The 2017 title race has been wide open even by J. League standards, but with nine games remaining a definite top five is beginning to emerge.

Defending champions Kashima Antlers lead the way by six points ahead of Kawasaki Frontale and Kashiwa Reysol, with Cerezo Osaka one point further back in fourth place and Yokohama F. Marinos one more behind in fifth. The J. League is notoriously unpredictable, but with sixth-place Jubilo Iwata five points adrift of Marinos and a full 13 behind Antlers, it is becoming safe to say that this year's champion will come from the current top five.

Clearly, Antlers will take some stopping. The eight-time champions were made to look ordinary when Frontale stopped their nine-match unbeaten run with an emphatic 3-1 win on Aug. 13, but they have since responded in typically ruthless fashion, winning their next three games without conceding a single goal.