By Basil Wahlang
The race for the English Premier League title is nearing its end. Viewers around the world will be enthralled with title deciders, relegation scraps, and the battles for Champions League spots.
Three teams – Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool – were considered favourites to win the trophy at the start of the season. However, with only a few weeks left before the season ends, only Manchester City and Liverpool are still in contention for gold. Currently, Manchester City sits atop the table with Liverpool close behind in second.
At the start of the year, it looked impossible for Liverpool to catch Manchester City who was leading the race by 11 points. However, when City dropped points against Crystal Palace, Southampton, and Tottenham it blew the title race wide open. Now a single point separates them with twenty-nine matches played.
As it stands, it is too close to predict who will be crowned the champions of England in May, but the title could be decided when the two sides face each other in April or when either side falls prey to an unexpected setback. Even a single loss could prove fatal for either club.
With all the amazing players on Manchester City’s books, they have been struggling to convert chances into goals. They lack a goal-scoring centre-forward this season, and without one, Pep Guardiola has resorted to playing Phil Foden in that position.
Foden, though a world-class player, is not a natural goal-scorer. He is more of a midfielder who facilitates play for the forwards.
Liverpool on the other hand can boast of better goalscorers, with Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota first and second respectively on the top scorers’ chart
With the margins so fine between them, the fact that Liverpool dominates City in the goal-scoring department could ultimately decide who will be heading home with the elusive trophy.
Chelsea at the start of the season, with their confidence brimming after having won the Champions League, is now in limbo, both on-field and off the field.
They are now languishing in third place, and with their billionaire Russian owner hit with sanctions, it means that no one at Chelsea can be certain of their future.
They are a team full of potential but are still finding their feet. And if they continue to progress under their current coach, Thomas Tuchel, they will be a serious force next season.
Although out of the Premier League race, they are still fighting to retain their Champions League title, and maybe add the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet.
Chelsea’s London rival, Arsenal, ranks fourth.
They have quietly flown under the radar and established themselves as a top-four contender again. With teams like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur struggling, it looks more than likely that Arsenal will secure the last Champions League spot.
A return to Europe’s premier club competition would be a gargantuan triumph for this young Arsenal team, especially with their terrible start to the season, losing three consecutive games.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur with their latest win against West Ham on matchday 29 climbed to fifth, above Manchester United. They can still finish in the top four, but with their patchy form lately, a top-six finish looks more probable.
Tottenham started the season well with three straight wins, including an opening day victory over Manchester City. However, after a string of defeats, they found themselves in a crisis. Their overreliance on the Kane-Son duo and a lack of world-class supporting casts around them will yet again guarantee a trophyless season for them.
Another club having a lacklustre season is Manchester United. The red half of Manchester with all the superstar signings they made last summer are still miles away from recapturing the Premier League title.
They have been erratic, unconvincing, and downright frustrating to watch. Their squad on paper is capable of competing with any club in Europe. However, the players are cogs in a machine that don’t necessarily fit with each other, and this season suggests that it is going to take more than just a few signings to catch up to the likes of Liverpool or Manchester City.