As Manchester United finally killed off Manchester City’s title aspirations on Sunday, I couldn’t help but note that there remains only two, perhaps three or four FINAL MATCHES to decide the champions of English football for 2014/15 season
Yes! it’s 6 games to go, but 2 matches to play;
Stamford Bridge 18th April – Chelsea vs Manchester United
Emirates Stadium 26th April – Arsenal vs Chelsea
And if the champions elect fluff their lines, there’ll be extra time at the Bridge and the Theatre of dreams at;
Stamford Bridge on the10th May – Chelsea vs Liverpool
Old Trafford on the 17th May – Manchester United vs Arsenal
On present form, Arsenal and Manchester United are neck to neck with same number of points and four points clear of Chelsea, but what Chelsea have done from the first day of the league is remarkable and it is right to say that they have dug their well before they become thirsty.
7 points and one game in hand, who can bet against Jose Mourinho? Mourinho has never lost the league from such a commanding position in any league, especially this late in the season, but with six points to lose in the next two weeks, who knows? But having seen them grind out another victory at Loftus road, against a team who were set out to frustrate them and play “longi-balls” the Premiership looks set for Stamford Bridge within the next three games, injuries and suspensions permitting.
Louis Van Gaal? In his first season at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he has won either the League title or a European Cup, so can United be the first big team he would fail to land a silverware in his inaugural season?
The way Hererra, Carrick, Mata and Young dominated the midfield with Fellaini and Rooney pressing upfield against City, the reds are a different team to that which started the season. The players are now comfortable with Van Gaal’s 4-3-3 system and with a lot of fitness, pace and mobility, even on their bench (Di Maria, Van Persie, Falcao, Rojo, shaw and Janujaz were not even starters on Sunday!) Old Trafford has become a fortress that nobody wants to go anytime soon.
If Chelsea land the title, the game against Arsenal on the 17th May may truly decide who come second in this pulsating title race.
As for Arsenal they looked a different team against Burnley on Saturday. The tactics employed by Wenger and executed by the team was fantastic again, playing out a 0-1 win that was enough to secure the three points.
Many moons ago, Arsenal would have bombed forward on end until they got ambushed on the counter, but not this time, they held on to the ball and passed Burnley around, soaking up the pressure from their two frontmen.
Arsenal are well in the title race, but may just have left it too late to overtake Chelsea, but the omens for next season are good if they continue to see out games sensibly and manage each half as they’ve been doing.
Who will win the Premiership? I still put Chelsea there as the overwhelming favourites, but in football you never say so until it is so……
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RETURNS
Atletico – Real
PSG – Barcelona
Juventus – Monaco
Porto – Bayern
No English teams but the show must go on. It’s the Champions league quarter final 1st leg ties this week and the ties look balanced on paper, and the difference could just be a certain Ronaldo, Messi, Bale, Neymar, Robben, Muller or Ibrahimovic
Bayern play without Ribery and Schweinsteiger and this could just be what Porto need, but then “there are the others”
There is a strong feeling coming out of Italy about the zebras of Turin, but I hope they don’t get carried away as they face the princes of Monaco.
Real have a chance if they don’t allow Atletico to turn the game into a league derby, but what it is; a champions league quarter final to be decided in two legs
As for PSG against Barcelona, if they find a way to frustrate Messi and still play their own football, then they may just scale through ahead of Barcelona as they’re playing fantastic football at the moment.
One thing is certain, that once we get to this stage, any team can go through, and no team can afford an off day. It starts Tuesday.