Posted on Sunday, 21st March 2010 by John Barnes
There has not been a season in recent memory which has witnessed such a close title race in English football in over a decade or more. Since the advent of the English Premier League, most seasons have seen the competition reduced to a two horse race or either one of Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal dominating the rest of the division. Fortunately for fans of the league, this season has provided more twists and turns than can be afforded a donut. The result is a sweet concoction of action, drama, irony and incredible stories for the media and fans alike.
It did not begin this way when the season was in its early months of September and October. At that time, Chelsea were clearly the best team as they swept teams aside with great ease. The affluent London club built up a sizable lead at the top of the table and looked close to romping home with the title many months ahead of time.
Something then went very wrong as the London team fell apart gradually. While recent revelations about John Terry might have led to more disruptions, the problems definitely began sometime before Christmas. Chelsea’s huge lead at the top of the Premier League quickly dissipated as both Manchester United and then Arsenal closed in on them.
What has been most incredible about the race has been the form of Arsenal. The young Gunners team have been beaten soundly by both Chelsea and Manchester United in all four of their meetings this season. Other lesser teams would have let their heads drop with such demoralising results, but Arsenal continued to chip away at the distance between them and the other two title contenders.
The end result can be witnessed right now with Chelsea playing catch up even though they have games in hand over the other two competitors. Manager Carlo Ancelotti appears a little lost as the going gets tough despite his wealth of experience winning titles in Italy. It might have been a switch too huge for him to make this time and it would not be surprising to see the Italian leave the club at the end of the season if he fails to win any trophies.
As Chelsea continues to crack under the pressure, the teams from Old Trafford and the Emirates will not hesitate to move in for the kill. Manchester United are, once again, the overwhelming favourites to come out ahead due to the many titles they have won in the past. While they are in the best position, their aspirations could be damaged by a surprising lack of consistency. They are also too dependent on Wayne Rooney and heaven help them if the England striker suffers a season ending injury. They will learn more about their chances in the next Man Utd vs Liverpool live stream match which will examine the suitability of their mental strength.
Not surprisingly, Arsenal have had to overcome the greater obstacles in comparison. They have seen major injuries to key players like Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and now Aaron Ramsey. Despite all these challenges, Arsene Wenger has molded a team full of youthful exuberance balanced by mental maturity.
Against the backdrop of different problems afflicting each team, the tussle for the ultimate prize in English football continues to grow more fascinating with each week. It is difficult to predict who will be leading after every round. It will be even tougher to hazard a guess as to which team will emerge at the top of the heap celebrating a hard fought title triumph.
John Barnes has been a keen follower of English football for many years. John will be providing analysis and insights during the Man Utd vs Liverpool live stream as he has usually done for other football fans.
Tags: Alex Ferguson, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea, english football, English Premier League, english soccer, football, Liverpool, Man Utd, manchester united, soccer, sports
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