Saturday Soccer Spotlight: Lucky #19

This was the weekend for Manchester United to set a record.  Needing just one point in their last 2 games, they set out to get that point today so that they can rest their first team in preparation for the Champions League Final.  When I saw the line-up I thought, "Poor Blackburn, they are going to get crushed.  This was an attacking minded line-up picked to win, not just get a point.  And Manchester was poised to take all 3 points and celebrate.  Someone forgot to tell Balckburn...

Brett Emerton of Blackburn looked to have spoiled the party in the 20th minute.  United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak (getting the start instead of 40-year-old Edwin van der Sar) was having a terrible game.  Botched clearances and miscommunications led to several nervy for United, and it culminated in Kuszczak failing to get a good hand on a chipped shot that eventually fell to a another Blackburn player who fed Emerton for a goal.  Only Arsenal manages to maintain 75% plus possession and give up a goal, and it looked like United, while they were threatening, didn't have the magic touch.

But anyone who has watched Manchester United this season knows not to panic when they get behind.  They play better from behind than any other team in the league.  That's not to say their weren't a lot of nervous faces in the Manchester section of the crowd, and more goalkeeper problems just added to the tension.  But United weren't going to be denied, and once again Javier Hernandez came up with the big play. 

Giggs slotted in a perfect pass to split the defenders just outside the 18-yard box, and despite its perfection it was a very difficult ball for the Mexican to control.  But he got the touch he needed to keep it slightly away from the goalie, and one more touch as the goalie slid in to take out his legs.  After some deliberation among the sideline judge and the referee, the penalty was given, and Rooney calmly walked to the penalty spot and hammered it home into the left corner.  And from that point on it became the most boring game I've seen in a long time.  Both teams were happy with their point as Blackburn look to have secured a spot above the relegation zone, and Manchester secured their 19th title. 

Let the parties begin!  Manchester United is once again champion of English Football.  The 4th time in the last 5 years, and the 19th overall to become the most successful team in the history of English Football.

--On a side note, I think the penalty was weak.  By the rulebook it is a penalty; however, I think way too many penalties like this are given in soccer.  Hernandez's last touch away from the goalie was going straight out of bounds, and he had no chance to get it under control and set up a goal or score himself even if the goalie hadn't hit him.  So by the rules it's a penalty because the goalie did make contact after the ball was gone, but I think that rule need to be reviewed.  Maybe an indirect kick from that spot would be better...?

Just One More Point Will Do

After today's game between Manchester United and Chelsea, you can't help but think that Sir Alex Ferguson will soon be lifting another Barclays Premier League Trophy.  As has been so often said,  Manchester United haven't had the brilliance and star power of past teams, but it looks as if the this current squad has done enough to seal a record 19th title, and they can still win the double against Barcelona on May 28th.

This game against Chelsea was perfectly poised.  Chelsea came in needing a win to overtake first place in the lead from Manchester on goal difference.  And although a tie would have been enough for Manchester to maintain their lead, you knew they weren't just going to sit back and absorb pressure on their home field.  There was huge hype, as there should have been, and plenty of talk from both sides.  This one had everything you want and was ready to be an instant classic.  And by instant, I mean 36 seconds...

No, you're eyes are not deceiving you.  Hernandez did jut score after 36 seconds.  And the game at that point was essentially over.  In a game like this, you shouldn't need time to get into the game no matter who you are.  And this is Chelsea, a highly experienced squad defending their title, and it took them a full 25 minutes to look like they were interested in the game at all.  And that was all the time that Manchester needed to put their stamp of authority on the game and seal it with a second goal.

Nemanja Vidic has scored a lot of big goals for United, and this one couldn't be bigger as it more than likely sealed a 19th title for United.  As Ryan Giggs said, mathematically they haven't yet won the title, but only needing a point from two games against bottom teams, it's nearly a sure thing.

