- Messi unstoppable -The Barcelona and Argentinian superstar broke Das Bomber's 40 year old record for goals in a calendar year. Messi finished the year with 91 goals compared to Muller's 85 in 1972. Yikes.
- Manchester City winning the EPL. The Citizens finally captured a little bit of the glory versus their cross town rivals - United. They did so in dramatic fashion during the last game of the year. The question becomes, can City continue to challenge and have they built their team for the long run? Their early crashing out of the Champions League leaves some wondering what this means long term.
- PSG being acquired by a bottomless money pit. Speaking of Manchester City, the Man City of the Seine has seen a similar level of cash made available. Leading to the signings of the likes of Ibra and Silva. PSG has even found itself in the conversation for the likes of Ronaldo. Much like City, PSG will have to see if this new strategy will pay off in the long term.
- Drogba goes out on top. Before heading off to China to join his Chelsea buddy - Anelka, Drogba found a way to put his stamp on the season by pulling Chelsea to Champions League glory. His equalizer in the dying moments of the finals and then his cool penalty kick were the final acts, but his play during the entire Champions League showed why he remains a force in football.
- Spain does the unthinkable. The only story that could be #1 for the year - La Roja winning another international title! And with such devastating effect. Spain completely took apart Italy in the finals and in doing so became the first nation to win 3 international tournaments in a row. Unbelievable.
Showing posts with label Manchester City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester City. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2012
Top 5 Moments of 2012
As we wind down 2012, here are what I see as the top 5 footballing moments of the year. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Cesc and Nasri, don't let door hit you on the....
Fans of football, Barcelona and Arsenal are all waiting for the soap opera that is Cesc to come to an end. All signs indicate that the Arsenal captain will be heading back to his former club shortly. This has been long time coming and the soap opera for the past few seasons has been a distraction and quite frankly nauseating. Add to this all the horse bleep that has come out of Barcelona and the likes of Puyol and Xavi doing their best impersonation of John Calipari on the UK recruiting trail. I said this a few years ago when there was all kinds of smoke around Titi Henry and his leaving Arsenal, at some point it is better to sell the player rather than force him to stay. That is if you have a plan in place to leverage the revenue from the sale to back fill the position...
When it comes to Cesc, I can understand the desire to head back to where his heart is. While I cannot blame him, I still feel slightly bitter towards the Spaniard. I will admit, much of this is linked to his being anointed as he replacement for Vieira, he was even given the #4 shirt! My respect for Pat is nothing new and to me the way Vieira was shown the door at Arsenal is directly linked to the arrival or Cesc. From a footballing stand point I understand what Wenger was doing and seeing Vieira's career since leaving Arsenal indicate that Wenger was slightly vindicated. Or would Vieira's steel resolve been valuable the past few seasons? Cesc doesn't want to be here anymore, let him go, thanks for your time here, too bad you couldn't lead us to any silverware.
As for Nasri, his reputation as the "Petit Prince" has not been diminished in his demands for more money and subsequently forcing his sale, most likely to Manchester City. One characteristic that should never be criticized (not because it isn't criticize-able but just because it is a simple reality) is the desire of an professional footballer to seek more money. I do not discount the frustration that must be felt by the likes of Nasri at a legitimate inability to challenge for silverware by Arsenal. But I am sure that if Arsenal met Nasri's pay demands, the lack of silverware contention would be quickly forgotten.
I would ask Wenger to get these two out of town as soon as possible, and with as much time as possible left in the transfer season. Not that Wenger or Arsenal will take advantage of that time. The Gunners have become the epitome of a club that is more concerned about the cash flow and balance sheets rather than the score sheets and trophy case. Granted the most recent transfers have Arsenal in the red:
However, if they sell Nasri and Cesc, receiving the expected to add close to 60m £ that would rapidly swing the negative into a 40m £ + positive. Now if Wenger is
willing to take that windfall and actually invest maybe I will be play with all this.
But I fear he will buy a few bargain basement players and
call it a day.
Alas, we might be looking at another season of no silverware and maybe even,
gasp a place in the Europa League! Wenger's war chest must be quite
healthy, unfortunately that money sitting in a bank does not score goals, make
tackles, dribble defenders or make passes.
Use it Wenger, otherwise what's the point?
 |
| Chasing each other out of town |
As for Nasri, his reputation as the "Petit Prince" has not been diminished in his demands for more money and subsequently forcing his sale, most likely to Manchester City. One characteristic that should never be criticized (not because it isn't criticize-able but just because it is a simple reality) is the desire of an professional footballer to seek more money. I do not discount the frustration that must be felt by the likes of Nasri at a legitimate inability to challenge for silverware by Arsenal. But I am sure that if Arsenal met Nasri's pay demands, the lack of silverware contention would be quickly forgotten.
I would ask Wenger to get these two out of town as soon as possible, and with as much time as possible left in the transfer season. Not that Wenger or Arsenal will take advantage of that time. The Gunners have become the epitome of a club that is more concerned about the cash flow and balance sheets rather than the score sheets and trophy case. Granted the most recent transfers have Arsenal in the red:
Arsenal FC -15.474.800 £
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total: 23.694.000 £ | Total: 8.219.200 £ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
However, if they sell Nasri and Cesc, receiving the expected to add close to 60m £ that would rapidly swing the negative into a 40m £ + positive. Now if Wenger is
willing to take that windfall and actually invest maybe I will be play with all this.
