Premier League season reaching the business end

Photograph from Flickr

As the calendar flicks over towards March, everyone involved in football starts to get that tingling feeling as the Premier League season starts to unfold. As managers start to feel the pressure, every game starts to take on greater significance.

Over the last twenty years the Premier League has seen many thrilling finishes, from West Brom's great escape when the last day saw four teams fight it out for one survival spot, to last year's stunning title victory for Manchester City over city rivals United on goal difference.

Why Chelsea should not have sacked Di Matteo

The sacking of Roberto Di Matteo was one of the most shocking football dismissals of recent memory. A Chelsea legend, twice FA Cup winner as a player, won the club's first Champions League trophy against all the odds, just months after being appointed manager. 

To the amazement of many his reign has been terminated just six months after he was given the prestigious job on a permanent basis. Many Chelsea fans will be dismayed by the lack of faith shown in him by owner Roman Abramovich and the club's board, although this is nothing new to them as he was their eighth boss since the Russian billionaire took over in 2003. 

What is most surprising is that Abramovich has always fired previous managers on the basis that they did not do well enough in the Champions League, although Di Matteo delivered the trophy at the first time of asking. He also managed this impressive feat with a squad out of form and struggling in the Premier League, as well as facing a 3-1 deficit in the last 16 of Europe's elite competition against Napoli. 

Not only did they win the second leg against Napoli 4-1 after extra-time to go through, but he did oversee an up-turn in their league form and took them to Wembley, and ultimately, FA Cup victory.

It is the Champions League final in Munich that he will be most remembered for as the Blues overcame the home side on penalties thanks to a late Didier Drogba header and a Petr Cech penalty save in extra-time. 

Their road to Munich was not a cruise by any stretch of the imagination; beating Benfica before memorably seeing off Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate. 

Despite finishing sixth in the league last season, their league form did marginally improve as they had suffered a horrific start under former boss Andre Villas-Boas. 

Chelsea managers under Roman Abramovich

Year	Manager	Matches	Winning %
2000-2004	Claudio Ranieri	199	53.76
2004-2007	Jose Mourinho	131	70.81
2007-2008	Avram Grant	54	66.67
2008-2009	Luiz Felipe Scolari	36	55.56
2009	Guus Hiddink	21	71.43
2009-2011	Carlo Ancelotti	109	61.47
2011-2012	Andre Villas-Boas	40	47.50
2012	Roberto Di Matteo	42	57.14

While the table above shows that the Italian only had a better record than three of his predecessors, he took over in totally different circumstances than any of the others. Chelsea were at their lowest point since Abramovich pumped his money into the club when Di Matteo took over, and from that he produced their all-time high.

Abramovich should not take all the blame for these sackings. After all, without his money the West Londoners would still be delighted with a top five finish each season instead of sacking managers for not cruising to league titles.

The Chelsea board have a big impact on the decisions that the Russian owner makes and without their advice, he would probably not have got through so many managers in the last eight years. There are so many supporters at the club that are crying out for the stability that has brought success to the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, and more recently, Manchester City. 

Having said that, all football fans are fickle and athe majority of Chelsea supporters would welcome Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho with open arms. However the job, at least on a short-term basis, looks destined to go to Rafael Bentitez, a man who did anything but endear himself to Chelsea supporters during his time at Liverpool.

His record has been good at every club he has managed, although he has been out of a job for over two years now and replacing Di Matteo with Benitez is not a very forward-thinking decision. It is anything but promoting stability, especially considering the age of the two men (Di Matteo 42, Benitez 52).

While Guardiola did excellently at Barcelona, he has never been at a club like Chelsea before and the players may not take to his style of play. Mourinho would clearly be a great fit but that is more Chelsea fans dreaming than an actual possibility, for now at least. 

Roman Abramovich will be sitting in his pent-house suite right now feeling good about himself and expecting an immediate climb to the summit of the Premier League, but he might find that not forthcoming. 

Chelsea have looked good this season and could still qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League. They have a massive game on Sunday at home to Manchester City and they would have had a much better chance of inflicting the champions' first defeat of the campaign if they had not made such drastic changes.

United's spirit shows no sign of wavering

Manchester United fought back from two goals down at Villa Park to stun Paul Lambert's men thanks to two goals from substitute Javier Hernandez. 

