Confirming the credentials
It was billed in some quarters as the biggest game of the English Premier League season that far as table toppers Arsenal visited the pundits’ favourites Manchester City at the slaughter house that is Etihad Stadium in last weekend’s opening fixture. It was going to be the ultimate litmus test of the Gunners’ title credentials having spent most of the first round at or around the summit of the log table.
In terms of action and drama, the match did not disappoint and a haul of nine goals tells the story of an all-action game that must have excited many neutrals. Beyond that, it confirmed the Citizens’ invincibility at home where they have recorded a phenomenal 38 goals while exposing the leaders’ weaknesses. The caveat to that, though, is that Manuel Pellegrini’s men are not exactly impenetrable having conceded three goals.
That result propelled City into the top four and the Arsenal’s lead at the top, which stood at a comfortable seven points only a fortnight ago, is now reduced to two which means that they would have lost top spot by the time they host Chelsea on Monday night if my Liverpool and/or City collect full points in their respective fixtures later this afternoon. It is important for Arsene Wenger’s men to win at the Emirates because they could find themselves down to fourth.
From the Gunners’ perspective, one could be cursing the fixtures because they have had three tough fixtures in a row if you bring in the Uefa Champions League tie away to Italian side Napoli. On the other hand, the fact that they have failed to win in all of them should be sobering for a side that looked like flying on its way to the much-craved glory. If they come unstuck again on Monday, there should be an inevitable sense of déjà vu in North London.
The other talking point from last weekend’s action was Liverpool’s comfortable win away to Tottenham Hotspur, the Mighty Reds’ biggest at the White Hart Lane, which led to the firing of manager Andre Villas-Boas. The significance of the win lay not only in the fact that it was the signature victory that Liverpool needed for their resurgence to be taken seriously but also because it was their most complete team performance in a long time.
Stand-in captain Luis Suarez obviously grabbed the headlines for his brace that took his tally to 17 from 11 league games but several other players put in their best personal performances in a red shirt on Sunday evening to such an extent that even such a comprehensive 5-0 rout flattered the hosts. The dominance of Brendan Rodgers’ charges was confirmed by the fact that Spurs failed to have any attempt on target the whole match.
Given the tough away fixtures against City and Chelsea on Boxing Day and December 29, respectively, it was important for the Reds to consolidate their position within the top-four slots so that they are still part of the conversations by the turn of the year. Of course, before that they need to deal with a potentially tricky fixture at home to newly promoted Cardiff City in the opening fixture of this weekend where a win will take them top.
Attention in midweek shifted to the Capital One Cup quarterfinals where West Ham United piled more misery on Spurs while Sunderland shocked favourites Chelsea at the Stadium of Light. The reward for the Black Cats is a two-legged tie with Manchester United while the Hammers will face City. An all-Manchester final? We shall see.
