The big four are back, well for a few days at least. It may have taken awhile, but Liverpool are now playing their best football of the season, and their recent string of good results have propelled them all the way up to fourth in the table. Things could get even more interesting for Liverpool if they can pull out a victory on Tuesday at Emirates Stadium. Liverpool would pull within two points of third with a victory over the suddenly struggling Gunners. As the race for fourthgets even more interesting, the race for first appears to be down to two. Chelsea remains at the top of the table, but Manchester United continues to keep pace with their title rivals. Both clubs appear to be at the top of their game, so circle April 3rd on the calender because that is when Chelsea makes the trip to Old Trafford. That match could decide a champion this season.
Reasons to celebrate…
Chelsea
Didier Drogba was a beast on Sunday. The Chelsea star scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season in the Blues 2-0 victory over Arsenal. Wayne Rooney is receiving the bulk of the attention for leading the PremierLeague with 21 goals on the season, but Drogbawould probably be right there with Rooney if he did not miss some action due to the African Nation’s Cup. Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelottiis happy his star is back with the club, because Drogba’s presence creates an immediate mis-match when he and Anelka form Chelsea’s talented duo up-front. Chelsea has skill at every position on the field, and they displayed they have the talent to win without Drogba, but his presence brings Chelsea to another level. Chelsea’s victory keeps them at the top of the table, and virtually knocked Arsenal out of the race, which means it is now down to two, and the Blues would love nothing more then to knock Manchester United off their perch this season.
Manchester United
Wayne Rooney was named player of the month in the English Premier League for his strong performance in January, and his hot streak continued on Saturday as United’s superstar striker scored his league leading 21st goal of the season in Manchester United’s 5-0 romp over Portsmouth. This match was never really in doubt with United playing host to last place Portsmouth, and the fact that the visitors scored three own goals did not help their cause. Manchester United deserves full credit for the victory, the own goals were a direct result of the constant pressure being heaped upon the Portsmouth defense throughout the match. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have now won four matches in a row, and have not lost since being upset by Fulham on December 19th. Chelsea remain the front-runners, but United are clearly eyeing a fourth straight crown.
Liverpool
Rafa Benitez’s squad appear to have finally found their form. A number of weaknesses can still be spotted in Liverpool’s game, but they are playing determined football at the moment, and positive results are starting to come. Things appeared to hit rock bottom for Liverpool on December 19th, when the club lost to last place Portsmouth, but the Reds have used that negative as a turning point, and they are now undefeated in their last seven matches. Making this streak all the more impressive is the fact that the Reds have been doing most of their winning without star striker Fernando Torres. Benitez has clearly got his team focusing more on protecting their own goal without Torres in the line-up, and the players have responded by only conceding one goal during the seven match unbeaten streak. Liverpool are in fourthspot, but only by the slimmest of margins, and their next two league matches are at Arsenal and then home to Manchester City. The Reds will be tested in both matches, but if they manage to pass those tests, then it could be a sign that Liverpool is back.
Birmingham City
Birmingham were desperate to find the win column once again, and although it did not look good for a while, the Blues were eventually rescued by substitute Kevin Phillips. Normally praised would be heaped upon Birmingham manager Alex McLeish for subbing in Phillips, but the move was made only because Cristian Benitez suffered an injury. No one ever wants to see a player get injured, but the blow is definitely lessened by the fact Phillips was able to come on and tie the match in the 80th minute, and then score the winner in the 85th. Birmingham deserve full marks for the victory. They pressure Wolverhampton’s defense for most of the match, and were finally rewarded late for their efforts. The win leaves Birmingham just four points behind Aston Villa for seventh spot in the table, and a position in European competition.
Hull City
What a week for Phil Brown’s crew. Hull City entered the week in the relegation zone, and two matches against Chelsea and Manchester City had many people thinking the hole was only going to get deeper. However, a mid-week draw against first place Chelsea, followed by a massive upset victory over high spending Manchester City has allowed the Tigers to climb out of the relegation zone. Last season Hull were able to use a strong start to the season to avoid being relegated, but the Tigers should now feel pretty confident they can compete after such a great week, and could use this as a springboard for a strong finish, which would allow Hull City to remain in the top flight once again.
Burnley
It was a relegation showdown at Turf Moor on Saturday, and Burnley were able to secure a much needed three points. It has been a strange season for the Clarets who got off to a great start thanks to their strong play at home, but the victories soon dried up, and then circumstances surrounding the club took a strange turn when manager Owen Coyle left the team to manage rival Bolton. Burnley had lost three straight since Coyle’s departure, and many felt relegation was all but certain, but Saturday’s victory has created some breathing room for Burnley at the moment. If the Clarets are going to stay in the top flight, victories over other clubs near the bottom will go a long in achieving that goal.
Stoke City
Stoke City currently find themselves in what can somewhat be described as no man’s land. Stoke sit eleventh in the table with 29 points, but despite being clear of relegation, they have no realistic chance of qualifying for European competition. However, a top ten finish is still within reach, and would be a great achievement for this club. Stoke is trying to build a solid club for years to come. One that not only stays consistently in the top flight, but one day challenges consistently for spots in European competition. Stoke City got off to a fantastic start, but have struggled for portions of the season. Finding consistent form week in and week out is the next step for this team to take.