In the week that marks his 26th year in charge at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson made a typically spot-on decision when he sent on the young Mexican at half-time. Chicharito was heavily involved with all three goals; scoring the first, hitting a shot that was deflected in by Ron Vlaar for the equaliser, before heading in the winner three minutes from time.  

After being pipped by city rivals Manchester City to the title on goal difference last season Ferguson would have made it clear that nothing but a league triumph will do this time round. He sent out a massive signal of intent when he signed Robin van Persie from Arsenal for £24 million in the summer and the Dutchman has rewarded him with 11 goals so far this year, as well as assisting the winner at Villa Park. 

Today was the eighth time that the Red Devils have come from behind to win this season and they started sluggishly today. Despite having plenty of possession they failed to create anything of note in the first half and Villa caught them out on the stroke of half-time with a beautifully worked opening goal. Andreas Weimann weighted his path down the line to perfection to Christian Benteke who cut the ball back for his strike-partner to fire high past David de Gea. 

The home side were at it again early in the second half when Stephen Ireland did well to find winger Gabriel Agbonlahor whose low cross was tapped in by Weimann.

Ferguson will be worried by the manner in which his defence was cut open for both goals as the speed of Villa's front three proved too much for Ferdinand and Smalling at the back. De Gea did not have much to do over the 90 minutes, but should have done better with Weimann's opening goal. 

It was old-timer Paul Scholes, recalled to the starting line-up after a five-game absence, who provided the spark that got United back into the match. His excellent long pass over the top to Hernandez was a reminder of the quality that he has always possessed, while the striker's finish showed that he has a great future.

After that the equaliser was coming and it came from a deep cross by Antonio Valencia that found Hernandez, whose volley was deflected into his own net by Vlaar. 

After Weimann had almost completed a hat-trick with a header, it was Chicharito who had the last laugh when he headed past Brad Guzan from Van Persie's free-kick to give United the points. 

Despite a great win, the red half of Manchester will not be overly pleased with the way their side played. The back line looked vulnerable through-out, while Wayne Rooney struggled to make an impact before being substituted. 

But there is a reason why United are one of the favourites to win the title this season, and they showed that today with a come-back from virtually nothing. It was the seventh time that they have come back from two or more goals to win since the inception of the Premier league in 1992/93, more than any other team.

However, United have always been able to get themselves out of trouble, and although they have weaknesses, their ability to shrug them off and still take the three points is what sets them apart. It will take a great team to beat them to the English games' top prize this campaign. 

DZEKO DOUBLE SINKS BAGGIES

West Brom's fine early season home form was brought to an abrupt end at the hands of champions Manchester City, Edin Dzeko's double left late to break Albion hearts.

Steve Clarke recalled Marc Antoine Fortune and Graham Dorrans on the wings, replacing Peter Odemwingie and Zoltan Gera, who both dropped to the bench. Liam Ridgewell also started ahead of Goran Popov, who was also among the substitutes. Youssouf Mulumbu came through a scare on international duty to participate.

As expected, Roberto Mancini had to make do without influential David Silva, while Maicon, Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell were also absent. Gareth Barry and Micah Richards started, as did Mario Balotelli alongside Carlos Tevez in attack. 

Albion started the brighter, fluent in possession, Fortune shooting wide of the far post within the first minute, while a Dorrans free kick came to nothing. Off the ball, shifts were being put in, no City player allowed to enjoy themselves on the ball.

The first effort for the visitors came from a Nasri free kick, which deflected off the wall and narrowly wide of the post. This proved to be the beginning of a performance that most would have expected of the away side, looking threatening around the edge of the area but struggling to break down the Baggies' defence, a back four with a growing reputation.

Towards the middle of the half, things started to become a little hot headed, Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli receiving plenty of abuse from the home fans, the latter finally being cautioned for a late challenge on Claudio Yacob. Mulumbu, Yacob, Long and Tamas also managed to walk themselves into Mark Clattenburg's book before the break.

The first real talking point of the match came after Vincent Kompany was caught dallying in possession. The visiting captain had the ball swept away from him by the opportunistic James Morrison. The Scot sent Long in on goal, but James Milner upended the Irishman, referee Clattenberg judging it to be a goalscoring opportunity and Milner saw red.

The play was in the balance for the remainder of the half, Yacob shooting wide and Dorrans launching set pieces into the opposing box at every opportunity. Balotelli went on a mazy run down the other end, only to be thwarted by Foster and the Italian was denied again by an Olsson intervention.

