EPL Match day 7 Review Its a little late, but as they say, better late than never. Chelsea Like I keep saying, unless there is a collapse of monumental proportions, I dont see any other team than Chelsea winning the title. The Arsenal was a true test for the Blues, but Jose Mourinho has consistently shown expertise for achieving results even whilst not playing pretty football. Sundays game was one such match and it needed a moment of brilliance from Eden Hazard to result in a penalty, which the Belgian dispatched with aplomb. Many managers would kill for the privilege of having not one, but two world class goalkeepers in their squad, but Mourinho has two of the very best in Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech. Cech replaced Courtois when the former suffered concussion and Chelsea still remained strong. Diego Costa may not contribute much in the game, but in Cesc Fabregas, he has someone who understands his game so well and the pass for the second goal was one such example. It is also a tribute to Chelseas back line, expertly marshalled by the ageless John Terry, Arsenal failed to register a single shot on target. Chelsea are title favourites in my opinion. Manchester City Villa Park is not an easy place to go, but when Sergio Aguero is on form and Yaya Toure is in the mood, Manchester City look unstoppable. Both men got the goals that won the game for them, and Manuel Pellegrini would be hoping that Aguero would remain fit, Yaya Toure would always be in the mood and David Silva would always be available to provide trickery between the lines. With Eliaquim Mangala beginning to settle in alongside Vincent Kompany, and Pellegrini using Willy Caballero to keep Joe Hart on his toes, Manchester City look to be the only threat to Chelseas chances of winning the title, which is hardly surprising, since City are defending champions. Manchester United It is true that Uniteds back line would need some time to gel, but on the evidence of the game against Everton, things are steadily improving. United did not play particularly well, but in Angel di Maria, the Red Devils have one of the EPLs best players. Radamel Falcao also showed a goal poachers instinct to divert di Marias scuffed shot home for the eventual winner. David de Gea was however the real match winner for United with three breathtaking saves towards the end as Everton piled the pressure on. The experience is also good for the likes of Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett and gradually, Marcos Rojo is assuming the role of leader at the back. Louis Van Gaal normally starts slow, but always finishes well and for me, once defensive issues are resolved, United will be real contenders for a top 3 place, never mind top four. Arsenal Sometimes I get amazed when Arsene Wenger doesnt play Mesut Oezil in his favoured position in the middle but likes playing him on the flanks. That restricts the German and robs the Gunners of an creativity. If you remember, when Oezil played in the middle against Aston Villa, he worked so well with Danny Welbeck, but against Chelsea, his effectiveness was curtailed because he was working down the flanks. For Arsenal to end the game without a single shot on target is not only indicative of wrong decisions by Wenger, but also worryingly indicative of the fact that the Frenchman may have taken Arsenal as far as he can, because failure to win such games indicate an inability to launch successful title bids. The Gunners would no doubt be challengers for a top four place. Southampton The 0-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspurs at White Hart Lane was a timely reminder to Ronald Koeman that it would not be plain sailing in the EPL. The Saints remain a good team despite the defeat and would be a match for many sides, especially at St. Marys. The fact that this is only the second defeat for the club shows that they would be a real threat and I still tip them as contenders for a top four place. Tottenham Hotspurs Mauricio Pochettino has managed to halt the slide with a 1-0 win over former club Southampton, but he has gradually introduced a few youngsters into the side as he tries to mould the team in his image. The introduction of Ryan Mason is hardening to see and clearly the likes of Nacer Chadli and Christian Eriksen are improving match after match. The Europa League campaign has also afforded the Argentinian the opportunity of studying his squad and by January, Spurs would be well and truly oiled to launch an assault on a top four place. Liverpool Just before co-hosting Sunday Night Live on GTV with my mentor and fellow Liverpool fan Karl Tufuoh, one of the guests on the programme, Kojo Addae-Mensah, who is also a Liverpool fan walked up to us and said, Our Liverpool team is getting destroyed. Typical of his blunt style, Karl retorted, The team is destroyed already!Admittedly, Liverpool is not playing as well as they did last season, but that is what comes of losing such an influential player as Luis Suarez. My own assessment is that generally, the entire team is suffering from a loss of form and thankfully, such things are temporary. This is why I would agree with Brendan Rodgers when he described the 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion as a big win. Achieving that before the break not only gives Liverpool more time to prepare, but for players like Daniel Sturridge and Joe Allen to return to the team. Adam Lallana showed why Liverpool paid so much money for him and Jordan Henderson keeps improving from match to match. Rodgers, through tactical tinkering, also discovered that the one player who can play behind Mario Balotelli to great effect is Steven Gerrard himself. That will mean more responsibility for Lucas in the coming weeks in a deeper role. It is my belief that Liverpool will eventually return to form and still contend for a top four place. So for me, Chelsea remains title favourites with Manchester City as second favourites. Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspurs in my opinion would fight for the remaining two places. #myEPLview
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 12:00:15 +0000
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