The Race for the Barclays Premier League Title is heating up as we approach the end of the season. There appear to be four clear contenders for the crown. I will break it down one by one.
Arsenal
After getting beaten on the first day of the season by Aston Villa, many people wanted Arsene Wenger to finally leave the club that he had generated over the past few seasons; although things seemed to get better and better for the North London side. The club brought in the record signing of German playmaker Mesut Özil who seemed to push the side on from strength-to-strength. The club has gone from having no chance of winning the league at the start of the season to being one of the Premier league title contenders.
One of their most memorable their most memorable victories of the season has to be the game when they beat Liverpool 2-0 at the Emirates earlier this season. On the contrary one of the worst results for the Gunners was the return game at Anfield when they lost 5-1 to the Merseyside team. Things look tricky for Arsenal with fixtures against the top seven coming up, but if they do get points out of them then they should get at least 4th spot. I think others will agree with me in saying that Wenger should have a signed a striker to share the goal-scoring burden with Olivier Giroud in the January transfer window.
Chelsea
Chelsea have had a good season under Jose Mourinho this year and have ground out some good results which have helped them to stay in the top four for most of the season. Their key player has to be without a doubt one of the best players in the Premier League – Eden Hazard. The Belgium international has inspired his side to an impressive 19 wins after 28 games. However, Mourinho’s signings and departures have been questionable. The most noticeable departure has to be Juan Mata going to the current champions Manchester United. Although this has not seemed to affect the team as they have other midfield options that have stepped up to the challenge. Even though they are top of the league, their strikers haven’t been very prolific. Chelsea have still scored a fair share of goals and will finish at in the top three. Mourinho has been tactically correct and has the team well drilled, making their wingers track back and close them down until they win the ball back.
Liverpool
Liverpool have probably been the most surprising team of the season. I don’t think anyone could quite believe where they are in the league, if you had asked someone at the start of the season. The main reason for them being so high up being quite obvious, they have one of the deadliest strikers in the world in Luis Suarez. Even after missing this first few games of the season, he is still the top goal scorer in the league which is incredible. Another noticeable inclusion in the Liverpool team has been England star Daniel Sturridge, and his partnership with Suarez has been vital for their latest push for the title.
Manchester City
Big spenders City have had their money pay off recently after winning the first trophy of the season, beating Sunderland 3-1 at Wembley for the League Cup. Spending a staggering £650 million in the last five years it’s not a surprise that they are one of the favourites for the league and looking to win the treble. City’s key player is probably Yaya Toure; the midfielder is always there to score a screamer or make that defence splitting pass. Asides from Toure, in-form striker Sergio Agureo has been there to score goals which have seen them become one of the highest scorers in the league. Having the squad depth is a vital part in winning the league and that’s what City Have. Having the squad depth is a vital part in winning the league and that’s what City Have. Most of their bench would walk into other teams. City are favourite for a reason, they have beaten the big teams including Arsenal and Liverpool, however they have lost twice to title rivals Chelsea. People say that spending so much is wrong and is destroying the beauty of the league, but that’s how Chelsea won the league a couple of seasons ago and that’s how it’s looking for City. They haven’t bought the league but they have turned into a top 4 side by spending big, with rivals United slowly sinking.
To conclude I think that it would be a massive shock if one of these teams didn’t make the top four. Arsenal fans are starting to lose patience at being content with 4th place. Liverpool fans will be ecstatic with the chance of being among Europe’s best in the Champions League. Manchester City are expected to win the league having spent so much, so the fans wouldn’t expect anything less than winning the league. Chelsea manager Mourinho thinks that they won’t win the league this season but fans are optimistic and many pundits say that this is their best chance of getting the title in their first season under Mourinho’s second spell at the club.
My Prediction for the Top Four:
- Chelsea
- Manchester City
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @Jamiemuise. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Footy writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