H-T: 0-0

Within a minute of the restart Ben Foster was forced into preventing the impressive Tevez, the Argentinian with a ferocious strike from the edge of the area tipped behind. Gael Clichy found himself in a position to shoot, his right footed effort blocked by the chest of Tamas. The end-to-end beginning of the second half showed signs of excitement, both teams very much capable of scoring.

Tevez blasted over a free kick from thirty yards or more, while Richards headed over from close range following a goalmouth scramble as the result of another set piece. 

Fortune inexplicably handled the ball on the edge of the area, the free kick wasted by Yaya Toure.

Then came the substitutions that changed the game. Peter Odemwingie replaced Graham Dorrans for the Baggies, Aguero and Dzeko entering the fray at the expense of Barry and Balotelli.

The home side took the lead on 67, Odemwingie cutting in from the left and Shane Long was on hand to redirect the Nigerian's skewed shot past Hart. 

Gera came on in the place of Morrison soon after, and it was the Hungarian who conceded the debatable free kick on 80 which led to the goal. After sliding in on Tevez, the striker got up to whip a problematic ball in to the host of players, Dzeko rising above Foster to nod into an empty net. 

Substitute Lukaku, who replaced goalscorer Long, nearly restored Albion's lead when the home side broke, Odemwingie putting an inviting ball across the face of goal, but the Belgian couldn't quite make contact.

Lukaku had another chance to add his name to the score-sheet soon after, but his header from a Ridgewell cross was straight at Hart.

Into stoppage time and Hart once again showed why he is among the best goalkeepers in the world when he tipped over a stupendous overhead kick from loanee Lukaku. The resulting corner, however, turned into a deadly counter as Aguero slid the ball across to Dzeko to finish first time, giving City all the points.

F-T: 1-2

Match ratings: WBA- Foster 6, Tamas 6, McAuley 7, Olsson 7, Ridgewell 6, Yacob 7, Mulumbu 7, Morrison 6 (Gera 5), Dorrans 6 (Odemwingie 6), Fortune 6, Long 7 (Lukaku 6)

MC- Hart 7, Richards 7, Kompany 7, Lescott 8, Clichy 7, Nasri 6, Yaya 6, Milner 5, Barry 6 (Dzeko 7), Tevez 8 (Kolarov 5), Balotelli 6 (Aguero 6) 

Are City Back On Top Form?

Photograph courtesy of The Guardian

An impressive win over Sunderland in the lunch-time kick-off has quashed doubts that City are not up to the same standard that they were last season. Alexandar Kolarov was a menace down the left all game and the strike-force of Carlos Tevez and substitute Sergio Aguero always looked dangerous, meanwhile Micah Richards produced a performance reminiscent of his rampaging efforts last campaign. 

However the big difference between the City of the start of last season and the side that are playing at the moment is that they have lost the clinical edge that got them so many goals this time last year. The Sky Blues had 26 shots with 16 on target as an inspired Simon Mignolet made save after save. 

Roberto Mancini acknowledged that his side were sloppy in front of goal: "I think in the first half, we missed two or three chances like other games but we had a good performance. I think also in London against Fulham we did very well and against Stoke. Every game is difficult in this moment. I am happy because we got a clean sheet, scored three but also because of our performance."

Mancini was also understandably delighted with Kolarov after a brilliant performance playing on the left wing. The Serbian international got past Carlos Cuellar time and time again and his final ball was excellent, scoring one from a trade-mark free-kick and setting one up with a magnificent left-footed cross from which Sergio Aguero headed past Mignolet. . 

Sunderland conceded an unlucky third goal from a Milner free kick, taking a deflection off the wall and finding a home at the back of Sunderland's net. The goal was just rewards for a City side that dominated the match throughout and never looked like taking anything other than three points out of the game.

The Citizens will be very hopeful of winning a second Premier League title come May, but until today they hadn't looked like a title winning team; dropping points against Liverpool, Stoke and Arsenal. They also looked out of sorts in a lucky 2-1 win at Fulham last weekend. 

Other teams have improved their squads since last season and City are no longer out on a limb at the top of the table with city rivals United. Chelsea have splashed the cash on players such as Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar and United have brought in Shinji Kagawa and Robin Van Persie.

Mancini has only added Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia to his senior squad and players who performed well last season like Gareth Barry and Balotelli have been off form so far this season. The enigmatic Italian striker was withdrawn after 56 minutes today and Mancini said that 'he can play better'.

