Title Race Over?

            Looking again at the very top of the Premier League table, Chelsea faced Manchester United most recently, and this league really has been all about Chelsea this season. Comfortably sitting atop the entire table currently, they are 10 points ahead of the pack. Against United, they definitely looked like a team that knew how far ahead they were and how little they could really lose. For the most part, Chelsea just sat back and held off Manchester United relatively easily, not trying anything too daring. Aside from the one goal by Eden Hazard, Chelsea did not look for any great number of attacks, but rather contained United and controlled the game. They showed their qualities, capitalizing on a counter attack, and really just proved their elite status. Now, Chelsea only needs two more victories to take home the league title, and it would be hard to argue that they won’t.

            On the Manchester United side, this game marked the end of their seven game winning streak. A recent number of injuries hurt Louis Van Gaal’s  options, and rearranging of the United squad hurt their chances from the start. Herrera moved to Carrick’s (injured) position, leaving Rooney to move to the right midfield position. Rooney attempted to attack from the side, but it was not enough to compete against Chelsea, and his role as a forward was missed from United’s attack. United had a few attempts overall, but they were easily dealt with by Chelsea, and if United can’t give Chelsea a fight, than I don’t know if anyone in the league can.

            The match also seemed to serve to seal a few players positions as finished: Radamel Falcao and Didier Drogba. As Robin Van Persie stayed out for the game due to coming off of an injury, Falcao was given a chance to prove his worth. He definitely played excitedly, and the effort was there, but he failed to work with the team and be successful. It was his loss of the ball that ended up with Hazard scoring against United. Drogba, on the other hand, showed his age. His speed and attacking capabilities were obviously diminished, and one chance he had on goal was easily dealt with by defenders. This game was to be a chance to earn himself a new contract, but he hardly showed anything deserving of such a deal. Still, he was slightly more active on the field than Falcao, but neither gave anything in terms of attacking or goals.