Dec 31, 2003 01:10 AM
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(Updated Dec 31, 2003 01:10 AM)
For the last 10 years English Premier League has been dominated by mainly two clubs- Arsenal and Manchester United. These two teams shared the first and second place almost every season in the last 10 years with one or two exceptions. This season a new power has emerged in English Premier League- Chelsea and this way it has became a three-way race. The league is on the half way and yet it has become the most closely contested championship in many years because all Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are going in almost equal pace. Only 4 points separate these 3 teams and after the third place Chelsea the fourth place in the League, Charlton, is 12 points behind Chelsea. At the same time they are still in the English FA cup race. And also all these three teams have entered the second round (Knockout stage) of European Champions League.
At present Manchester United is in top of the League with 46 points from 19 matches. So far the players have performed well. Their star striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is in superb form. He has already scored 13 goals in 18 matches in the League. The loss of England Captain David Beckham still bothers the Manchester United supporters and in the absence of Beckham Manchester United has become some weak in the midfield area. Except Ruud van Nistelrooy, Diego Forlan, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs- all are getting goals more or less. IN 19 matches Manchester United has scored 38 goals. That means that on an average they have scored 2 goals in every match. They suffered only 13 goals so far. And out of 19 matches they have won 15 matches, which is highest in the League so far. However, they have suffered 3 defeats too. In European Football the transfer for the players take place twice in a year. Thus in this January the transfer of players will happen. Manchester United is looking for a good defender to replace their best defender, Rio Ferdinand who received an eight-month suspension for missing a drugs test. There is rumour that Manchester United is trying to get the Real Madrid star, Luis Figo to improve its attacking option. So far Manchester United is in the right course to keep their league Championship. They need to be careful not to lose matches.
Last year, Arsenal supporters had a lot of expectations but the team did not do well. This season Arsenal did not get any new notable player. After they finished with their long time goal keeper David Seamen at the end of last season they are yet to find a goal keeper of the highest quality. They took Lehmann from the German club Borussia Dortmund, at a fee of £1.25m but the experts do not thought that he is of the top quality that a team like Arsenal should have. But Lehmann proved the experts wrong and this season suffered only 12 goals in 19 matches so far which is the lowest. Arsenal is now in the second place (45 points from 19 matches) with just a point behind Manchester United. Their star striker Thierry Henry is in excellent form this season. He has scored 12 goals already and has assisted others in many goals. In every match he either scored goal himself or created opportunity for others to score. Aresean is the only team, which is undefeated yet in the Premier league. But they have drawn 6 games and lost valuable points.
Before the start of this season a Russsian billionaire, Roman Abramovich, became the owner of Chelsea club. He ensured the purchase of star of players like Geremi, Damien Duff, Wayne Bridge, Juan Sebastian Veron, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson and Adrian Mutu. They spent a huge amount of money for getting new players:
Adrian Mutu (Parma, £15.8m), Damien Duff (Blackburn, £17m), Juan Sebastian Veron (Man Utd, £15m), Geremi (Real Madrid, £7m), Wayne Bridge (Southampton, £7m), Joe Cole (West Ham £6.6m), Glen Johnson (West Ham, £6m). They spent the most this season for buying players. Chelasea supporters are thinking that this is their season. This investment has brough good return for Chelsea who is in 3 rd position now and has already defeated Manchester United. And in January they will get some other high class players with Roman Abramovich’s money. But the main problem for Chelsea is that these players never played together in a team and it is casuing problem for them.
The English Premier League is now in a tense condition. We will have to wait until May to see who becomes the winner.
