Topsy-Turvy BPL heading towards Tight Finale

Tight finish for the Premier League title race is in store as Ancelotti's Chelsea look to push Sir Alex's Manchester United right till the very end

As we head into the final four rounds in the Barclays Premier League, we can’t help but wonder and lick our lips in anticipation of a thrilling finale. We’re into the dying stages of the season and yet the league is very much alive in terms of the title race and relegation battle. Few would have thought that the BPL title race would boil down to the last 4 games. Though history has shown us instances where the title decider has gone to the wire, few would have imagined the same happening in 2010-11, given the drama we’ve seen throughout the season.

The season began with a host of 6-0 scores as Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle ripped their opponents apart to make a high-flying start. The high voltage action right at the beginning was a sign of the thrills and the chills that fans would experience as the season progressed. As the season settled, defending champions Chelsea looked comfortable table toppers as they tore teams apart in typically lethal fashion while Manchester United and Arsenal hung around waiting for the Champions to slip. Little did the Blues know that Sunderland would be kick start their slump. The Mackems, lead by spirited on-loan Manchester United man Danny Welbeck ran riot over Chelsea 3-0 at the Stamford Bridge to give a jolt to the champions who were tipped as runaway winners of the title until that point. This was the start of the topsy-turvy tale. A long run of draws and defeats followed for Chelsea as Manchester United ground out results in battling fashion to take the lead. Since then, there has been one constant in the Premier League: Manchester United as table toppers. Arsenal who moved second in the table were playing some great football, but in patches while Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur too showed that they too weren’t far behind. At one point of time Chelsea lay fifth in the table, behind Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. How about that for a change?

Sunderland were on a roll and lay sixth, in pole position for a spot in Europe. Liverpool endured relegation form as they suffered their worst season in a long time for a while. Premier League newbies Blackpool set the league on fire with eye-catching football as they constantly pushed for a spot in the top half of the table.

Come February and winds suddenly changed. Arsenal, who were the only team playing for all the 4 trophies namely the BPL, Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup, started to stutter. They lost the League Cup final to Birmingham, were taken out of Champions League by Barcelona and lost in the FA Cup quarter-final to Manchester United. Add to this a woeful run in BPL and now you have Arsenal in 3^rd spot thereby allowing a resurgent Chelsea, who have collected 22 points from 8 games, to climb 2^nd. Manchester City and Tottenham could not keep up their form to push for the title, but still round up the top 5.

As head towards title showdown, Manchester United look all set to win the title. They are a comfortable 6 points ahead of Chelsea. But with games left to play against Arsenal and Chelsea anything could happen over a span of four games. If United get beaten by both Chelsea and Arsenal, and considering Chelsea and Manchester United win their other games it could lead to a scenario where goal difference would matter. And if you look at goal difference it is +39 for United and +37 for Chelsea. So the BPL could be in for a nail biting finish, and I wouldn’t bet my money on anyone. So hang on to your seats, for we’re in for a ride!

Edited by Zico