The Liverpool thumping of Newcastle, 5-1 away, was undoubtedly impressive. Not least because the Magpies woes finally looked like they were picking up after that late winner against Tottenham. A Steven Gerrard infused Reds could however not be stopped, and question is: Can anyone stop them from winning the League crown?
Chelsea is still hot on the heels and would seem like the most obvious candidate to challenge Liverpool for that honour. However the London dwellers have hit a few snags of late. They seem to be struggling somewhat after being hit by the injury bug and suspensions alike. It seems even Chelsea aren’t immune and the squad at Scolari’s disposal has been spread increasingly thin at times. This was evident yesterday, as Chelsea lost important points against local rivals Fulham.
The equalizer in this 2-2 drama may have come in the dying minutes, but was perhaps not entirely surprising. Fulham repeatedly posed problems for Chelsea in set plays and none more so than American International Clint Dempsey; who grabbed both his goals from such situations, brilliantly sent in to him by Simon Davies (one on a free kick and the other on a corner). Chelsea not only had to endure the two goals from Dempsey, but also suffered two first half injuries in this game. Malouda and Alex both hobbled off, but on the bright side Carvalho could return in defence.
While Chelsea may require reinforcements in January, Liverpool look better able to cope with any injuries they come up against; including the ones on star forward Fernando Torres. So far in to the season, this difference accounts for the three points in Liverpool’s favour.
Manchester United on the other hand is slowly but surely improving and look set for another strong second half of the season. Whether or not that will be enough for another title remains to be seen, but they certainly don’t lack either squad depth or quality to give Liverpool a run for their money. Question is if they have as strong motivation as Liverpool have, after the conclusion of a trophy laden 2007/2008 season. Undoubtedly they’ll be somewhere there and about anyway.
Arsenal is more difficult to pin down. It is a club that has struggled for consistency and therefore become increasingly unpredictable. The long-term injury of Fabregas will also put a huge strain on the team to try and manage without their little midfield general. Most likely Wenger will now be forced to look at the January transfer market to fill that central gap in midfield. He could of course surprise everyone again and simply promote a player from within, but that seems like a big gamble for a team that look increasingly at risk to lose that valuable fourth spot in the league.
Aston Villa is the team that might finally break the big fours deadly grip on that precious Champions League revenue. Sure Everton has done it before, but Aston Villa look like a club that can not only break in to the top four, but also stay there. They have a plentitude of talent to hold their own, a reasonably deep and competitive squad, and money to spend if necessary. Everton lacked these essential ingredients when they made the top four and subsequently fell back the following year. There is no reason to believe that Aston Villa would be subject to the same fate - if indeed they managed to grab a Champions League spot at the end of this season.
But first thing first. Aston Villa players need to keep grounded and keep working their socks off if they are to have any chance of accomplishing their goals. It will probably be tight all the way, just as the Premier League has been all season. Indeed, any team can beat or take points off any other club this season. There is no room for complacency, not even for the big four; which now looks ready to expand to five. It would certainly make the Premier League more interesting if that was to happen.
