Manchester City
By Alpha Abu
The battle for the Barclays Premier League title is fast approaching its definitive period and, just like two seasons ago when Manchester City won it on the very last day and with the last kick of the ball, it’s as sure as daylight that the challenge for English football’s ultimate prize will go down to the wire in this 2013/14 season.
Some five weeks to the end of the league, pundits can’t just make out any favourite. They are puzzled and dazzled by the relentless charge by especially City, Chelsea and, surprisingly, Liverpool. Honestly, it is the Merseysiders who are turning heads as results have really been going their way and deservedly so.
Never mind Jose Mourinho and his bare mind games, his Chelsea side as well as Liverpool and City are all in the mix for the title. For Arsenal, it came as no surprise to some, a rude awakening to others, that they have been crumbling towards the end. But the humiliating fashion with which this has been happening was crowned over the weekend when they were thrashed 3-0 by Everton who it now seems may just grab the fourth champions league spot at the expense of the London club. It was quite a painful sight for many Arsenal supporters to see their team outclassed at Goodison Park. All is definitely not well at the Emirates and the body language of the players during the match was just too vivid.
Should Arsenal fight it out just to make it to the Champions League, it will just raise further questions as to whether Arsene Wenger’s priority is to just participate in Europe’s elite club competition and get the money, and not to win the coveted Premier League title. Some of his signings have been poor, the likes of Giroud, Sanogo and even Ozil lately who despite the hype over his move to London from Madrid has not impressed me.
The Champions League trophy has always eluded the Gunners and the last time their cabinet got a silverware was in 2005 and that was the FA Cup. Supporters the world over have had enough of Wenger and would want to see his back for the team’s capitulation in recent weeks has been painful for their supporters but disgraceful too. However whether the Arsenal hierarchy will be ready this time to send the Frenchman away is another matter. There is this widely held view of Wenger wielding overwhelming influence in the boardroom but substantiating this claim is of little relevance at this critical time for the club. Many would want to see his dogmatic reign at the Emirates come to an end and a fresh figure appointed to chart the way forward.
City, Chelsea and Liverpool all still have a lot to play for and every game will just be important for the trio. Mourinho and Pellegrini will be taking their boys to Anfield and their hosts will be relishing the prospect of facing their challengers for the trophy.
In my view, the April 13 clash between hosts Liverpool and City might not be the decider as the Manchester club still has two games more than both Liverpool and Chelsea. For these three sides, all the games yet to be played are vital to their interest, which is winning the league title. Although it is fair to say that if Liverpool win all their remaining matches - including the big one against City, they are home and dry. But you can say the same about City - win all remaining matches and win the league.
I am beginning to feel that Liverpool are no longer dark horses and might just clinch it, should City fail to take advantage of the two more games they have to play.
Away from the top for the moment the fight at the bottom of the Premier League is equally interesting. Fulham, Cardiff and Sunderland are fighting for survival and desperately so. Gus Poyet no matter what, must be allowed to stay, for despite Sunderland’s poor run of results of late, he can if they go down, steer them back to the top flight of English football. Maybe Sunderland will still survive as they have two more games to play though at the bottom of the table with 25 points.
Felix Magath came late to Fulham who sit at 18th place with 27 points. But the German has made up his mind to stay with the London club even if they are relegated. I really doubt whether Cardiff made the right choice in appointing Solskaer as Manager and he has a lot to do to convince supporters that he was the right man for the job. Cardiff are 19th and with just one point more than Sunderland.
But many others may just get sucked into that mud at the bottom. It does not bode well either for Norwich or West Brom. For the former, their sacking last week of Chris Houghton shows just how restless they are. They are 17th in the table with 32 points and should be wary of their fellow strugglers and even more importantly put up a real fight in their remaining games, as they are far from home and dry. West Brom are 16th also with 32 points and cannot be completely off danger. The coming weeks will just be too hard for supporters of these clubs and we brace ourselves for the high drama and of course the TV footage of weeping fans watching their teams crash out of the Premier League, out of the limelight and into the less glamorous Championship.
Leicester City are back in the Premier already after a decade and we wait to welcome them and the two other newcomers. Enjoy the beautiful game.
(C) Politico 10/04/14