Despite a slowish start to the season City were on top form today and looked like a side capable of defending their Premier League title. 

Premiership Sides Get Mixed Fortunes In The Champions League Draw

The 2012/13 Champions League group stages are in place and the draw provided mixed fortunes for the English sides. Defending European champions Chelsea were given a tough assignment of Shakhtar Donetsk, Italian champions Juventus and Denmark's FC Nordsjaelland. Premier League champions Manchester City find themselves with match-ups against La Liga champions Real Madrid, Eredivisie winners Ajax and Bundesliga victors Borussia Dortmund. Three-time Champions League winners Manchester United have drawn a fairly comfortable group in the form of Braga, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj. Arsenal face Schalke, Olympiakos and French Ligue 1 winners Montpellier. 

Group E (Chelsea)

Last year's winners Chelsea only qualified for the competition as a result of their win over Bayern Munich after finishing down in sixth place in England's top flight. New manager Roberto Di Matteo's first European game was the Last 16 second leg against Napoli at Stamford Bridge, facing a 3-1 deficit. Chelsea won a dramatic game 4-1 after extra time and went on to beat Benfica, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to lift the trophy. This season they face a tough group featuring Serie A winners Juventus, who went last season's league campaign unbeaten. Those two matches will be very tough for Chelsea, although they have started the new season on excellent form, winning their first three Premiership games. They have spent heavily in the transfer window, bringing in the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, Marko Marin and Victor Moses to boost their squad. 

Juventus won their first league match of the campaign in Serie A while Chelsea also face the prospect of a tricky away tie against Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine. Danish outfit FC Nordsjaelland are an unknown quantity as this is their first Champions League group-stage appearance after winning the Superliga last year. Chelsea should not have too many problems against them, and should qualify unless they drop points against Juventus and Shakhtar. 

Prediction:

1. Chelsea

2. Juventus

3. Shakhtar Donetsk

4. FC Nordsjaelland

Group D (Manchester City)

This time last year City were given a really difficult draw in what was immediately dubbed the 'Group of Death'. They lost to both Bayern Munich and Napoli as they finished third and could only get a Europa League spot. This time around they face an even tougher task as they have been drawn against the Spanish, Dutch and German champions. Real Madrid will be the most difficult assignment, but Mancini's men will fancy their chances against last year's losing semi-finalists with the strike-force of Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and David Silva raring to get at Pepe and co. 

Ajax will also test City to their limits after performing excellently only to be narrowly beaten by the Sky Blues' city rivals United in the Europa League. City will be confident of collecting six points from the Dutch side but will struggle to do that against German champions Borussia Dortmund, who finished bottom of their group last season. City will find it tough but including their deadline day signings of Javi Garcia, Maicon, and the departure of calamitous Stefan Savic, they should be able to progress from this tough group.

Prediction:

1. Real Madrid
2. Manchester City
3. Borussia Dortmund
4. Ajax

Group H (Manchester United)

Sir Alex Ferguson will be very pleased with his side's draw and will be looking forward to writing the wrongs  of last year's dismal exit, despite also being given a seemingly simple group. The Champions League journey ended with a shock 2-1 defeat in Basle and they will be hoping to ensure that there will be no such hiccup this time. Braga may prove to be United's toughest away trip but they will feel confident of getting through unbeaten and in top spot. They might even be able to rest players for the last couple of games. However, as is always the case, Europe's top competition is never a walk in the park.

Prediction:

1. Manchester United
2. Braga
3. Galatasary
4. CFR Cluj

Group B (Arsenal)

Arsenal have been nearly men for far too long now and will be desperate for a trophy after seven barren years. It is unlikely to come in the form of the Champions League, but there have been bigger shocks in the last ten years. They have a decent looking squad, although may struggle for goals without talismanic striker and former captain Robin Van Persie. Despite this they have brought in experienced German forward Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud from Montpellier; a player who scored 21 goals in a Ligue 1 winning campaign last season.

The Gunners should reach the knock-out stages without too many problems, but it is there were they could struggle. Having said that, they do have the potential to spring a few surprises and it is about time they made another meaningful run in Europe's top competition. All the teams in their group will provide attacking threat, especially at home, with Montpellier maybe dark horses to make do well in this year's tournament.

