Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea: The Final Stretch

It was too good to be true, with about 12 games to go Manchester United had built an eight point lead in the 2008/2009 English Premiership season. It was looking like a flashback to the days when Manchester United and Arsenal dominated the premiership and Manchester United would win the league with about four games to go.

The news papers and the media were all filled with how wonderful Manchester United was and then how great the team chemistry was—then Liverpool happened and everything changed. 

The story would have been over had it just ended there but then Man Utd not only lost to Fulham but lost two of its key players and now everything hangs in the balance. Now Liverpool are one point behind Manchester and Chelsea is lurking close, all this makes for one interesting end.

The three teams have their legs in at least two competitions, so a lot is up for grabs. In Europe, Manchester United has the advantage of seeing Liverpool and Chelsea draw blood in the quarterfinal and that might just work to their advantage. Manchester United is in three competitions and their opponent will be hoping to see their injuries list pile up as a result.

Manchester United still has a game in hand against Portsmouth and still has a one point lead so their fans will be feeling that they are still in control of their destiny. The fans will also remember that this was the same Portsmouth team that pulled a win at this same stage two seasons ago against Man Utd.

Liverpool on the other hand still have to visit Arsenal and that might be a tricky tie as the gunners are fighting for a place in the Champions League next season. Chelsea is three points behind but Guus Hiddink seems to have reinjected new life into the team and Didier Drogba seems to be back to his best so they can't be ruled out.

The teams are not only butting heads in the Premiership but in the Champions League and the FA cup. Chelsea and Liverpool are guaranteed to butt heads at least twice and Manchester United ,if they make it to the finals, could entertain the winner of that tie.

It's almost like taking a family feud to the European arena and you can imagine the amount of bad blood another Liverpool and Manchester United match will bring. Chelsea versus Man Utd will be a rematch of the 2008 finals if it happens and that too is guaranteed to be a clash of Gladiators in Rome.

Liverpool is out of the FA cup so they have no dog in that fight. Manchester United and Chelsea are on opposite sides of the divide in the semis and we might just see them in the final. This might be a little too forward but we could see a double final clash between Manchester United and Chelsea in Europe and at home.

From a neutral point of view it's going to be a thrilling four weeks ahead for soccer fans. As for the fans of these clubs (which is like 50 percent of soccer fans) it's going to be nail biting, so grab your seat belt and settle in for the ride.