In spite of the current supremacy enjoyed by Manchester United, maybe reinforced by their comprehensive victory over reinvigorated local rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley, this season’s English Premier League campaign promises to be one of the most fiercely contested for a very long time.
Recent trends have it that a Big Four tends to pull away from the pack after maybe two or three months, once the obligatory surprise package from last year’s Championship has got over the shock of punching above its weight during the first few games and has begun its inexorable slide towards inevitable relegation ufabet.
Before last season the Big Four were identifiable as Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Last season of course things were a bit different, with rich kids Manchester City entering the fray alongside a reborn Tottenham Hotspur basking in the glory of Harry Redknapp and his management skills.
In the meantime a once unassailable Liverpool side at first fell so far short of expectations that the word “relegation” began reverberate around the Mersey. Then, when all seemed lost, King Kenny answered the SOS and the side finished the season reasonably well placed by comparison, and playing some good football.
So here in 2011/12 are we talking about a Big Four, a Big Five or a Big Six? Or is there another team lurking around from without the ranks of this exclusive club that is getting ready to surprise us? After all, as I write Bolton Wanderers are top of the Premier League, albeit on alphabetical order, with just 37 games left to play.
My son won’t find it easy to forgive me these words, but I cannot see Arsenal holding the line with the other big boys this season. The loss of Cesc Fabregas, along with the imminent departure of Samir Nasri, will be far too much of a blow unless the club is prepared to alter its thinking in the transfer market and bring in someone significant to make up the deficit. The excitable new Brazilian did not impress me in his doomed league debut against Newcastle and the club is in serious danger of being left behind. Sixth place, behind Tottenham Hotspur, is my prediction for this campaign.