A short review of weeks 3-29
It has been a while, hasn't it? I'm well aware that I've missed a few weeks but I'm back and here to stay. This will be a short post, just bringing you up to speed with whatever I've missed.
THE BATTLE FOR EUROPE
Manchester City: Manchester City was in a three-way title race for the longest time, but has since pulled away, going 13 points clear of both challengers. They won 11 consecutive games and built up a strong lead. Recently, they began dropping points, and now challengers Liverpool and hot on their tail just three points behind. Bernardo Silva has enjoyed a stellar season with 9 goals from midfield. Current Position-1st
Liverpool: Liverpool quickly closed the gap to leaders Manchester City and are now only 3 points behind, with a better goal difference. They overcame a difficult run of games in the new year when their best players were unavailable and now are within striking distance of just their second title in their history. The best player and arguably the best player in the world this season, Mohammad Salah stepped up when it mattered, scoring 19 goals and assisting 10. Current Position-2nd
Chelsea: After being in 1st position for the first half of the season, a disappointing performance in January saw them fall to third, 16 points off the lead, and definitively out of the title race. Most offensive players seem to be drawing blanks however Kai Havertz has stepped up to the occasion scoring in 4 consecutive games, as well as scoring the winning goal in the Club World Cup final. However, new sanctions imposed on owner Roman Abramovich could prove to be disastrous and the club could go bankrupt. Current Position-3rd
Arsenal: The Gunners quickly bounced back from their early stumble and picked up successive wins, along with an important derby win against Spurs, and are in the fight for the champions league places. However, they faltered against strong opposition, losing to Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the semi-finals after a disappointing performance against eventual winners Liverpool. Emile Smith Rowe has been the standout performer of the season so far netting 10 goals in all competitions. Current Position- 4th
Manchester United: After a disappointing start to the season manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked and his replacement was german coach Ralf Rangnick. There was great optimism surrounding this managerial change however Rangnick has not lived up to expectations and Manchester United further slipped down the table. The bigger problem is that there seems to be a rift between players which could cause problems for the future of the team. Their standout player has been goalkeeper David De Gea, who has on occasion singlehandedly saved multiple points for the team with his spectacular shot-stopping. Current Position-5th
West Ham: The London club is enjoying a dream season, with the club firmly in the race for the European places. Their star player Jarod Bowen has been playing energetically all season but has recently found a new gear and went on a 7 game scoring streak. Current Position-6th.
THE RELEGATION BATTLE
The relegation battle this year has been a close one, with 5 teams in danger. Norwich, Watford, and Burnley are currently in the bottom 3 and are poised for the drop, but Leeds and Merseyside giants Everton are dangerously close to getting relegated. All the relegation threatened clubs except Burnley changed managers mid season and the new managers have a difficult job to do to ensure survival.
Everton's bad performances were a shock and nobody expected them to be in a relegation battle so close to the end of the season. A change in manager from Rafa Benitez to Frank Lampard has not paid dividends as big changes have not occurred.
Burnley did well to recover slightly as they were dead last, and now have games in hand to try and get out of the relegation zone.
Leeds showed stark differences from their performances last season and Marcelo Bielsa was held responsible and was removed.
Norwich hired Dean Smith to try and ensure safety however they are dead last and will almost certainly be relegated.
Watford stayed true to their ways of sacking managers at the drop of a hat and sacked proven winner Claudio Ranieri after a string of bad performances. They appointed ex Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson who has done a decent job, but the London club will also most likely be relegated.
