Sometimes you can’t believe how dominant the city of Manchester is in terms of football in England. Week in week out, almost all opponents of Manchester City and United are somehow waiting to succumb to the mighty football giants. Last weekend, Manchester City eased past Newcastle United with a 3-1 final score, while United beat Sunderland at home with the same score line. Both teams got early goals, making the wins look routine.
The Manchester United players celebrated a routine win
Apart from direct conflicts between the two mighty Manchester clubs, you may find the Red Devils and Blue Moon games a little boring. Alex Ferguson possesses the striking partnership of Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney, which can unlock almost any defense in England. Roberto Mancini’s City has almost unlimited attacking flair with creative players such as Sergio Agüero, David Silva and Samir Nasri. The Premier League is now more predictable than it was when the Big Four dominated.
Chelsea might be the only team that has the squad depth to break the Manchester dominance, however changing their manager doesn’t seem to have changed their luck. On the weekend, they missed out on some silverware at the final of World Club Cup. Chelsea lost 1-0 to Brazil club Corinthians, the third time this season they’ve been disappointed in a cup setting, after the other two being the Charity Shield and the Champions League. Missing a sitter made Fernando Torres the culprit, and that will again cast shadows on the striker’s confidence.
Liverpool was humiliated 1-3 at Anfield by a young Aston Villa side, and the Red’s hopes for a top-four spot were hit hard. Having only 61 percent ball possession doesn’t win games, and Liverpool’s problems with accuracy and creativity in the final third was hugely exposed. They are desperate to find a striker who can help Luis Suárez during the upcoming transfer window.
The Premier League’s busy Christmas period is upon us
Villas Boas has delivered on the top-four-spot promise he made when he took over as Spur’s manager. After beating Swansea 1-0 at home, Tottenham Hotspur is now sitting comfortably at fourth position in the league. Arsenal beat Reading 5-2 on Monday night, a win that helped them recover confidence from recent crises. The Gunners are now two points off the top four. Christmas is coming, but football fanatics will be happy to see English football is still on the menu, even more so than usual!