So an instant classic for United fans, and a game to forget for Chelsea (and possibly Liverpool fans as well).  But United showed again they have what it takes to be the best in England.  Let's just wait a few more weeks to see if they have what it takes to conquer Europe for another historic Double.

Saturday Soccer Spotlight: Winner Take All

It's come down to this.  There are 3 games left in the EPL this season, and it's once again a 2 horse race between Chelsea and Manchester United.  Arsenal were in the race until their poor end of season form took them 9 points back last week (doesn't this happen to them every year?).  However, they did open up an opportunity for Chelsea by beating Manchester last week.  Here's the situation:  Manchester is in first place, 3 points ahead of Chelsea, and they are even on goal difference, and Chelsea travels to Old Trafford tomorrow with a chance to take the lead.  Here are the scenarios:

1. The first possibility is that Manchester United wins and goes 6 points clear of Chelsea and has the edge in goal difference.  This would essentially lock up the title for Manchester because they would only need a point from their remaining 2 games, which are teams at the bottom of the table.

2.  The second scenario is a draw between the two teams.  This result would still favor Manchester because they have the easier schedule to finish out the season.  Chelsea would need to win both of their last games (Newcastle and Everton), and Manchester would need to lose a game for Chelsea to win the title.  But considering the way the season has gone up until now, Chelsea would still h ave a pretty good chance.

3.  The third choice, which I really don't even want to consider as a possibility, is Chelsea beating Manchester United.  This would blow the race completely open.  The two teams would be even on points, but Chelsea would take the top position on goal difference.  At that point, I really couldn't see Chelsea dropping any points in their last two games, and Manchester's only chance would be to overcome goal difference.  And considering the teams they play (Blackburn and Blackpool), that is still a possibility.

And as much as I hate to say it, this game seems like a total toss up to me.  Manchester have an advantage being at home where they haven't lost all season.  They've won every game except one, which was a draw.  Pretty formidable.  But then again, they haven't played Chelsea yet at home (except in the Champions League).  They also have an edge because they beat Chelsea in both legs of the Champions League.

Chelsea, however, have desperation and form on their side.  Both are powerful assets.  They are on a long streak of victories in the Premier League, bringing them back to within striking distance from 15 points behind the leaders.  So they will be fully confident they can steal a win.






I'm having some major difficulty coming up with a prediction for this game.  I really don't think it will be a draw.  Chelsea will come out attacking because they need a win.  And Manchester knows that it is a dangerous game to pack it in and just play defense against a very dangerous Chelsea team.  So a draw is out of the question (although I wouldn't mind a draw at all).  I'm banking on home field being the decider for Manchester again.  Something about 70,000 fans going crazy for 90 minutes seems to play a big roll at Old Trafford.  Manchester to win 1-0.

Daily Highlight:Manchester United Makes it to the Final

I'm so glad I found this video.  Manchester United Pummeled Schalke 4-1 in the second leg of the Champions League Semifinal and will face Barcelona on May 28 in a rematch of the 2009 final.  Anderson scored 2 goals for the first time in his United Career, and the backups did the job as Sir Alex rested most of his top players in preparation for Chelsea this weekend.

By the way, does anyone get the Fox Soccer Channel so I can watch the final on Saturday May 28th?

Daily Highlight: Manchester Utd v Chelsea

So, following up on last night's post, I thought it would be good to post the highlights from the Champions League Quarterfinal game between Manchester United and Chelsea.  Manchester won with goals from Javier Hernandez and Ji Sung Park to advance 3-1 on aggregate to the semifinals.

Champions League Quarterfinals 2nd Leg

I must say that there are few things I enjoy more than watching Manchester United defeat Chelsea.  I love that despite their billionaire owner, Manchester United continues to show them that developing players is more effective than just buying the current top players.  There is more to a team than players.
Add all that to the fact that Manchester United knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League is is most likely assured of beating them in the Premier League, and it makes it all even better.

