The EPL Title Race: Why the International Break Could Be the Turning Point

Flow. Momentum. Consistency. Determination. Luck.

These are the elements necessary for a team to win a league, and a league of the calibre of the Barclays Premier League, with some of the biggest names in the game, cannot be won overnight or even after a "good" run of victories.

The Premier League, Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A, and Germany's Bundesliga, attract a global audience of millions of footballing fanatics because they are competitive.

Competitive doesn't exactly mean Manchester United with a seven point lead at the top or Barcelona with a thirteen point lead at the helm of the La Liga, which is why "slip-ups" are always likely.

Two consecutive defeats for Manchester United, at home to Liverpool and away to Fulham, have turned the title race on its head.

United are still a point ahead of the Reds, with a game in hand, but the kind of form that Steven Gerrard's men have shown in destroying the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Aston Villa, will give Sir Alex Ferguson cause for concern.

There can be no complacency at any point, and obstacles such as injuries should not halt the momentum, otherwise teams are likely to fail in their pursuit of domestic glory, ala Arsenal.

What could possibly disrupt the flow of a team's title run-in?

Why are all club managers wary of International breaks?

Injuries? Loss of player form? Player's switching off? Loss of team momentum?

What if Steven Gerrard breaks his leg against Slovakia?

What if Wayne Rooney suffers a dislocated shoulder against the Ukraine?

What if John Terry gets critically injured in training with England?

But then again, it's not a game of "ifs" and "buts," is it?