Headaches aplenty…
John Terry
It was another tough week for John Terry off the pitch, even though he remains a force for Chelsea on it. Terry has been in the news in recent weeks over his affair with former teammate, and current English teammate, Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend. This left current English manager Fabio Capello with a tough decision to make. Could John Terry remain English team captain for the upcoming World Cup? Well the answer came quickly from Capello, and it was no! Terry was stripped of his captaincy after an eleven minute meeting with Capello. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines captain as: one who leads or supervises, a leader of a sports team or side. There are two other entries under captain, but neither definition includes the following: someone who sleeps with a teammates girlfriend. Sorry John! The decision was a no-brainer for Capellowho knows leaving Terry as captain would only further the media circus, although naming Rio Ferdinand as his replacement also brings with it some controversy. However, Terry will still be a leader on the field for England, which is all that really matters for English football fans.
Arsenal
Any thoughts of climbing back into the title chase were dashed today for Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The Gunners were given an opportunity to rebound from a loss to Manchester United, and prove to the doubters they can compete with the top two clubs in the league, but Arsenal’s weaknesses were exposed for a second straight week. Arsenal controlled possession for much of the match, but failed to score goals. They also had no answer for Didier Drogba. Arsenal were susceptible to the counter attack against United, and Chelsea took full advantage of this weakness again on Sunday. While Arsenal’s inefficiencies at the backend were made clear, their problems up front were also exposed at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal currently lacks that one true scorer who can turn opportunities into goals on a consistent basis. Arshavin and Nasri are both talented players, but they struggle to score at times, and Arsenal as a team lacks the size up front to create trouble in the box for the opposition. Wenger let Adebayor walk away in the summer, but has been unable to find a replacement that can cause problems in the air for opposing defenses. Wenger must find that type of player soon, because Arsenal are winless in their past nine matches against Chelsea and Manchester United, and have lost eight of those. This team will never win a championship without having some success against the two best clubs in the league.
Tottenham
Tottenham continues to drop points at White Hart Lane. Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa was just the latest match in which Tottenham dominated most of the action, but were unable to turn those numerous opportunities into a victory. Tottenham have now dropped a total of thirteen points at home, and considering how close the race for fourth place is this season, it is going to be very tough for Harry Redknapp’s club. Tottenham would have stayed ahead of Liverpool with a victory, and could have created some more distance between themselves and Manchester City. It is just another wasted opportunity for Tottenham who could be watching their Champions League hopes fade away.
Manchester City
Sitting one point out of fourth with two games in hand, and facing a Hull City club who find themselves near the bottom of the league, had Manchester City in pretty good shape. However, Manchester City played on Saturday as though a victory over Hull City was a certainty. The Tigers carried the play for the first 60 minutes of the match, and were able to hang on for the final half hour. No one earns victories in this league by simply showing up, and teams are usually required to put in a full 90 minutes to win games. This is not the first time City has put in a lackluster effort against weaker competition this season, and that is something this side will have to stop doing if they are going to take that next step and become an elite team.
Portsmouth
The good news is Portsmouth scored three goals on Saturday, but the bad news is they were all into their own net. Okay, one of those own goals was actually just a deflection and a bit harsh to be considered an own goal, and losing 5-0 to Manchester United was pretty much expected, but this season could not end soon enough for this troubled team. Portsmouth now find themselves under new ownership for the fourth time this season, but Balram Chainrai has no intention of keeping the team. Meetings are scheduled to be held over the next two weeks to find a fifth owner. The only thing that appears certain for Portsmouth this season is relegation.
West Ham United
West Ham United is another team that find themselves under new ownership. However, their group is considered stable, and have put into place a plan that they hope will see this team become a top contender in this league in five years. One potential problem with that plan is this team could find itself relegated at the end of the season if they are unable to turn their season around. Saturday’s loss at Burnley dropped West Ham back into the relegation zone, and that is terrible news for a team that has only one win in its previous ten matches. The five-year plan does not include being relegated, so Gianfranco Zola must get his team playing better football soon, or things could get very worse for the Hammers.
Sunderland
The Black Cats appeared ready to challenge for a top ten spot in the table early this season, but their winless streak was extended to eleven games on Saturday, and Sunderland are quickly finding themselves in the relegation fight. Kenwyne Jones’ game tying goal in the 60th minute may have allowed Sunderland to earn a point, but this team should be able to beat Wigan Athletic at home. Steve Bruce commented after the game that his team is not ready to give up stating; “We won’t give up on it, that’s for sure and we will turn it around”. Sunderland had better turn it around soon. They will travel to Portsmouth on Tuesday, and anything less then three points could be disastrous.
Teams will not have much time to celebrate their weekend victories, or stew over their losses. A full slate of games take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the league takes a brief hiatus from the action. Wednesday features some rather large matches with Arsenal hosting Liverpool, Manchester United travelling to Aston Villa, and Chelsea at Everton. It should make for another interesting day in the English Premier League.