Prediction: 

1. Arsenal
2. Montpellier
3. Olympiakos
4. Schalke

Berbatov Linked With Fulham After Dembele Joins Spurs

A busy day in the  the capital city saw Mousa Dembele complete his move from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee while Theo Walcott looks set to stay at The Emirates, but will not sign a new contract. Walcott refused to sign a five-year contract at £75,000 a week and it looks as though Arsene Wenger will take the chance that he might have to let him go for free. Dembele will strengthen Spurs's midfield after an impressive two seasons with Fulham. He did not score as many goals as he would have liked, however he did create plenty of chances and is a very talented player, showed by his tally of 40 caps and five goals for Belgium.

Fulham are rumoured to be in negotiations with Manchester United over a deal to bring striker Dimitar Berbatov to Craven Cottage. This would be a great signing for Martin Jol in a move that could open the door for Clint Dempsey to join Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. Also in West London Queen's Park Rangers brought in Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar from Inter Milan in a shock move that was a real statement of intent by manager Mark Hughes. This could prove to be a great signing after Robert Green has faltered in the Rs' opening two league matches. Hughes was understandably delighted with the signing: "When you get an opportunity to possibly bring a player of Julio Cesar's quality, with his playing record and his mentality then I think you have to pursue it."

Walcott has been linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester City over the last couple of days but Wenger appears reluctant to let him go. Walcott has had a decent couple of years with 24 goals and 22 assists in 84 games in all competitions. However he has the tendency to drift in and out of games and only created one clear-cut chance every 91 minutes last year. After already losing talismanic striker Robin Van Persie and midfielder Alexandre Song, Arsenal are desperate to hold onto the winger. They do have other options on the flanks in the form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gervinho and Lukas Podolski, but Walcott's pace is important to their style of play. Manchester City are reported to still be interested but it appears unlikely that the England man will be leaving the Emirates in this transfer window.

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas will be very happy to add Dembele to his ranks at White Hart Lane after the recent £30 million departure of Luka Modric to Real Madrid. He will be looking towards the Belgian and fellow summer signing Gylfi Sigurdsson to produce the midfield magic needed to propel Tottenham into the top four. A Fulham statement said: "Following two full seasons at Craven Cottage, the club would like to thank Mousa for his contribution and wish him well throughout the rest of his career." Dembele tweeted that he was 'happy to confirm [he] signed a new contract with Tottenham FC.'

Premier League Season 2012/13: Who Will Challenge For Top Positions?

A new season is upon us. On Saturday battle will resume between some of the best teams in world football in the sport's most exciting league. There is one debate that is raging up and down the country between all football fans; who will/can win this year's title? There is a number of teams who will feel that they can make a serious impact on the top third of the table but who can realistically set their hopes on winning the Premier League or claiming a Champions League place?

Manchester City

Last season's champions Manchester City will go into Saturday's opening fixture at home to newly-promoted Southampton as slight favourites to retain their crown. Last year they took control of the title race before Christmas with a 6-1 thrashing of neighbours Manchester United but then let it slip over February and March as the Red Devils opened up an eight point gap. This led to many questions being raised about the mental state and winning ability of Mancini and his expensively assembled squad. These doubts were quashed in some style as they came roaring back to win the Premiership on goal difference with two stoppage-time goals against QPR.

The resolve and fight that the Citizens showed last year proved many of their doubters wrong and they have the organisation and fire-power to win a second successive title. However they have not made any big-name additions to their staff-list this summer with only youngster Jack Rodwell arriving from Everton for £12 million. He is likely to be a largely peripheral figure this campaign as Mancini looks to the same big players to perform again. 

This should not be a problem though as their defence looks as mean as ever with Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott all fit and ready to go. Their one weakness at the back is a lack of a top-class back-up centre-back with the ageing Kolo Toure and the much-maligned Stefan Savic the only players ready to fill in. The midfield will definitely not struggle with plenty of strength in depth and world-class talent thanks to David Silva, Yaya Toure, James Milner, Adam Johnson, Nigel de Jong, Gareth Barry and Samir Nasri amongst others. The forward line will be as deadly as ever and will be hopeful of beating last season's massive tally of 93 goals scored. The strike-force of Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli will be feared by all of their opponents.

Player To Watch: Samir Nasri

After his big money move from top-four rivals Arsenal last year Samir Nasri found himself often having to be content with a place on the bench. This time around he may find himself in the starting eleven more often, as he did towards the back end of last season, and could flourish as he did at the Emirates in 2010/11.

