23 games down, 15 to go – and the English Premier League looks set to deliver some major excitement this season with the title, the Champions League and Europa places, and the relegation spots all still open.
The title is a two-horse race between the Manchester giants. United and City are now locked together on top of the table on 54 points apiece, only goal difference separates them. This week City will have the chance to open a points lead again, as they host Fulham. Recent defeats at Everton and Sunderland have shown City to be weak on the road, but at home they are unstoppable with 11 wins from 11. United have a tougher task as they visit fourth placed Chelsea.
United have only won two of their last eight EPL games and United will be hoping they can continue the form that has seen them win seven of the last nine.
Should United beat Chelsea, the battle for the Champions League places will be well and truly on – with fifth place Newcastle United only three points behind the Londoners and playing at home against Aston Villa this Sunday. Newcastle continue to be the surprise package in the EPL this season, and with inconsistency rife amongst the chasing pack, it’s possible that the Magpies could yet claim a place in Europe’s biggest club competition.
Along with Chelsea, the inconsistent chasing pack includes Liverpool, who continue to draw games they really should win, and Arsenal who continue to live on the back of Robin van Persie’s goalscoring efforts. Liverpool host third placed Spurs on Monday in a game that could make or break their season. Arsenal will be hoping to kick-start their challenge with a home fixture against Blackburn Rovers. Rovers are still jammed in the drop zone in what looks set to be a real relegation dogfight, with just six points covering the bottom five clubs – big spending QPR, Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves and Wigan.