Evgeny Lovchev, a former footballer who played for Moscow Spartak and the USSR national team, considers it natural that Zenit Saint Petersburg currently holds the top position in the Russian Premier League standings. He shared this view in a post on his book Telegram channel, suggesting that the current form and depth of Zenit make them strong favorites as the season progresses.
Zenit sits first, with Krasnodar still holding a game in hand that could adjust the balance once completed. The mood in the camp is calm after a period of adversity, and the squad appears to be moving forward with greater cohesion. Lovchev’s assertion that Zenit will emerge as champions underscores his belief in the club’s sustained performance and strategic planning across the campaign.
In round 14 of the Russian Premier League, Zenit traveled to Kaliningrad to face Baltika at the Rostec Arena. The match concluded with a confident 2-0 victory for Zenit, extending their unbeaten run and contributing crucial points to their lead in the table. Baltika, still fighting to climb the standings, had earned 11 points from 14 rounds and sat in 15th place as the campaign reached its halfway mark. The win for Zenit elevated them to the top on 29 points, narrowly ahead of Krasnodar who had 28 points after the same number of rounds.
With the schedule continuing, Krasnodar was set to play their 14th round match on the following day. Their opponent would be Wings of the Soviets from Samara, a fixture that could influence the flow of the title race and positioning behind Zenit. The immediate implications were clear: every remaining game offered a chance to either consolidate Zenit’s lead or allow a challenger to tighten the gap. The season’s path thus far has shown Zenit’s capacity to convert chances into wins while maintaining defensive solidity, a balance that Lovchev highlighted in his perspective on the league’s current dynamics.
Earlier in the season, Arshavin commented on the opening clubs of the RPL, prompting discussions about how early-season performances foreshadowed the championship race. The dialogue around the league has consistently hinged on whether Zenit can sustain their momentum, how Krasnodar and other challengers adapt to the pressure, and which squad will emerge as the most consistent unit across the autumn and winter blocks of the schedule. In this context, Lovchev’s endorsement of Zenit as champions adds a note of veteran credibility to the ongoing evaluation of the competition, inviting fans to watch how the team translates initial optimism into a durable title bid as the season advances.