Prediction: Champions by 4/5 points

Manchester United

In May Manchester United came agonisingly close to crowning Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th year in charge in style. This season the Old Trafford side will be out with a vengeance to settle a score with city rivals City and prove that they are England's number one club. Ferguson has not been overly busy in the transfer window but did seal the crucial £24 million signature of Dutch star striker Robin van Persie from Arsenal. After netting an impressive 89 goals last term they could do even better this time around if the 2011/12 two highest scorers Van Persie and Wayne Rooney can strike up a good combination. 

The back five look solid if not spectacular but may struggle if they suffer a couple of injuries. David de Gea proved a lot of critics wrong in the second half of last season and should exceed expectations this term. Rio Ferdinand is older than he once was and has lost his pace but retains good positional play and reading of the game. Nemanja Vidic is crucial for United as last year he was injury-prone and struggled to get enough game time. If Sir Alex can keep him fit and on form then the Red Devils will have a much better chance of regaining the Premiership trophy. Evra is not the player he once was but remains an excellent left-back while Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans could do well if given enough game time. 

The midfield is their weak point. Scholes and Giggs are still both class footballers but are not what they were ten years ago. Anderson has failed to impress consistently while Tom Cleverley was out injured for much of last season but could do well. On the wings Ashley Young is always a threat, as is nani, but he is often guilty of drifting in and out of matches. Darren Fletcher played in a recent pre-season friendly with Aberdeen and will be a vital cog in the centre if he can keep fit. 

Player To Watch: Michael Carrick

Unheralded centre midfielder Carrick will have a massive role to play in the oncoming campaign and his performances will have an impact on where United finish in the table. He played very well last season, especially in the first half when he had little support as Paul Scholes was retired. He looked good on his England return against Italy and should do excellently, maybe even grabbing a couple more goals than usual.

Prediction: Second

Arsenal

Wenger's men did well last season to come back from a dodgy start to take third place and with it the final Champions League spot from local rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The loss of top scorer Robin Van Persie will be felt around The Emirates but they have already brought in top quality replacements in Santi Carzola, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. They may take time to get used to the pace and ferocity of English football but all have good track records and can all score goals. 

The midfield is decent but it would be a big blow if they were to lose Alexandre Song to Barcelona. Diaby is OK but nothing special, but Jack Wilshere's return is imminent and it will be interesting to see how he fares after more than a year out. Theo Walcott looked good in patches last year on the right wing and should be able to build on that in the coming months. Youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a great prospect and coupled with Walcott on the other side, Arsenal may score quite a few goals from crosses this year. 

The defence is their weakness as always, in particular from set-pieces. Goalkeeper Wojech Szczesny has matured into a top-class goalkeeper and Thomas Vermaelen is an excellent centre-back who has the added ability of scoring goals. Laurent Koscielny improved last season but isn't world class while Per Mertesacker has a severe lack of pace. The full-backs often look weak and although Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna are useful, they are equally not great. 

Player To Watch: Aaron Ramsey

Wales captain Ramsey played well sporadically last campaign but could do brilliantly this year, especially if Song is sold. That would give him plenty of first-team opportunities and he played well for Team GB in the centre of the park in the Olympics. 

Prediction: Fourth/Fifth

Chelsea

After a very poor start under Portuguese boss Andre Villas-Boas the Blues picked themselves up under interim coach and former player Roberto di Matteo. It was not enough to finish in the top four but they did win a magnificent FA Cup and Champions League double. They have lost ageing, but talismanic striker Didier Drogba to Shanghai Shenhua after eight years of service but that may just work for the better as January 2010 £50 million signing Fernando Torres will finally have the centre stage. 

Chelsea have the squad to push for the title but may come undone when push comes to shove as the majority of their players with plenty of Premier League experience are in the twilight of their careers. The likes of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech still have a lot to give but there is excitement surrounding Stamford Bridge thanks to a host of fresh faces that were added this summer. Marko Marin, Oscar and Eden Hazard were all big money acquisitions and will add strength to a Chelsea strike-force that struggled last year.

The midfield and defence look as solid as ever with the likes of Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, Juan Mata, Terry, Cole and Cech ready and raring to go. Their are still doubts hovering over the head of defender David Luiz as his inept knack of conceding stupid fouls and penalties often get him and his side into trouble. Despite this he could find himself in centre defensive midfield; a position where he may do well.

