance against West Ham was sorely needed.Instead, City will go into said derby trailing Chelsea by at least five points and possibly eight by the time the Blues finish their Sunday fixture at Old Trafford. As far as momentum goes, a strong result against the Red Devils is a must at this point.The squad will feel the pressure, but manager Manuel Pellegrini refused to make any statements in that direction, via City Watch:The Citizens have the talent to repeat as Premier League champions, but a lack of intensity has hurt the team all year. Against the Hammers, it was once again on full display. The hosts played harder in the first half while City seemed content to let West Ham tire and make the difference late.By that time, Diafra Sakho had sent the Upton Park crowd into a frenzy by doubling his team's lead, and it was simply too late for the defending champions.Manchester City's season isn't over yetfar from it. But unless the squad can find a way to play motivated football for 90 minutes, Chelsea will run away with the title.ArsenalIt wasn't pretty, but Arsenal's 2-0 win over Sunderland was the result the Gunners needed, stopping a three-match slide. Alexis Sanchez continues to prove his value, scoring a brace on Saturday (with a little help from former Gunner Vito Mannone), and his contributions will remain vital all season.Injuries will limit any team in world football, but manager Arsene Wenger simply doesn't have as much talent at his disposal as Pellegrini or Jose Mourinho. In order to continue their success without some of their top stars, it will be up to world-class contributors like Sanchez to step up and make a difference.The numbers seem to indicate that's what the Chile international is doing, via WhoScored.com:The most encouraging sign from the Gunners' Saturday win is the fact the mental errors were made by Sunderland, not Wenger's side. Concentration is so often the issue for Arsenal, and on Saturday, the players proved they can put a team away without giving up too many silly chances.The gap with Chelsea is already eight pointsa title run seems improbable at this point. But given the multitude of injuries the Gunners have had to deal with, a top-three finish should be considered a success.LiverpoolLike Arsenal, Liverpool currently sit eight points behind Chelsea, and the Reds have actually gained more points from their last four than the Gunners haveeight for Brendan Rodgers's crew, five for Wenger's.And yet pessimism seems to have infested Anfield more in recent weeks than the Emirates. The Champions League loss against Real Madrid certainly didn't help, but the drab 0-0 against Hull was far more telling.For weeks, fans and pundits have been talking about the Reds' shaky defence, but last year's squad didn't fare much better on that end. Instead, it's the attacking third that has been letting Liverpool down.Mario Balotelli still has yet to score his first Premier League goal for his new club, and while Paddy Power may be overreacting, the message is one fans will surely understand:To their credit, the Reds have still won two of their last four and have gone unbeaten in that span despite playing well below their best abilities. And that's what fans should focus on right now. Will Liverpool contend for the title' Probably not. But a top-four finish is very possible, and the team's current slump won't continue.Follow @ReverschPassRead more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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