The English Premiership does a good job at sending shivers down my spine when comparing certain statistics.
On Feb. 10, 2004, Arsenal won 2-0 at home to Southampton. Thierry Henry scored his 19th goal of the season in the league.
The next day, Manchester United lost at home and Arsenal went five points clear.
On Feb. 11, 2008, Arsenal won 2-0 at home and Emmanuel Adebayor scored his 19th goal of the season in the league, the day after United had lost at home, and Arsenal went five points clear.
This is just a mere statistic and clearly does not determine who will go on to win the Premiership, but I'm pretty sure it is a statistic every Arsenal fan will love to read over and over again.
The Arsenal team have clearly survived the Post-Henry era, which critics have stated was the beginning of the end for the Arsenal Football Club. In the summer of 2007, Barcelona FC was telling Cesc Fabregas to leave Arsenal because the team was crumbling.
Presently, there are speculations that the same team is asking for Arsene Wenger's hand in marriage.
Past years have shown that the three-horse race always consisted of the same "major players" in the league. What we have all gotten used to is to bother about where those teams stand at the top of the table.
Based on my projection, the only thing that might change at the end of the season is the team that will get the fourth slot for Champions League Football next season.
Giving a logical explanation for our present position in the league right now, I would like to give honour where it's rightly due to.
Arsene Wenger, being the tactical coach he has always been, brought in Eduardo da Silva to bolster the squad and keep the fans content by giving them a "Henry Replacement." Arsene stressed that Eduardo was not coming in to fill the shoes of Theirry Henry, but that was Le Boss' little way of dealing with the personnel department of his tactical strategy.
We have seen the Arsenal team achieve three points in every game simply by playing football the Arsenal way. The ball remains on the ground except when Gael Clichy or King Kolo Toure decides to cross it in to the Big Lanky Togonator, also known as Adebayor, to bring the ball down.
The rest is left for you to decide what will happen to the defense of the opposing team.
Manchester United can clearly be referred to as an attacking team that holds their strength in their attacking wingers, one of them being a strong contender for the golden boot award at the end of the season.
They have proven to be a very strong team this season. Sir Alex Ferguson claims this squad is the strongest squad he has ever coached in his career. I think this is his strongest squad he has ever coached on paper.
Names like Edwin Van der Saar, Rio Ferdinand, Patrick Evra, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tevez , etc. will scare any team that doesn't clearly understand the dynamics of football—which is the main issue when big teams meet to play this beautiful game of soccer.
Chelsea FC is clearly suffering from the loss of Jose Mourinho, who took the team to the highest level of football, but did not tell anybody in the coaching team his secrets.
Avam Grant is obviously confused about which strategy to adapt in coaching these professionals. The players probably know he is adapting Mourinho's style but cannot completely utilize it—maybe simply because it is Mourinho's style.
The team is suffering and struggling to get their three points in every game. Chelsea FC has subconsciously gotten used to depending on key players to hold the team together. Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard, and Didier Drogba are the key players in this pack. It isn't coincidence that these players belong to different departments on the field, but one of them not being present is always a blow for the squad.
Their final position in the table will be of interest to me.
The Arsenal squad have their eyes on the prize and it reflects clearly on the field. They show determination in every touch of the ball. They are unafraid of showing hunger for the ball.
The stage is set for the Gooners to claim their prize. Failure is not an option at Ashburton Grove.
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