Player To Watch: Ryan Bertrand

23-year-old Bertrand has been touted as one for the future for a long time now but now his time has come to break into the first team. He played well for Team GB and has also collected his first England cap. Can play in defence and midfield and with a good left foot could provide good balance for the team. 

Prediction: Third

Liverpool

The Reds have been a 'side in transition' for way too long now and they must step up over the next two seasons. Some sections of the Anfield faithful may feel that a title challenge is possible but that is nowhere near a realistic ambition. A top four spot would be a dream first season for Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers and they should be there or thereabouts. The summer signings of Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Oussama Assaidi could be good pieces of business as all are young and have done well in their professional careers so far. Suarez, Gerrard, Reina and Agger (if they can keep him) will be as important as ever if Liverpool are to be successful.

The defence is quite good but Reina made some uncharacteristic errors last season that he will be looking to eradicate. The midfield is decent as well and Lucas' return will be a huge boost, as will the signing of promising centre midfielder Allen. Joe Cole will hoping to prove his critics wrong as he comes back from a season-long loan at Lille but may still be off Premier League pace. Suarez is the star player but can not afford to be as wasteful in front of goal as he was last term and the same applies for the heavily criticised Andy Carroll.

Player To Watch: Raheem Sterling

17-year-old winger Raheem Sterling has been tipped by many to be a future Anfield star and he might be ready to fill this role already. He scored a great goal in the Red's last pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen and made his league debut as a substitute last season against Wigan. He also scored five goals against Southend United in an FA Youth Cup game.

Prediction: Fourth/Fifth

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs had a great start to last season's league campaign but fell away after Christmas as they finished fourth. On the face of it that was an excellent season but at one point it seemed as though third was sewn up and that the title was a real possibility. However as Chelsea won the Champions League they failed to qualify for the Champions League and Harry Redknapp lost his job as manager. Former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has since taken over as boss and brought in Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen while Luka Modric looks set to leave for £30 million to Real Madrid. 

The North London club have been very good for the last few years and will be hoping for a top-four spot for the third time in the last four seasons. There is not much goal scoring prowess however with Jermain Defoe likely to be their main striker unless they make another signing. Gareth Bale has set the Premier League on fire since he broke into the starting eleven and will be vital to his team as will Rafael van der Vaart. Their defence could be a bit shaky though after the retirement of Ledley King coupled with the injuries sustained by Michael Dawson and William Gallas. 

The midfield is strong but they may struggle from a lack of clinical finishing up front. The season holds many questions but a top four challenge should be just around the corner. 

Player To Watch: Jake Livermore

Livermore featured 38 times last season and scored once. This time the Spurs man will be hoping for more appearances and could find himself in the fore-front of Tottenham's campaign. 

Prediction: Sixth

The Community Shield Gives Little Away About Oncoming Season

In the aftermath of the Olympic Games heads turned to Birmingham where the traditional starter for the footballing season was taking place. Football fans from across the country were hoping to be given some clues and insights into what might happen over the coming months in the Premier League. There were high hopes for the new campaign after Manchester City won the title in May with a dramatic come-back against QPR in stoppage-time, finishing ahead of neighbours Manchester United on goal-difference. 

Chelsea, their opponents today, ended up well off the pace last season in sixth position. However they did have an up-turn in fortunes towards the end of the campaign as new manager Roberto Di Matteo transformed the side and led them to their first ever Champions League victory thanks to a penalty shoot-out win over Bayern Munich. The Blues also defeated Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley in the FA Cup final to complete a cup double. 

Since then both sides have made changes, especially Chelsea. The West-London outfit have seen top goalscorer over the last ten years Didier Drogba leave for China shortly after scoring in both cup finals. The mantle of main striker has finally been passed onto Spanish forward Fernando Torres; over 18 months since his British record-breaking £50 million move from Liverpool. In that time he has flattered to deceive and has scored just seven goals in 46 league games compared to the 65 in 102 that he bagged at Anfield. He found some sort of form with Spain at Euro 2012 as he scored twice against the Republic of Ireland and then netted again in the final 4-0 drubbing of Italy. 

On the back of that many have tipped him to re-discover his old form and take the Premier League by storm, assisted by new arrival Eden Hazard. Today the 28-year-old started as he means to go on with the opening goal, taken expertly with a delicate left-footed dink over City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon. El Nino looked in good form for the majority of the game as he ran the channels well. He sent out a firm message to football fans around the world that he is back and ready to be Chelsea's main man, just like he was for Liverpool. 

