There has been a shift in momentum in the battle to win the Premier League from London to Manchester. Chelsea are still odds on to win their first title since 2010 but Manchester City are now just three points off the pace and United are getting ever closer to the top after six successive wins in the league. West Ham and Southampton are in the mix to qualify for the Champions League but Arsenal or Tottenham can ultimately compete for the fourth spot.
At the other end of the table it looks like any three from five teams that will experience the doomsday scenario of relegation from the Premier League. Parachute payments to teams that drop into the Championship ease the financial blow. However, falling out of the elite will become even more expensive when the next television deals are agreed which will encompass viewing rights in some developing territories.
The Premier League is the most viewed in the world and the big clubs have huge support across the globe. The interest is reflected in the massive payments paid for coverage by the TV companies. That money goes to the clubs and is then spent on the best players which attracts most interest and the cycle continues. Breaking into the Champions League elite is crucial but staying there is another matter and in the long run a brief flirtation with the competition can be more negative than positive.
Chelsea and Manchester City will be playing in the Champions League next season and they are the richest clubs in England and have the wealthiest backers. There is a direct correlation between a club’s wage bill and generally where they finish in the league. Chelsea and City can dominate for the foreseeable future but United are now back in contention and can win the league again over the next five years. It’s highly unlikely that any other side can break the dominance of the three team elite.
Chelsea lost their first game in all competitions against Newcastle at the end of November. Jose Mourinho blamed the ball boys but in truth his side were outfought by a resurgent Newcastle, though they took a step back when losing to Arsenal recently. It seems ridiculous to suggest that potentially the fixture could have been Arsene Wenger’s last in charge but his team’s football and the reaction of the crowd suggested Wenger is going nowhere soon. He can maintain his record of qualifying for the Champions League each year in which he has been in charge.
The race to be champions could come down to the number of goals scored by Diego Cost and Sergio Aguero and the former is now best placed to be the top scorer in the Premier League. The Chelsea striker has scored 12 goals in the league, two behind his City counterpart who is injured and will miss matches over Christmas and New Year. City coped in the Champions League decider against Roma but that was a one-off tie and Aguero scores a goal a game in the league.
No player has come from abroad and finished top goalscorer immediately. That’s a fairly strong statistic given the players who have been denied on their Premier League debuts. Costa is now in great shape to break that trend as he looks ideal for the Premier League and can overhaul Aguero over the next few weeks. City’s main man missed 15 league fixtures last season and eight the season before so injury and absence from fixtures is nothing new for the man from Argentina.
Mourinho has built almost perfection at Stamford Bridge this season without overspending. He dispatched players like Juan Mata and David Luiz and recruited men who are more suited to his style of play and personality. Despite the blip at Newcastle Chelsea look a good thing to win the league for the first time in five years. Eden Hazard is performing like the player of the season and Cesc Fabreagas leads the stats for assists and miles covered. Costa is the perfect recipient of the chances he has created.
Second-season success has followed Mourinho throughout his career and Chelsea are now justifiable clear title favourites. In the Special One’s four seasons following a full first campaign in charge he has at very least won the domestic championship. Chelsea won two titles in his first spell at the club and the ruthless way they won 20 of their opening 22 matches is being replicated this season. Chelsea’s 2014-15 edition may not ultimately match such high standards but becoming English champions again is well within their capabilities.
Manchester City are now looking short up front which is a transformation from the first half of last season when they couldn’t stop scoring, especially at home. Aguero will miss about six matches and Edin Dzeko is now out of the contention due to injury. However, the biggest loss is that of Vincent Kompany as the captain will be out for at least four weeks. David Silva is back in the team after his injury sabbatical and Joe Hart in goal is back to his best. City should finish second at worst but winning the title looks beyond them.
Sir Alex Ferguson called City the noisy neighbours buy they have shown style and substance by winning the league twice in the last three years. United were champions in Fergie’s last season in charge but took several steps backwards while David Moyes was the manager. He wasn’t given enough time to get results but clearly Louis Van Gal has the right personality for the biggest job in English league football. United will qualify for the Champions League again and can push City for second place but can’t overhaul Chelsea.
Leicester are on an irreversible drop down the table and look relegated all ready. Hull and QPR are also in a bottom three that does not include Burnley. They didn’t win once in ten league matches at the start of the season and looked certainties for relegation. Saturday’s win at home to Southampton got them out of the bottom three for the first time this season. They are still in danger and require some buys in the January transfer window, especially in forward positions. If they can stay in the hunt over the holiday period they can escape thanks to desire and motivation, qualities that Chelsea are showing in abundance.
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