Saturday, April 24, 2010

EPL ... A Fight to The Finish Starting Tonight

Last month, The Sunday Times issue of March 21 came out with their projections of how the current EPL Title race could eventually end.
The NewPaper also had their say in the sports pages filled with views, opinions and predictions from a cross section of sports fans and soccer pundits.
Starting tonight, Sat 24 April on our Live TV coverage, you'll be able to see how the end battle story will develop further. With only just 3 games left to play, realistically only Chelsea and Manchester United will be Champions. Arsenal killed themselves off in their last game when they lost 3-2 to Wigan in one of the greatest comeback stories in years.
Tonight Man Utd will be hosting chilli hot Tottenham Hotspurs who practically murdered Chelsea in that 2-1 win last week.
Spurs are in a rich and terrific form at the moment but they have not won at Old Trafford since 1989...21 years ago.
The Red Devils, despite that lucky 1-0 win over Man City with that unbelievable Paul Schole's last final seconds header, does not look all that strong on paper. The most expensive striker Berbatov ( Cost 30 million pound ) is regarded by many as a real flop. He not only lacks confidence in his finishing but is not a 'fighter' when the team is down...unlike Rooney.
Owens is out. The others may and can contribute a goal once in a blue moon.
On the other hand Spurs have very fast, speedy and accurate strikers and wingers who produce goals for fun...Modric, Pavluchenko, Bale, Defoe, Crouch, Lennon and others.
And a goalkeeper who has grown in immense stature...Gomes!
So who will win tonight?
Man Utd cannot afford a suicidal draw or worse, a loss on home turf or any turf.
So what will the outcome be?


[ Photo credit: Mirror Sports ]

Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea's Coach, has declared that he will not be watching the game tonight.
He has told his players to go to the cinema to watch a film instead...on their own.

He said, " I'll rather watch Clash of the Titans. No,I'm not afraid but what happens to M Utd does not concern me. I'm only concerned with our 3 remaining matches."
I just wonder who he's trying to bluff.
Since the day he lost to Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan in his own backyard in the Champion's League...he has not been the same person. WHY?
Why indeed? Much earlier in the season, he openly declared that for him the Champion's League is more important than the EPL. And he has no silverware yet with Chelsea.


[ Photo credit: Mirror Sports ]


Alex Ferguson, Man U's coach will be praying all night that someone from his team will do a repeat Paul Schole's performance if there is still no score in the dying seconds.
It's hard to predict accurately the final outcome.

The ball is round and anything can happen in that eternity of 90 odd minutes.
[ Which is why football will never be replaced as the world's most most-watched sport.
Which is also why FIFA has been trying to squeeze every penny out of soccer-crazy Singaporeans for the TV rights to watch the World Cup 2010 in June/July. ]
Too many inponderables...like linesmen, the referee's idiosyncracy and the whims and actions of certain players themselves.

As Tay Yek Keat described it in his humorous 'tongue in cheek' column below,
" None of them can afford a hiccup!"
I certainly agree.
Tomorrow night, Chelsea host Stoke City in a game they are expected to win easily.
Don't be too sure...if you are betting especially if the Red Devils win tonight's game and pocket the 3 precious points.
That will put them in front at 79 points to Chelsea's 77 and cause another potential meltdown
and whether they went to the cinemas or not...make no difference to those 'pensioners' from Stamford Bridge.
So do sit back, relax and enjoy the drama as it unfolds.









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