This match was poised to be a great one from the start.  Chelsea had to come out attacking because they were down a goal in the 2 game series, and they were away from home.  And Manchester is never going to sit back and strictly absorb pressure in their home stadium, the Theater of Dreams.  But I must say that the starting line-up was more of an attacking line-up than I expected.  The defense was exactly what I expected with O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, and Evra.  The midfield caught e a little by surprise with Park starting in place of Valencia.  But I really expected Rooney to be the lone striker, with Sir Alex adding an extra midfielder.  But as is usually the case, Ferguson picked the perfect line-up.  The two surprise inclusions (at least according to me) played big parts in the game.

The game began with Chelsea dominating possession and chances on goal.   For the first 10 or 15 minutes, Manchester was limited to one shot on goal from long distance, while Chelsea had several good chances.  Fortunately for Manchester several of those fell to the constantly misfiring Fernando Torres.  You'd think with the 50 million pounds he cost, and who knows how much he ears, he'd be able to buy a goal.  But that's not the case, and that's Chelsea's problem.  However, after that first period, Manchester began to regain their feet and maintain more possession.  And it looked like they went ahead midway through the half, but Hernandez was flagged for offside after Rooney sent him through on goal.

But as it turns out, Hernandez would make up for it, and get his goal right before half time.  It almost seems inevitable that the "Little Pea" (as his nickname translates) will score in any game that he plays in.  And they all seem to be important.  In the 43rd minute, Manchester won a free kick just outside the Chelsea box, and Chelsea wasn't able to get a good clearance.  The ball fell to Rooney, whose vision always amazes.  With no open lane on goal, the forward sent the ball across the field to Giggs.  O'Shea, so often overlooked when talking about important players, came up in support and received the ball from Giggs.  And as soon as Anelka overcommitted on the pass, he sent Giggs free into the box.  It was a great interchange between the two, and the pass that Giggs sent across the box was perfect.  Just out of reach of the goalie, and any defender, Hernandez snuck in at the back post and smashed it into the top of the net.  It's the type of goal that can destroy your spirits.  But Chelseas wasn't about to give up.

Shortly into the first half, Chelsea brought Drogba in for Torres.  And I still don't understand why they don't start him in games like this.  Since they signed Torres, Drogba has proven better time and again.  But even with Drogba, the game looked over when Ramirez got red carded in the 70th minute.  Not an extremely harsh tackle.  But he did come in from behind and take down Nani, and it certainly deserved a yellow card.  Too bad for him that he already had one.

But still, Drogba and Chelsea were not about to go away quietly.  Less than 10 minutes after the red card, Drogba beat an offside trap and slammed home a goal after going in on Van der Sar one on one.  The game at that point was poised for a crazy and nervy finish.  Enter Ji Sung Park.  Virtually directly from the kick off, Giggs found Park practically alone and in acres of space inside the Chelsea 18 yard box, and he cooly chested the ball down and found the side netting past Petr Cech.  Game over.

PS - Barcelona won 1-0 over Shakhtar Donetsk to advance as well.  Lionel Messi scored his 48th goal of the season, which is a new record, beating the Brazilian Ronaldo's record back in 196-97.

Saturday Soccer Spotlight: Champions League Quarterfinals Second Leg

The first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinals was full of surprises.  In a league where most teams try to feel each other out in the first game and take whatever they can get, this slate of games was full of attacking creativity, goals, and upsets.  In 3 of the 4 games there were 4 or more goals scored, and in each of those games, the winning team won by 3 or more goals.  The defending champion was beaten in it's home stadium by a resounding underdog, and a 9 year winless streak on a particular opponent's field was snapped.  Let's break down what we can expect next.

Manchester United v Chelsea

This was the only game that was not completely one-sided.  Manchester United got exactly what it wanted with an away goal, but getting a win at Stamford Bridge was quite unexpected.  It had been 9 years since they won there.  But now they head back to Old Trafford with a big time advantage.

