Football Special Report: English Premier League Opening Up Once Again
At one point in the season, it seemed that English Premier League would be won by Chelsea once again. As Arsenal and Manchester United were facing problems in getting results out of easier matches, Chelsea increased their gap on the top. In the beginning,
Manchester City remained close to Chelsea, but they had a rough patch which resulted in their downfall in the league table. However, Chelsea has been dealt a major blow to their invincibility and the league is shaping up better than expected.
This weekend has been very important in making the English Premier League more interesting and an exciting battle. Before this week, Chelsea remained on top of the table with a difference of two points from the second place Arsenal. Manchester United was
in third spot, with only three points behind Chelsea. Manchester City was in fourth place with a difference of five points from the top. Three of the teams, including Tottenham Hotspurs, Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers, were level on points but separated by
goal difference.
The first match on Saturday was played between Tottenham and Arsenal. Arsenal needed a victory in the match in order to go on top of Chelsea for the time being. Tottenham, on the other hand, needed a victory in order to remain close to the top four positions.
Arsenal hosted the North London derby and had the initial control in the match. However, Tottenham staged a great comeback in the final half of the match. In the end, Tottenham won after an exciting battle and they closed the gap from the top of the table.
Arsenal, on the contrary, has failed to go on top for the first time this season, missing yet another opportunity.
Arsene Wenger would recognize the extent of the loss after the result of Chelsea’s match against Birmingham. Chelsea has shown signs of weakness because of injuries to their defenders. However, Alex delayed a surgery to his knee and made himself available
against Birmingham, at St Andrew’s. But, Chelsea’s forwards had another terrible game as they failed to find the net. One defensive lapse was enough to give Birmingham a lead, as they won the match by the difference of a single goal.
The team which took most of the advantage was Manchester United. United had an easier game, compared to Arsenal or Chelsea, as they hosted Wigan Athletic. In the end, there were no surprises and Manchester United won by 2-0. With this victory, United has
moved from a third spot to a second spot, two points ahead of Arsenal. Also, they are level on points with Chelsea, but a little behind on goal difference. Apart from this, among all the major teams of English Premier League, Manchester United is the only
one who remains unbeaten this season. United was able to convert some losses into draws, like the one against Aston Villa, which has kept them in contention for the English Premier League title.
One of the surprises of the first day of the weekend was Bolton Wanderers. Bolton hosted Newcastle United at the Reebok Stadium and emerged victorious by 5-1. With this victory, Bolton has moved ahead of Manchester City in fourth position. However, Manchester
City still has a match in hand, which will be played on Monday.
Another important match was played between Liverpool and West Ham United. Liverpool needed a victory in order to re-establish their credentials as title challengers. The Hammers, on the other hand, are struggling in the relegation zone and they need some
victories to push their way out of trouble. In the end, Liverpool won the match by 3-0 moving into the top ten of Premier League. Currently, they are only nine points behind the leaders and look good to break into the top four, which is only three points away.
West Ham remains at the bottom end of the table and feeling thick at the moment.
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