By Chuka Izuegbuna
WHY ARSENAL WERE NEVER IN CONTENTION
Without a doubt, the English Premiership is the most exciting league in the world. The recent happenings go on to accentuate this fact.
A few weeks ago it was difficult to stick ones neck out for any team ending up the season as winners. That was because there were three teams in contention for the title, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.
One was always of the belief that it would be a straight battle between defending champions Manchester United and Chelsea. This belief has always stemmed from many years of watching football and in those years, I have come to learn that every championship-winning team always has an out and out striker. A striker that would play at least 20 of the 38 game season. A striker that can deliver a minimum of 20 league goals. While Manchester United has Wayne Rooney and Chelsea, Didier Drogba- two phenomenal strikers, Arsenal have had to rely on Robin van Persie.
While Rooney and Drogba have remained consistent in delivering what they are paid to do, van Persie has remained consistent in his visits to the clinic and has never managed to stay fit. Without a doubt, he has the talent to make things happen but keeping fit is a prerequisite to making that be and it somehow has managed to elude him.
Three weeks ago, Arsenal was in a position to be considered serious contenders but the fixtures ahead of them were some of the tightest fixtures lined up for any team in the Premiership : Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and it would have amounted to a miracle of sorts if they had navigated this terrain successfully.
Arsenal are currently nine points behind Chelsea, but their worry now will not be about winning the league but how to remain in the top four, especially as Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham are breathing down their necks seriously.
This capitulation has only given credence to my long held belief that it was always a two-horse race. Didier Drogba’s two goals against Arsenal also ensures that the battle will not only be for the league winner but also for the top scorer award.
This is the point in the season where Manchester United are strongest and they are already showing that with the form they’ve shown in recent weeks; but Chelsea is a team of seasoned veterans who have the ability to keep their nerve especially when it matters the most. The depth in the squad means that they can prosecute all tournaments they are competing in, a luxury United does not have.
Chelsea have been without Drogba, Kalou, Mikel and Michael Essien and survived the storm. One wonders how United would fare without Rooney. The battle is set to go to the wire and one can be sure that at the winner would either be wearing red or blue.
RESULTS
Liverpool 1 – 0 Everton
Bolton 0 – 0 Fulham
Burnley 2 – 1 West Ham
Hull City 2 – 1 Manchester City
Manchester United 5 – 0 Portsmouth
Stoke City 3 – 0 Blackburn Rovers
Sunderland 1 – 1 Wigan Athletic
Tottenham Hotspur 0 – 0 Aston Villa
Birmingham 2 – 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Chelsea 2 – 0 Arsenal
TABLE
P W D L F A GD Pts
Chelsea 25 18 4 3 60 20 40 58
Man United 25 18 2 5 61 20 41 56
Arsenal 25 15 4 6 60 30 30 49
Liverpool 25 13 5 7 43 26 17 44
Tottenham 25 12 7 6 45 25 20 43
Man City 23 11 8 4 45 32 13 41
Aston Villa 24 11 8 5 31 18 13 41
Birmingham 24 10 7 7 24 24 0 37
Everton 24 8 8 8 33 35 -2 32
Fulham 25 8 7 10 27 28 -1 31
Stoke City 23 7 8 8 22 26 -4 29
Blackburn 25 7 7 11 25 43 -18 28
Sunderland 24 6 7 11 31 41 -10 25
Hull City 25 5 9 11 25 50 -25 24
Burnley 24 6 5 13 25 47 -22 23
Wigan Athletic 23 6 5 12 25 48 -23 23
Bolton 23 5 7 11 29 44 -15 22
West Ham 24 4 9 11 30 40 -10 21
Wolves 24 5 6 13 20 42 -22 21
Portsmouth 24 4 3 17 19 41 -22 15
TOPSCORERS
Wayne Rooney Manchester United 21
Jermain Defoe Tottenham Hotspur 15
Didier Drogba Chelsea 17
Darren Bent Sunderland 14
Fernando Torres Liverpool 12
Carlos Tevez Manchester City 12
Louis Saha Everton 11
Cesc Fábregas Arsenal 11
5 comments
The world cup is only 6 months away. Thanks for the info as I am a football fanatic
Hopefully the red devils will pull it through today in the match against milan, to bad about the new owner and the glazer family casting a shadow over the great club, but that still don't ruin the fun.
I really can't believe it. I pray Wayne Rooney is healed for the world cup!
Aloha, I like your site! I shall be back again.