Look for Manchester United to start it's most experienced defenders.  That will include Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, and possibly John O'shea at right back (Rafael may get the start instead).  At midfield, expect more experience.  Giggs and Carrick will definitely be in the starting line-up, and I expect Nani and Valencia to be the wide attacking threats.  And because Rooney will likely be the lone attacker, Fletcher may be added in the midfield to clog up the center of the field.

Manchester will never play a completely defensive game in it's home stadium, but that will at least be the emphasis in this game.  I predict that Chelsea will have the majority of possession, but they won't be able to make the breakthrough.  Manchester will advance from the quarterfinals.

Schalke 04 v Inter Milan

This was the big upset of the tournament.  Schalke won the first game at the San Siro in Italy 5-2.  5 away goals is unprecedented.  Especially when you consider that this Inter Milan team won the Champions League just last year, and Schalke is currently in 9th place in the German Bundesliga, a league not currently considered one of the top in Europe.

To advance to the semi-finals, Inter Milan would have to win by 3 goals just to get the tie on aggregate.  Not only that, they have to score at least 5 goals to match Schalke's output of away goals.  So, nothing less than a 5-1 win will get them through.  On any normal day Inter is the better team, but they aren't good enough to overturn that kind of deficit.  Schalke will advance.

The other two games were also completely one-sided, but that was mostly expected.  Barcelona is almost unanimously considered the best team in the world right now, so they handled Shakhtar Donetsk without any trouble.  It was another complete game and master class as everyone expects from them in every game.  The final score was 5-1, and Barcelona won't let up in the second leg.  Their goal is to scare any upcoming opponents.

Real Madrid also had a fairly easy outing against Tottenham Hotspur.  It was disappointing for the Spurs who have had such a great run up to this point in their first appearance in the Champions League.  But the run looks to be over after a 4-0 defeat to Real partially due to an early red card to Peter Crouch.  Real Madrid will dispose of Tottenham easily in the next game and set up an all Spanish semi final.  And that will be quite the affair considering the caliber of that rivalry.

So despite all of the crazy outcomes and scorelines in the first leg.  Don't expect any surprises in the second leg.  The only quarterfinal that is in any doubt is the Manchester/Chelsea matchup.  But Manchester United is way too experienced to give up a lead at home at this stage in the tournament.  Plus, anyone that has seen them play recently knows that they are finally playing at their best.

Daily Highlight: Man United v Chelsea Champions League

Ahhh, sweet revenge.  Manchester United  hadn't won at Stamford Bridge in 9 years.  And a couple of weeks ago they were denied a chance to end that streak after some questionable calls from the referee.  Not this time.  Manchester got a crucial away win at Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinal.

Manchester United Announces Summer USA Tour

Yesterday Manchester United announced their summer tour in the US this coming July.  Last year was a huge success, and Sir Alex Ferguson cited the improving MLS as the reason why it is a successful preseason trip for United.  Here's the schedule

July 13th against the New England Revolution at Gillette Field in Boston

July 20th against Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field in Seattle

July 23rd against the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field in Chicago

July 27th against the MLS All Stars at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey

July 30th against Barcelona at FedEx Field in Washington DC

I am so sad that none of these games are particularly close to where I live.  It looks like the timing is all off too.  I'm secretly hoping (well I guess not that secretly) that somehow I can get some time off work and the tickets aren't too ridiculously expensive, so I can go to Seattle and see the game against the Sounders on the 20th.  If you live close, you should make a point of going, even if you're not a soccer fan.  You'll see a heck of a display.

Big Blow for US Soccer

This past weekend the US Soccer Team suffered a major blow this past weekend.  In the Manchester United v Bolton game, one of the USA's budding stars was featuring in the EPL again.  Stuart Holden has had a great season at Bolton.  Bolton is usually stuck at the bottom of the Premier League table, but this season they sit in 7th place, thanks in large part to the strong play of Holden.

