EPL Records usher in New Year!

2012 has concluded with several records firmly engraved English Premier League (EPL) history. One team that is probably more excited than others to see the back of the last year is Queens Park Rangers (QPR). An EPL record sixteen games without recording a first win of the season, now has QPR deeply rooted at the foot of the table, a massive 8 points from safety. Unless Harry Porter can find an astonishingly historic magic touch in the next half of the season, QPR are near certainties for relegation.
 
Chelsea on the other hand probably would have liked to hold onto 2012, as against all odds they finally collected the one trophy that continued to elude them despite Abramovich’s massive investment. They unfortunately followed this up with the unpleasant record of becoming the first Champions League holder to get knocked out in the group stages. Now under the guidance of former adversary, Benitez, Chelsea particularly started to show the metal of champions in the recent game against Everton. With the addition of a January signing or two, Chelsea are the one team that could upstage the Manchester giants this season.

Many expected Chelsea’s Champions League triumph to spur their wealthy blue cousins to a more successful second Champions League campaign. Manchester City however contravened to deliver the worst points tally by an English team in the history of the Champions League. Having lost out on even last season’s consolation Europa League qualification, City fans are banking on a less congested schedule than their title rivals to help aide their title defense.

 Having lost last season’s title on goal difference, it is of little surprise that Manchester United responded by adding more fire power to their attack. Plagued by a leaky defense during the first half of the current campaign, the two aspects of Manchester United conspired to deliver the highest scoring first half in EPL history (Reading 3 versus Manchester United 4). United will hope to keep their recently returned club captain, Vidic, healthy for the rest of the season to add much needed steel to their leaky defense as they bid to ramp up their goal difference. With a solid defense to complement the club’s prolific attack, United will be well placed to win a record 20^th Premier League title.

While QPR’s Harry has been complaining about the lack of fight shown by the clubs overpaid stars, Big Sam has rallied his troops to fight to remain in the EPL with every sweat they have got. In a clear display of fight and determination, West Ham received a record 8 yellow cards during their October match against QPR.

There is no doubt that 2013 will deliver even more EPL records. Will your favorite team deliver the history you crave or the history you dread? With Arsenal, Everton and Spurs locked in a fierce battle for fourth place, the final qualification spot for Champions League football, two will have to settle for the Europa League. Rapidly improving Stoke and Liverpool are likely to be involved in the battle for the last Europa League place. The Capital One League Cup also has the potential to deliver a fascinating surprise with a Swansea triumph that would see them earn a berth in next season’s Europa League.

Enjoy a Happy and prosperous 2013!!!!

Arsenal has Traded Silver for Glass?

Arsene Wenger described Islington Council’s December 2001 approval of an ultra-modern stadium at Ashburton Grove as "the biggest decision in Arsenal's history". Decorated with 13 League titles and 10 FA Cup medals, Arsenal fans accustomed to celebrating success did not anticipate that this big decision would confine them to such a long trophy drought.

Wenger who has enjoyed unwavering Gooner trust in over fifteen year’s managing the club assured fans that after sacrificing for a couple of years, the Gunners would emerge stronger than ever. With no trophies won since the 2006 move to Emirates stadium, even loyal fans have started to question this strength. Players like Vieira, Henry, Fabregas, Adebayor, Clichy, Nasri, Van Persie and Song left at their peak. In their place the likes of Squillaci, Arshavin, Chamakh, Koscielny, Santos and Gervinho have failed to consistently light up the Emirates with Arsenal’s trademark entertaining football. They were recently so out-passed, out-thought and out-fought by Swansea at the Emirates; many Arsenal fans must have felt the last aspect of their pride had been taken away.   

As fans endure by far the highest ticket prices in the league, they can now only take solace in the luxury provided by Emirates stadium. Their once hungry for success manager now feeds them to rhetoric about how finishing in the top four is as good as a trophy for Arsenal. He gives his once attentive audience assurances that the Gunners are probably the best team in Europe under Financial Fair Play regulations. Unfortunately, with wealthy club owners now able to manipulate sponsorship packages from organizations they are affiliated with, fans know that these new regulations will realistically not make their club any stronger on the pitch.

Arsenal’s major shareholders have unquestionably been the greatest beneficiaries of "the biggest decision in Arsenal's history". For many seasons, Wenger has been their most valuable resource as he delivered modest success while yielding tremendous returns on player and ticket sales, as well as appeasing fans with promising starts to league seasons.

After seven false dawns, the voices of discontent are now starting to get louder. To his credit, Wenger has responded by signing more valuable and experienced players in the last two seasons but the club has plummeted to a very lowly mid-season eighth position. Even fielding a very strong and experienced side against second division Bradford could not help steer the club towards the Capital One League Cup that Wenger previously looked upon with such disdain.

 As disgruntled fans now ask the Arsenal board to shed some of Wenger’s control over club affairs, one can’t help but wonder what it will take to save the last harmonious English Football giant from falling into discord. It would be crazy to bet against another top-four finish, as Wenger has a knack for consistently delivering at least this at the end of each season. Wenger however has a severe bout of food poisoning to Spurs’ players in May 2006 to thank for helping him keep this record unblemished.

My prediction for this season’s top four inevitably includes the two Manchester giants. With the talent at Chelsea’s disposal and the imminent return of Terry’s leadership, they should have more than sufficient firepower to stay in the top-four. Ordinarily my bet would be on a steely Everton to close out this season’s top-four but then their very influential Fellaini chose to commit a “Zidane head-butt”. However, if the suspension for the offence is three or less games, top-four may be another trophy that Arsenal kisses goodbye this season.