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.

A Look at the Premier League

            Most of the time, I, and most other people, talk about what’s going on with the best teams in the world, and that’s what people care about, right? Well, these teams do have the most supporters and almost everyone knows of them, but there are so many more teams in every league that still have strong followings. Hopefully this post will give a good idea of how things are going further down in the Premier League.

            Starting near the bottom, we have Leicester City. Sitting in or near last place throughout the season, they have been looking for a comeback of sorts, or at least out of the relegation zone. Now, they have won all three of their last three games, making their way into a safer position in the table. While they are only safe by goal differential, they are looking much better now than they have all season. In their most recent game, they were able to beat Swansea City 2-0, a team much higher in the league than they are. Things are looking hopeful at least for the Foxes, and I would really like the team to continue their time in the Premier League for much longer.

            In the middle of the table, West Brom took on Crystal Palace. Recently, Crystal Palace has been doing well and is coming off of a good run. However, West Brom did not seem to care about Palace’s recent form, and they went ahead early and took control of the game. West Brom was able to keep themselves towards the middle of the table, beating Palace 2-0.

            Now, a little higher in the table, Southampton and Stoke City fought to gain position higher in the league. Southampton took the early lead, capitalizing on a corner. However, Stoke came out of halftime fighting, and brought the game to a draw just two minutes after the break. It took until the very end to find a winner, and Stoke took home the win after Charlie Adam put away a scramble in the box. While these teams may not be as talked about as teams like Manchester United or Chelsea, they are very much in the fighting for the same position. Southampton was looking to overtake Liverpool for fifth place with this game, but they remain in sixth. Stoke now sits in ninth place, which is definitely not bad for one of the most competitive leagues.                  

Real Madrid Show Form

            As most would know, today Real Madrid were coming off of a loss against Barcelona, a questionable form of Ronaldo, and an ever-slimming chance at the league title. Today against Granada, the team seemed to prove quite the opposite. A 9-1 absolute mockery of Granada should be enough to put Real back into gear, especially with 5 goals coming from Ronaldo. Coming into the game under top form and being scrutinized over, Ronaldo seemed to shake it all off and disprove any claims that he was on the downhill. There can be no doubt of his unrivaled finishing ability.

            As for Real Madrid’s updated standing, this game shouldn’t bring any false hope to fans, even though it definitely will. Real struggled to get started early in the game and weren’t really doing much to separate themselves from their opponents. Granada, on the other hand, have much more important games approaching, ones they know they have a chance at winning, and obviously came into the game not really expecting much. Fans will undoubtedly allow this to fuel their desire for a Real comeback to beat Barcelona out for the title, but it was a game that they should have easily won, and they didn’t really prove much besides that they are playing at a fair level and still have a chance. Again, this by no means gives much support for a major comeback by Real Madrid, just that they are still in it.

            Something that should be exciting for all Real Madrid fans is that Gareth Bale seems to be returning to his top level. Lacking in confidence and goal-scoring potential earlier this season, Bale seems to be getting his act together recently. He has been able to score 5 goals in his last 4 games despite struggling to score at all in just a few weeks earlier. Bale looked to be beyond any criticism that has been coming his way, taking shots when he needed to and supporting other players also at the right time. Hopefully he is able to continue this trend, as it would be helpful to Real Madrid when they need it most.

iven. Rogers stated his reasons for Sterling’s place at the club, saying that it is good playing time for him in the Premier League. Also, he felt that the team’s improvement over the season has been good, saying "This summer was very difficult. Losing Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge being injured, the integration of so many new players. It was like starting again. It was like my first six months. The reaction after losing 3-1 at Crystal Palace was positive. The reaction and commitment of the players has been first class since then." (ESPN). Providing no answers for going forward, the placement of some players (including Sterling) may be questioned soon.