Holden has played in all 30 games for Bolton, and has started 26 of those.  He's been a staple in the midfield puling the strings for the offense and creating problems for opposing defenses himself.  As a young player, he is a big key for the future of US Soccer. 

But up against the Premier League leaders, Manchester United, Holden came out second best in a hard tackle from Jonny Evans.  (And let me just say, as a big time Manchester United fan, Jonny Evans has been the worst defensive replacement I've ever seen.  He's caused way more problems than he's worth.)  Evans got red carded and suspended for 3 games for the tackle.  At first it only looked like a cut on the knee for Holden.  But it turns out that he's going to be out for about 6 months, which also means he's going to miss the majority, if not all of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the largest tournament for the US Soccer Team outside of the World Cup.

Here's hoping that Holden recovers quickly.  The US Soccer Teams needs him.  It would be especially nice since Charlie Davies is back healthy.

Saturday Soccer Spotlight: Manchester Opens Up a Lead

It was another big day in the Premier League.  Teams were looking to make a push for positions as the season winds down.  Obviously the biggest race is the race for 1st, but the race for 4th is extremely important as well.  If a team makes the top 4, that means a berth in the Champions League, and that means notoriety, a chance for players to shine, but perhaps most importantly for the team, additional revenue to continue to grow in the future.

Race for 1st

It was a goal of maintaining the status quo for the top 2 teams in the Premier League.  Manchester United were at home to Bolton where they are unbeaten.  And Arsenal was away at relegation threatened West Brom.  Should be easy wins for both teams right?  Think again.  Manchester created trouble for themselves when Johnny Evans (who has been a terrible defensive replacement all year) got a straight red card for a tackle on American Stuart Holden late in a game in which Bolton had threatened plenty of times.  Fortunately for them, Berbatov came to the rescue extremely late in the game to seal the win.  No one can knock him for not scoring important goals anymore.

Arsenal's defense has been unkindly labeled as the gift that keeps on giving.  It is often the  mark of extremely offensively talented teams that the defensive is vulnerable.  In this case, Arsenal gave up a goal in the first 5 minutes to dig themselves a hole.  West Brom made that hole even deeper early in the 2nd half.  Arsenal did show fight to battle back and tie the game, but it's getting a little late in the season to be giving away points teams at the bottom of the table

Race for 4th

In this particular race, Tottenham is fighting to keep themselves in the Champions League.  This season they are making a great showing in the Champions League, but they may not make it back because they didn't do themselves any favors today.  They were at home against another team that is fighting the relegation battle: West Ham.  I got up early to watch some of this game.  And I must say I didn't see much sense of urgency from Spurs.  In the last 20 minutes or so that I saw, they didn't show much attacking spirit.  But then again, maybe West Ham's desire to avoid relegation trumped the SPurs desire to make it into the Champions League.  That seems strange to me, but who knows...?

Champions League Quarter Final Draw

The draw has been made for the Champions League Quarter Finals.  We're down to the top 8 teams in Europe, so every matchup is going to be challenging, but as always, some teams receive more favorable draws than others.  These are the matchups:

Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur

Chelsea v Manchester United

Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk

Inter Milan v Schalke 04

My first impressions are that Inter Milan and Barcelona got the favorable draws this time around, but as the cliche says, you're going to have to beat the best eventually, so even if you get a favorable draw now, it's not going to stay easy.

The Manchester United v Chelsea games are definitely going to be interesting.  They have developed quite the rivalry over the last several years.  And after the game a few weeks ago when Chelsea won so controversially, Manchester will be itching to avenge that loss.  But Chelsea will have revenge on their minds as well after losing in a shootout in the Champions league final 3 years ago.

I'm also really looking forward to Tottenham v Real Madrid.  Tottenham is in the Champions League for the first time and they're having a great run.  They also have a former Real Madrid player Rafael Van der Vaart.  It's also always fun to watch Ronaldo play.  Whether you're a fan or not.

