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English Premier League 2010 Enters Final Run For Glory!
With most teams down to their last ten games it can be argued that this season's EPL is the most exciting ever. Usually by this late stage of the season the race for the title is reduced to a two horse race if we are lucky, maybe five teams have a chance of winning one of the golden tickets to next season's European Champions League, and at the bottom at least two teams are already making plans for the inevitable drop in to next season's Football League Championship. Not this season!
Wherever you look in the league table there are intriguing battles taking place and with the exception of Portsmouth being relegated, nothing is guaranteed. Just look at Liverpool's defeat to lowly Wigan and you see that not only can nothing be taken for granted but also that the Red's coach Rafa Benitez's earlier guarantee of a fourth place finish is now looking decidedly shaky.
At the top, only two points separate Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal and, although Chelsea have a game in hand over their rivals, the Gunners look to have the easier run in over the final nine games in which they do not have to face any of the traditional "Big Four" teams. The race for fourth promises to go down to the wire with Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa trading places on a weekly basis and, on current form don't be surprised to see the outstanding Everton make a late run for glory.
At the bottom, only Portsmouth seem guaranteed for the drop and that is only because they are almost certain to have nine points deducted from their total due to having gone in to financial administration. As for the rest of the bottom feeders, only six points separate thirteenth placed Bolton and nineteenth placed Burnley with Wigan, West Ham, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Hull all suffering sore necks due to constantly looking over their shoulders.
So what can we look forward to this week? On Saturday look for Chelsea and Arsenal to put further pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, who will have to wait another twenty four hours before their perhaps tricky home game against Roy Hodgson's very disciplined Fulham team, who are not only looking comfortable in tenth place but are also still involved in this season's FA and Europa Cups. Chelsea should be good for all three points at home to London rivals West Ham who have managed only one league win away from Upton Park all season. Arsenal travel to eighteenth placed Hull who will still be smarting from Sunday's 5 - 1 humiliation away to Everton.
Fourth placed Tottenham will look to consolidate fourth place at home to Blackburn while fifth placed Manchester City travel on Sunday to face a Sunderland team who have drawn no less than five of their last six home games. Liverpool have to wait until Monday night before facing bottom placed Portsmouth at Anfield and, although Liverpool's form and style has been nothing short of ugly all season, they should be expected to bounce back from their defeat at Wigan, Anything less than three points and Mr. Benitez should start freshening up his resume!
One of the best battles of the weekend promises to be between Birmingham and Everton, both teams coached by savvy Scots who have cleverly developed teams capable of beating anyone without having bankrupted their clubs in the transfer markets. Everton have won their last six home games but as this is at Birmingham a draw looks the likely result. The same outcome might be expected from Aston Villa's trip to Stoke who have lost only four of their fourteen home games all season.
Finally, Bolton versus Wigan and Burnley versus Wolves will see four teams battling for their Premiership lives in matches which promise much nail biting for their supporters and more grey hairs for their coaches. Don't be surprised to see them share the points.
The great thing is that when this round of matches is over, nothing will have been determined so don't hold your breath. Just sit back and enjoy!