Stats can be used to prove anything, here are some stats that prove nothing at all.
The first row is the season (i.e. 15 is the 14/15 football season), the second row is the number of points the champions attained, the next row is the number of points the 4th position team attained and the number in brackets is the difference in points. If there is a star that means we would have finished 4th or better with our record points total (72)
15 - 87, 70 (17) *
14 - 86, 79 (7)
13 - 89, 73 (16)
12 - 89, 69 (20) *
11 - 80, 68 (12) *
10 - 86, 70 (16) *
09 - 90, 72 (18) *
08 - 87, 76 (11)
07 - 89, 68 (21) *
06 - 91, 67 (24) *
05 - 95, 61 (34) *
04 - 90, 60 (30) *
03 - 83, 67 (16) *
02 - 87, 71 (16) *
01 - 80, 68 (12) *
Considering that this season everybody's been a bit brick, I would expect the champions' total points to be relatively low. The lowest points we've ever seen was in 10/11 and 00/01 with 80 points for the champions. Arsenal are currently league leaders with 39 points at the halfway stage, keep up the same form and they would end on 78 points. 78 points would be the lowest total for a champion in the last 15 years.
78 points is 6 points more than our record points total, from the 12/13 season, where other than Bale's performances we were turgid. I am hopeful we can beat our records point total this season.
If we take our halfway points total so far this season and double it, we'd end on 70 points.
If we take our second half of the season points from the 12/13 season (39) and add it to our current points total we'd have 74.
I feel really positive that we can finish top 4, finishing on between 70 and and 74 points seems an attainable goal. Can we win the league? I feel we have an outside chance, it depends a lot on what City and Arsenal do, but if 80 points is enough to win the league season, could we attain 80 points or more?
Anyhow, enough rambling from me. I hope this post is interesting. Sorry for not making pretty graphs.