Why You Can't Predict the English Premier League

"Expensive suits, studio lights and the BIG talk" is possibly the best way to describe punditry in the modern football world.

From Sky to Fox to ART to ESPN in Asia, they are all there with, "Well, I'm thinking Arsenal are confident going into this game and they just beat Manchester United so I'll call a 4-0 for them."

Without further delay, the Final Score: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa!

If you're betting these days, try to do the opposite of what these pundits say because more often then not they are wrong!

To be fair, it's not really their fault because football in general has become so competitive.

If you look at the Premier League, clubs like Aston Villa, Hull City and Everton have found the depth to challenge the "Big Four".

Not just in the Premier League, even in the Spanish La Liga we recently saw top of the table Barcelona against bottom side Osasuna ending 3-2 in favour of the Catalans, forced to work their socks off.

How about Napoli's rise in Italy?

The trend reveals impending doom for the bigger clubs and Arsenal more than all others appears close to crumbling under pressure.

Arsenal have a largely youthful squad which is undoubtedly without depth and with injuries like the one to Cesc Fabregas the Gunners are unable to challenge for the Premier League throne.

Defeats to Hull, Stoke, Fulham and Aston Villa have taken away the significance of their victories against Manchester United and Chelsea. It is inevitable that Arsenal will battle out yet another season without silverware and there just isn't enough to blame.

Their stadium debts have certainly had an impact on their spending which has seen more departures then arrivals at the Emirates Stadium.

As we approach the end of January, Arsene Wenger is battling hard to land Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St. Petersburg but the deal itself appears to be no closer than it was a few weeks ago.

As for Chelsea, a crushing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United has summed up the mixed bag which their season has been.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad is in dire need of motivation, because at Stamford Bridge, quality is found in abundance with Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Deco, Joe Cole, and Didier Drogba, among others, all boasted in the team-sheet.

Despite dropping 14 points in the last eight games, it would foolish to rule Chelsea out of title race because "Hey, they are still in second place within touching distance of Liverpool—who themselves are dropping points here, there and everywhere!"

A 0-0 draw at Stoke wasn't the first time that Liverpool dropped points this season and it surely doesn't appear to be the last.

Manchester United are five points behind the Reds and with two games in hand—both home matches against minnows Wigan and Fulham—they could be even just a point ahead of Liverpool come the end of the season.

You just can't predict the Premier League

The return of Fernando Torres comes at a good time because even Robbie Keane has found his feet at Anfield.

The Merseyside Derby is next and the pundits alongside the bookies have called three points on the Kop but I will just wait and watch.

Hull's very own bubble might have burst, but the Tigers find themselves in eight place as the new year unfolds into the last bit of the season. Phil Brown has worked his magic, and just a few wins here and there will ensure a successful season for the Tigers, similar to Reading a few seasons ago, but the true test would be not to follow the Royals into getting relegated the next campaign.

Steve Bruce also has his own gems at the JJB Stadium like the old, battered war-horse Emile Heskey, Amr Zaki, Maynor Figueroa, Wilson Palacios, Ryan Taylor, and Luis Antonio Valencia. He needs to hold onto them if the Latics are to continue their magical run which has taken them into seventh place.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is delighted, after all he is comfortably three points ahead of Arsenal in fourth place and he's probably dreaming of Champions League football next season—but his doctor has reported that Arsene Wenger often turns his dreams into nightmares.

Well, learn your lesson—you can have a perfectly well-rounded team with Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young, James Milner, Luke Young, Martin Laursen, and Gareth Barry but you can't take the Premier League for granted because even West Brom can give you a run for your money!

Everton manager David Moyes was recently striker-less after all his front men—Yakubu, Louis Saha, James Vaughan, and Victor Anichebe—ended up in the medical ward but Superman (played by Tim Cahill) came from down under to the Toffees' rescue!

Moyes was seen choosing chits with Bill Kenwright at Goodison Park and upon further investigation, we noticed the names of Javier Saviola, Alan Smith, Lucas Podolski, and Jo written on them.

Who could've predicted Hull and Stoke to be out of relegation places after Christmas?

Well, the Tigers are comfortably out of there and Stoke only just, but last season's Championship winners West Brom are solid bottom; disappointing, Tony Mowbray?

Speaking of disappointments, none have been bigger than for both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

They are regarded as total flops at the box office, laid out in the 18th and 15th places respectively, despite a star cast which included David Bentley, Luka Modric, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and even Robinho.

The earlier director for Spurs, Juande Ramos, was sacked for non-compliance with the film's producers, and even the new director, Harry Redknapp, was understandably frustrated as his honeymoon ended early.

We told you "Money can't buy everything especially not glory - eh, Roman?"

Fulham's manager Roy Hodgson is pleased with his side's performance but displeased with the attitude of Jimmy Bullard. Here today, gone tomorrow?

West Ham and Newcastle might be budged by their financial crisis but are in the mood to end their traditional holdings of around 10th and 11th place—like every other season!

Will there ever be any relief for the long-suffering Toon Army or the undying Hammers?

What's worse, Mike Ashley isn't selling anymore or spending even!

While Middlesbrough find ways of convincing Stewart Downing to stay at the Riverside, we head over to look at Sunderland, who have recovered after Roy Keane's departure. Djbril Cisse is still recovering from his self-imposed trauma which is giving way to those ridiculous hair-cuts but the Black Cats don't mind as long as he keeps hitting the back of the net. Go Ricky Sbragia!

Portsmouth, the current FA Cup winners, have been hit hard by the departure of Harry Redknapp but probably even worse by the departures of Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe. Having said that, as any Gunner will tell you, if there's somebody who never gives up, it's Tony Adams!

West Ham may or may not hold onto Craig Bellamy but Dean Ashton is still far from achieving full fitness.

Blackburn made a gamble by appointing Paul Ince and he was sacked predictably after failing horribly, but Big Sam Allardyce looks like a good signing for Rovers. He is someone who can steer them out of their relegation place with or without Roque Santa Cruz.

12th placed Bolton can improve but they need to strengthen their squad. Gary Megson had only four substitutes when the Trotters travelled to Arsenal.

Lastly to the soap opera at Manchester United where Carlos Tevez's move away from Old Trafford is now inevitable.

Tevez was not used in United's 3-0 victory over Chelsea and he's surely not "made for the Carling Cup".  If rumors are to believed then United will wave goodbye to the Argentine who played a pivotal role in United's double winning side last season and begin to covet Lyon's Karim Benzema.

Lyon say they won't let him go but that's exactly what Spurs said with Berbatov and Sir Alex Ferguson usually has his way so I guess we will have to wait and watch.

Benzema or no Benzema, even without Tevez United will have Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Fraizer Campbell, and the emerging duo of Danny Welbeck and Manucho.

The World Champions, hit by fatigue, looked shaky in their 1-0 wins against Stoke and Boro but a comprehensive victory against Chelsea has shown the way forward.

Now to the real battles :

Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea to battle it out for the Premier League.

Arsenal, Aston Villa and Everton to battle it out for fourth place.

West Brom, Man City, Spurs, Blackburn, Boro, Pompey, Bolton, Stoke, and Sunderland are in the relegation battle.

The rest of them have nothing to look forward to except perhaps a UEFA Cup place so they will go all-out for the FA Cup.