THE BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE: GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE

The nail-biting, edge of your seat drama now unfolding in the Barclay's English Premier League exemplifies the thrills, tension and excitement that follows all sports and soccer is no exception. Although I have my personal pick for a winner of the Barclay's trophy (Go Red Devils! Man U!, Man U!) which will remain nameless to safeguard my journalistic integrity and unbiased analysis, it is shaping up to be a three horse race with any team in with a chance for glory. With less than a handful of matches remaining to decide the winner, 9 for Manchester United and Chelsea and 8 for Arsenal, I will have to make several appointments with my family doctor to closely monitor my blood pressure and nerves!

As an avid CR 9 - Cristiano Ronaldo fan, I was admittedly pessimistic of Man U's chances of retaining their EPL title without the mercurial playmaker and lethal goal scorer. However as Sir Alex professed, no one player is irreplaceable and the Red Devils have set about to resoundingly prove that case as they again vie for poll position for the top of the table. The fall of CR 7 as a result of his sale to Real Madrid has resulted in the rise of Wayne Rooney, a very plausible contender for World Player of the year provided he can deliver more silver ware to the now overcrowding trophy case of Man U. With 9 games remaining, the current champions have perhaps the toughest matches remaining of the three contenders. This includes a game against Chelsea and although struggling, their arch rivals Liverpool can't be underestimated. Longstanding nemesis and neighbours Manchester City are also in line to test the mettle of the champs. Of their 6 defeats this season, Chelsea and Liverpool account for 2 and interestingly enough so also Fulham, their next opponents to topple to regain the lead this Sunday.

Chelsea recovered from their recent slump to over power West Ham 4 - 1 to move atop the table. Boasting a very potent offensive unit that includes Didier Drogba with 21 goals this season and the ever impressive Malouda, Lampard and Anelka. The 2005 premiership champions appear to be in fine form this season to wrestle the trophy from Man U. Since acquiring the services of the Italian tactition and technical director, Carlo Ancelotti, the traditional member of the EPL's elite top 4 clubs has been among the most impressive teams this season and after the West Ham match, he too proclaimed the fight for the title will go down to the wire. They are also in the running to be crowned European  champions however they face a stern challenge to overcome a 2-1 deficit against Serie A leaders Inter Milan as well as their former coach, Jose Mourinho, who led them to their most successful seasons.

The Gunners, Arsenal, will be gunning for the EPL crown as well and a nail biting injury time win over Hull City today has pushed the premiership's top scoring team past Man U in the standings. They have played one game more than their counterparts however and so need to maintain this form going into their remaining matches. Their strongest challenge will come from Manchester City and Tottenham in their remaining 8 games and the odds are in their favor despite Manchester City beating them 4-2 in a keenly contested match. The former 2003-4 league champions have remained among the perennial top 4 in the EPL over the years and are also currently ranked 3rd on the list of the world's richest football club with an estimated value of over $1.2 billion dollars. Although the club is comprised of a sleuth of young palyers seeking to prove themselves, they have scored the most goals so far this season in the EPL as well as in the UEFA Champions league. Their last outing in the Champions league saw them netting 5 times to beat Porto to progress to the quarter finals.

Who will have the strongest finish in this tight race? The team that is able to stay healthy would be my guess. So far this season the fortune of many teams have unfortunately been decided by having their best players topping the injury list and not in the starting line up for critical games. Case in point Liverpool and their goal scoring ace Fernando Torres who appears to be more prone to injury than a toddler learning to walk. Secondly, the ability to maintain their consistency and level of play. Far too often we have seen a team's rich bane of form turn into a nightmarish run of poor finishing and a string of losses to minnows with no logical explanation. Now is not the time for a loss of form or run of poor plays. 

I for one am looking forward for more of the best from Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, Fabregas and Nasri. Rooney has 23 goals to his credit in the EPL and 30 overall when the Carling Cup and Champions league are taken into account. Drogba vs Rooney vs Fabregas. Those are the key  match ups to look out for and it will come down to who will rise to the occasion and realise their destiny as great players. As a fan and occasional player, thats what we look forward to. Those moments of sheer genius and magic as players deliver spectacular match winning plays down to the wire. Try to stay rooted to your seats if you can. What say you?