The Premiership Title Race: Arsenal lead Manchester United and Chelsea while Liverpool look lost
It’s going to be tight.
That’s how Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger predicts the English Premier League title race will be from now on. This had as much to do with his side’s surprise 2-1 defeat away to Middlesbrough as to their nearest challengers Manchester United and Chelsea’s continuation of good form.
Arsenal suffered their first defeat in the English Premiership this season when they were outmaneuvered by a fighting Middlesbrough team at the Riverside Stadium. That the Gunners missed Cecs Fabregas and Alexander Hleb on Sunday was apparent as a relegation threatened Middlesbrough went 2-0 up at one stage and Tomas Rosicky’s injury minute consolation strike for the Londoners did nothing to heal the wounds.
Arsenal are now just 1 point ahead in pole position and the title race has been thrown wide open. Manchester United are second with a rejuvenated Chelsea is closing on in third, just 3 points off the pace. Arsene Wenger knows that both Manchester United and Chelsea are breathing heavily down their necks and should Liverpool win their game in hand, then even they would be in with a shout.
Thus the best and most entertaining team in the Premiership does not have any room for slip-ups. They take on Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Champions League in midweek and then confront a fierce London derby with Chelsea at the Emirates Satdium. Arsenal have had a miserable last week having drawn with struggling Newcastle United on Wednesday last.
But Arsenal are always capable of pulling the rabbit out the hat. Next week Manchester United and Liverpool lock horns with each other and Arsenal would be hoping for a draw in that match and win theirs to leap further ahead. Yet as Arsene Wenger says, the title race is indeed going to be a tight affair.
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Discussion - 4 Responses
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Best team in the Premiership?
I was under the impression that United won the league last season and Arsenal finished fourth… but I might be mistaken.
Please, Arse fans, try to accept that some months of good form and a staggeringly huge one-point lead do not mean yours are now the best team. You have a lot to prove before you could claim that.
Sadly, Ryan seems to be right. It’s been a few years since Wenger has produced a team capable of winning the league. Let’s judge Arsenal’s mythical child-team (average age, hardly any younger than any of the other contender’s squads) when the injuries really start to bite in Feb / March.
Oddly, more than a few commentators said that Arsenal’s good start owed a lot to the multitude of home fixtures they had. A few away games in a row and the points start to drift away, no crap pun intended. Chelsea’s going to be a very, very big game for them. They’re lucky Drogba’s out.
Arsenal have played 8 away games to Man U’s 7…and we still top!!
Rob, the multitude of home games we have had thus far are 8, with 8 played away. man utd have played 9 at home and seven away and trail us by a point. when all is said and done, this shall be a big month for us but considering that every pundit (and oppoisiton fan!!!) in the land had us mid table at best then i think we aren’t doing too badly thus far- after all, we can only play the team in front of us and so far we are doing better than anyone else. as utd fans, i would imagine that you guys were be slightly more reluctant to jump to conclusions- wasn’t it only two seasons ago when you were calling for fergie to go???