Four Teams in Premier League Race
Manchester United,Arsenal,Chelsea and Liverpool Challenge for Title
The top four teams again contest the Premier League title race. Having seen off other challengers, Manchester United,Arsenal,Chelsea and Liverpool battle to be champions.
With the Premier League season at its half-way point, the title race is once again between Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. The other teams, Tottenham, Everton, Newcastle United, who at the start of the season were hoping to break the monopoly at the top of the league have failed to make that break through.
Title Race
After nineteen games, Manchester United have taken over top place in the League from Arsenal who have relinquished their lead for the first time in a number of months. United, with 45 points, have a one point lead over the north London club, while Chelsea are a further six points behind and Liverpool are another two points adrift, although the Merseyside club has a game in hand.
Of the other challengers, Manchester City have made an impressive start to the season under their new manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, and are only two points behind Liverpool while Everton are only a further point behind.
Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson has seen his team move imperiously to the top of the league with a run of seven consecutive league wins. Since drawing 2-2 at Arsenal in early November, United have defeated other title challengers including Liverpool, Everton and Blackburn Rovers.
Early season injuries and suspensions to key players like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo saw the reigning Champions make a slow start with only two points from the opening three games. However, since then they have suffered only one unexpected defeat at Bolton in sixteen games and Rooney, Ronaldo and new signing Carlos Tevez are combining well to remind old-timers of the famous United trio of Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best.
Arsenal
At the beginning of the season it was widely predicted that Arsene Wenger’s young Arsenal team would struggle with the loss of Thierry Henri to Barcelona but the opposite is in fact the case. The young players have responded positively and with flowing, exciting football they have been at the top of the league for most of the season. It is only in recent weeks that they have come under pressure and allowed United to claim the top place.
Undefeated until early December, they lost their first game at Middlesbrough but responded by beating Chelsea. Fortunate to beat local rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, they remained top over Christmas but they struggled at Portsmouth allowing United to move ahead. The loss of players to the African Cup of Nations will hinder them in January but they have a developing squad of young players capable of stepping into the first team as their Carling Cup progress has shown.
Chelsea
Chelsea’s season has been seen the departure of their manager, Jose Mourinho, after a disappointing start to the season. Improved results under Avram Grant lifted them into a challenging position but defeat at Arsenal and injuries to John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba have stalled their progress. Further suspensions following the game against Aston Villa when they drew 4-4 at home and the departure of a number of players to the African Nations competition will have a major bearing on the club’s success this season.
Liverpool
Liverpool continue to depend on the brilliance of Steven Gerrard when he going gets tough. His inspiration has saved Liverpool on so many occasions and allayed with the skill of Fernando Torres Liverpool should be able to sustain a challenge for the title. However, that may not be enough to save Rafa Benitez. The club’s American owners are expecting a title winning season and the manager, in spite of his success, has come under increasing pressure.
All four clubs have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League but all of the managers will be looking to sustain their challenge for the Premier League title through to the end of the season.