Daily Highlight: Champions League Round of 16

THe Chamions League is moving on to the Quarter Finals.  And 2 of the usual suspects will be there.  REal Madrid and Manchester United won their respective games to move on.

Manchester Knocks Arsenal out of another Tournament

So...after hoping for 4 trophies this season, Arsenal only have a chance at 1: the Premiership.  After losing to Manchester in the FA Cup Quarterfinals today, they'll have to go through Manchester again to take the Premier League and prevent another trophyless season.  Here are my thoughts on the game.

Most Inluential People

This was another masterclass job by Sir Alex Ferguson.  He was without his top 3 wingers: Nani, Valencia, and Park.  To make up for that, he fielded 2 forwards, 1 midfielder, and 7 defenders.  That means at the very least 3 people were playing out of position, but in fact, 7 players were in positions they are not accustomed too.  What coach would even think of that?  2 of those players were the Da Silva twins (Fabio in the middle and Rafael on the right.  Not that it matters).  Both normally play defense, but in this game they were asked to play as the wingers.  It's always interesting to see brothers play together, their is a kind of mind meld and understanding that doesn't exist in other team mates.  The twins showed this throughout the game as Fabio and Rafael were influential in creating and scoring the first goal, and Fabio played a hand in the second goal as well.

Two other players that played a huge role were Rooney and Hernandez.  With Arsenal dominating possession, the forwards for United were never going to get many opportunities.  Fortunately they don't need many.  Hernandez was important in both goals simply by getting in the box and causing problems for the goalie and defenders.  His powerful header was only deflected by the Arsenal goalie, and Fabio got on the end of the deflection to put it in the top of the net.  For the second goal, he created a mess in front of the goalie, which resulted in the ball popping up for Rooney to head home.

Aside from scoring the second goal to lock up the game, Rooney continued to play the role of playmaker and creator.  He spread the ball around connecting with the wingers on both goals.  He's back among the goals, which is a great sign for the future, but his tireless effort to get to the ball and create for his teammates is what makes him so crucial to this team.

This was a fantastic win for Manchester.  Coming off of back to back defeats, they beat their primary rivals this season, which should catapult them to a double: FA Cup and Premier League Champions!

Saturday Soccer Spotlight: FA Cup Semifinals

Today marks the first matchup between Arsenal and Manchester United in the quest for 2 separate titles: the FA cup and the EPL title.  These teams will have to play each other in both of these competitions before the end.

Key players:

Without Cesc Fabregas, I believe that Robin van Persie becomes the key for Arsenal.  Manchster United is one team that they haven't been able to score against at will.  And I think that is partially to Manchester's style of play this season.  But Arsenal is going to need to break that streak if they are to advance to the final of the FA Cup and keep their hopes alive for 2 trophies.  van Persie is a fantastic striker, and he's been having a great season.  He's going to need to put injuries and fitness behind him and have a big game.

Vidic was missing from the game against Liverpool, and Manchester showed how much they need him to solidify the center of the defense.  They were in shambles most of the game, and Liverpool made them pay.  Vidic is a force to be reckoned with.  If he can shut down van Persie, then Manchester will be on their way to shutting down that free flowing offense again.  He's done it before, and I expect no less this time.

Key Injuries

It's going to hurt Arsenal a lot since Fabregas isn't their.  He's the undisputed leader of the team, and he's the fulcrum of the pass-you-to-death style of play.  Without him, Arsenal aren't nearly as free-flowing, and they lack the leadership to keep them together.  Against a quality team like Manchester, this could prove vital.

Manchester United is absolutely devastated in the winger position.  They've been without Antonio Valencia for the majority of the season after a ferocious tackle broke his ankle, and Ji Sung Park has been gone for several weeks as well.  Nani has been having a great season, but after a vicious (I wouldn't classify it any other way.  It was Jamie Carragher from Liverpool for crying out loud.  And don't give me any crap about diving.  Did you see that gash?) tackle in the Liverpool game, he will be out for up to a month.  So Manchester is severely lacking in the wide areas of the field.

