The Title Race

With only 12 games remaining in this season’s Premier League, all the signs show it could be going down to the wire. Chelsea currently lead the chase, with the top four all in close proximity; but will we still see the Blues at the top of the table in 3 months time?

It’s at this point in the season we see the difference a larger squad can make – or squad depth for that matter. At this moment in time, it’s going to be difficult to stop Manchester City. The difference – I feel – is that power that City have up front, that we so crucially lack. The Manchester side have netted 68 goals this season, compared to our 48. I’m normally the one that argues for points over goals, but in this case the emphatic amount of goals City are scoring are winning the points in tricky games, where perhaps we lack fire power.

I look to the absence of Sergio Aguero to support my point. The Argentine has missed several games this season due to injury, but even without him City have three clinical strikers, in Dzeko, Negredo and Jovetic, all contributing their fair share of goals in City’s surge for the title. The frustrating thing for me to admit as a Chelsea fan is that, really, I would have any of those three strikers to lead our line.

So what is it that our three front men are missing? Power? Acceleration? Clinical finishing? To be truthful, it’s all of that and more. City have four excellent strikers at the peak of their careers, all with that desire to want more; to improve. I don’t like to be too critical of our forwards because they work their hardest for the team. But the unfortunate circumstance is that these – formally so clinical – strikers and now on a downward spiral. This is one of the things that irritated me the most in Lukaku loan at the beginning of the season. Of course he will make mistakes, but these mistakes are a fundamental part of a player’s development, and Lukaku is only going to get better with age (albeit perhaps at a different club, unfortunately).

Arsenal are also title contenders, and after a disappointing defeat to Bayern at the Emirates on Wednesday, it seems the Premier League will now have to be their prominent focus. Arsenal have been impressive this season, with perhaps their strongest title contention in several years. Although the injury to Aaron Ramsey – who is targeting the Chelsea game next month as his come back – has tainted their season slightly, the North London side seem more than serious challengers this year. The question is, will they fade away like the typical Arsneal we know and love? They have a much tougher run of fixtures than us, but in this season’s Premier League that seems to mean very little.

Completing the top four are Liverpool. The Merseyside club are perhaps enjoying their best season since a certain Fernando Torres was firing in goals from all angles under Benitez. Sturridge and Suarez have been in formidable form this season, and the latter’s appearance at the top of the golden boot table is pushing Liverpool onwards, as they are now only four points off the top. They also have the advantage as the only top four club that isn’t in Europe, meaning Champions League weeks will provide welcomed rest to their squad. I believe the next few games will really determine Liverpool’s ambitions for this season; if they maintain the level they are at now, then there’s every chance they can be title contenders.

What are your top four predictions come May? 

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