With the European champions seemingly in control the match was turned upside down when Branislav Ivanovic was sent off for a lunge on Aleksander Kolarov. Referee Kevin Friend lost plenty of admirers in the Chelsea camp when he produced the red card but after extensive replays it was clear why. Referees no longer tolerate studs-up tackles and the Serb's challenge was exactly that. What happened in the 30 minutes after that was predictable as the English champions took control.

Shortly after half-time Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure showed his attacking prowess with an excellent finish from the edge of the area. Goalkeeper Petr Cech will be disappointed with his efforts though as he failed to even get a touch on the ball as it flew inside his near post. It did not take long for the 11 men to take the lead for the first time and it was much-maligned striker Carlos Tevez who gave it to them. Like Torres, Tevez has been out of the Premier League picture for a while because of a row with manager Roberto Mancini. However, like his Spanish counter-part, he sent out a message today that he means business this year. 

Samir Nasri sealed the win with a cool volley as the three-time Premier League champions ran out of steam. Youngster Ryan Bertrand pulled one back late on courtesy of a Pantilimon error but Chelsea's late rally proved in vain. A good win for City will not quash doubts over their hopes of successfully defending their title as Ivanovic's dismissal played a vital part in their victory. Chelsea on the other hand showed signs of strength in the first half with good link-up play and strong team-work. Eden Hazard looked a danger going forward and with Marko Marin to come back from injury they will have plenty of fire-power with which to threaten teams. 

City have not made many significant signings although today did sign young midfielder Jack Rodwell from Everton. It is unlikely that he will make an immediate impact and it looks as though they will have a similar starting eleven to last season. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Eastlands over Liverpool centre-back Daniel Agger who would greatly strengthen their back-line, especially after a typically unconvincing display by Serb Stefan Savic.

After watching the first game of the new season it is clear that City will be the team to beat, but everyone already knew that. What is also obvious is that Chelsea will be mounting a much bigger title challenge than last time around. There are plenty of positives for both managers to take into next week-ends opening Premiership fixtures from this feisty clash at Villa Park.

Manchester City on the Brink

"As a team, I think it's going to be without doubt the most important game we've ever played in."

As said above by Pablo Zabaleta, this could be without doubt the most crucial game Manchester City have ever, and will ever, play. Their future lies on the line. Win today at home to Queens Park Rangers and the Premier League title is theirs; fail to win and Manchester United are victorious at Sunderland and it could be the most crushing result of their history. Without a title since 1968, the same year United first won The European Cup, the blue side of the city has never been so hopeful of ending the 44 years of hurt. 

Despite being underwhelming underdogs, United will be hopeful of securing a 20th league title. With so much at stake they are relying on the Blues to buckle under the pressure against relegation battling QPR today. The 'Rs' know that a point will all but confirm safety for them, while Sunderland have almost nothing to play for sitting comfortably in 11th place. 

After being eight points clear in the title race just weeks ago, the Red Devils are sure to be kicking themselves for letting that lead slip. Defeats to Wigan and City, as well as a 4-4 draw with Everton have left United wondering what might have been. The return of Carlos Tevez has been crucial to Mancini's team's return to form with four goals including a hat-trick against Norwich. Manchester City's reaction to losing their lead has been admirable but nothing but a win today will suffice. 

Another twist in the tale is the revisiting of former City boss Mark Hughes to the Etihad Stadium. After being sacked so acrimoniously by owner Sheikh Mansour he will be desperate for revenge to keep QPR up and help old team United win the league. However The Citizens will have other ideas and will be confident of sweeping the relegation candidates aside after dropping just two points at home in the league all season. Last year they ended a 35-year wait for a trophy with a 1-0 win over Stoke City in the FA Cup final and now are fingertips away from winning the biggest domestic trophy if them all. 

Considering they have won 6-1 and 1-0 against United this campaign City will feel a title victory over their old rivals is justified. Manager Roberto Mancini said: "We have played the better football, 100%, even if we don't win, we played the better football." 

Following last weeks impressive success over Champions League chasing Newcastle United people may think that City have the title in the bag. But on the other hand Manchester United have won 12 Premier Leagues under Sir Alex Ferguson and have plenty of experience in Ryan Giggs, 38 and Paul Scholes, 37. United have been there and done that; but despite this it might just be City's year.