Prediction:

I was very surprised to see that the betting odds were so highly in favor of Manchester.  Especially after the recent results.  I predict that Manchester will make this game very compact without their wingers, and focus on shutting down the passing game of Gunners.  Vidic will be out to prove a point, and Manchester will pitch a shutout.  The question becomes, "can they score themselves and prevent a replay away from home?"  I think Chicharito Hernandez will be the difference in that category. Whether he starts or comes in off the bench, the boy always manages to make an impact.

Manchester 1-0 Arsenal

Daily Highlight: Manchester United 4-0 Wigan Athletic

Javier Hernandez (Chicharito) continues to make a big impact at Manchester United in his first season.  I don't think we've had a striker with a first season this good in years.  Hopefully it leads to a title.

I'm pretty excited to be able to put up a soccer video.  Youtube usually blocks them.

Saturday Soccer Spotlight: EPL Title Race

The EPL season is 27 games in out of 38, and most would admit that it is a 2 team race for the title.  Currently Manchester United is in first and Arsenal 4 points behind in second.  As a Manchester United fan, I would generally be very comfortable at this point in the season with that kind of a lead, but this has been quite a strange season.  Let's take a look at both teams' chances.

Record: 17-9-1

Goal Difference: +36

The biggest thing that worries me about United is their inability to finish teams off.  They have a disturbing habit of winning small (except for the occasional 5-0 thrashing that skews the stats a bit).  They are particularly prone to giving up cheap goals, and away from home they don't play well at all; reverting to a defensive strategy that is more likely to earn a draw.  And that has never been a characteristic of United.  They always go out to win, and this acceptance of away draws bothers me.

However, they are in first place.  And at this point in the season, that is no laughing matter.  And they still have highly experienced and talented players.  Vidic has been a great captain, Nani has been superb all year, the strikers are getting better (Berbatov, Rooney, and Hernandez), and Smalling has proven capable in place of Ferdinand.  What worries me is the midfield.  There is no dynamic quality other than Nani, and he plays more of a strikers' role these days.  United desperately needs Valencia and Park back so other players like Carrick and Fletcher can go back to there normal roles.  All of this is crucial as they head into a brutal ending schedule: going to Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal, as well as playing host to Chelsea all in the final 11 games.

 

Record: 17-5-5

Goal Difference: +30

The biggest thing for Arsenal is consistency.  For almost as long as I've been following the EPL (except for the "Invicibles" season) Arsenal has had major problems with consistency.  They can obviously play with, and beat, the best teams, passing them to death with "total football."  But when they lose to teams like West Bromwich and Newcastle you have to wonder.  And then they also gave up the biggest comeback ever in the EPL.  Up 4-0 in the second half to Newcastle, they allowed 4 goals and ended up drawing the game.  This has to be partially blamed on Wenger for his trust in such young players.

Injuries have also played a part in Arsenal's season.  But that happens with every team, so it's hardly an excuse.  However, the Captain, Fabregas, could be out for a few games, which could affect them.  But in the EPL he will probably only miss the Sunderland game.  And Nasri and van Persie have been doing more than enough to get Arsenal past them.

The biggest positive that Arsenal has over Manchester United is their schedule.  They only really have 2 big games left, and both are at home: against Manchester United (a possible title decider) and Liverpool.   Away to Tottenham could also be a big one, and Fulham is always tricky at Craven Cottage.  But these are all games that Arsenal should be able to win.

So I think the pressure is on United, with so many big games left, to go out and play attacking, risky football.  They can't really afford to continue drawing all of their away games.  But as a Manchester fan, I certainly will pick them to bring home a record 19th title.  Who's your title pick?