But I fear he will buy a few bargain basement players and
call it a day.
Alas, we might be looking at another season of no silverware and maybe even,
gasp a place in the Europa League! Wenger's war chest must be quite
healthy, unfortunately that money sitting in a bank does not score goals, make
tackles, dribble defenders or make passes.
Use it Wenger, otherwise what's the point?
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Count down to transfer window...Man City at the center of it all...shocking
So the Citizens are at the head of the EPL,albeit for a few minutes before Manchester United took to the pitch last match, but of course the other Manchester club is at the forefront of the transfer rumors. They are supposedly the landing spot for Wolfsburg striker Dzeko as well as the potential landing spot for disgruntled Bordeaux captain Diarra. Interesting moves, if they were to happen. Were the Bosnia striker to arrive in Manchester it would certainly spell the end of Adebayor and Santa Cruz playing in sky blue. I am sure the idea would be to have some rotation of Tevez, 
Balotelli and Dzeko carry the weight of the attack. The arrival of the Frenchman is a bit perplexing. With the likes of the De Jong and Yaya Toure firmly entrenched as first choice central midfield destroyers and an aged but still effective Patrick Vieira on the bench, not sure where Diarra would find any time on the pitch. I think the Bordeaux captain would be better served either staying at Bordeaux until the summer or trying to move to a club like Marseilles, where the manager Deschamps has never made it a secret that he sees the value in the midfield destroyer. He could even wait to see if the Liverpool situation changes, the rumor is that Deschamps might be seen as the next manager at Anfield, allow Diarra another bite at that apple.
Speaking of Diarra...Lass in this case, he is rumored to also be heading to Manchester but for the team that wears red. Since the arrival of the Special One, Lass has seen his playing time dwindle...maybe he should not have accepted the #10 stripe! I would be interesting to see if Lass moves again. For a player with so much talent he has never really found a home yet has played for some big clubs - Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid....oh and Portsmouth (he did win an FA Cup there). Too bad Wenger ever let him go...
Of course there remains the question of Wenger, will he or will he not dip into his coffers to go out and buy some players? I think if he does they will be minor deals, per his usual. He will not acquire a keeper. He will not buy any full backs. Maybe a low lever striker, but that is it....alas.
Balotelli and Dzeko carry the weight of the attack. The arrival of the Frenchman is a bit perplexing. With the likes of the De Jong and Yaya Toure firmly entrenched as first choice central midfield destroyers and an aged but still effective Patrick Vieira on the bench, not sure where Diarra would find any time on the pitch. I think the Bordeaux captain would be better served either staying at Bordeaux until the summer or trying to move to a club like Marseilles, where the manager Deschamps has never made it a secret that he sees the value in the midfield destroyer. He could even wait to see if the Liverpool situation changes, the rumor is that Deschamps might be seen as the next manager at Anfield, allow Diarra another bite at that apple.Speaking of Diarra...Lass in this case, he is rumored to also be heading to Manchester but for the team that wears red. Since the arrival of the Special One, Lass has seen his playing time dwindle...maybe he should not have accepted the #10 stripe! I would be interesting to see if Lass moves again. For a player with so much talent he has never really found a home yet has played for some big clubs - Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid....oh and Portsmouth (he did win an FA Cup there). Too bad Wenger ever let him go...
Of course there remains the question of Wenger, will he or will he not dip into his coffers to go out and buy some players? I think if he does they will be minor deals, per his usual. He will not acquire a keeper. He will not buy any full backs. Maybe a low lever striker, but that is it....alas.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Rooney To Stay - Yawn
So now Wayne Rooney is staying in Manchester. I should be more specific, obviously. He's staying in the red-half of Manchester with United and with Sir Alex. I'll be interested to see how long it takes the fans and his teammates to truly welcome him back to the fold.
For me, this is not particularly surprising. Their seemed to be an element of contract negotiation brinksmenship to the whole story (I know that's easy to say in hindsight). But it would have been hard for him to leave United and go anywhere but City, as they're in a financial position to outbid everyone else, and United are in a position of desperately needing cash.
Further, leaving Manchester United, but not leaving Manchester would have made his life miserable.
Also, when you compare Rooney and Tevez on form this year, Rooney doesn't make the starting 11 (City don't play with more than one striker). Tevez has been on-fire, Rooney has been slowed by injuries, and has lost his goal-scoring touch.
And finally, in my opinion, I think Rooney has actually entered the decline phase of his career. Yes, he's only 24. But Michael Owen was on the decline at a similar age, if not earlier. Rooney rose to prominence at an early age with Everton. He has a lot of games under his belt, especially when you think of all his England Caps (67 senior Caps so far). He's rarely had a summer off. And worse, he's had a number of major injuries. Games and injuries add up, especially with the all-action style in which he plays.
Are Manchester United better off with Rooney? Absolutely, for now, though I still think they'll struggle to stay in the Top 4 this year. But check back in years 4 and 5 of the new contract. He might end up being a millstone around their neck.
For me, this is not particularly surprising. Their seemed to be an element of contract negotiation brinksmenship to the whole story (I know that's easy to say in hindsight). But it would have been hard for him to leave United and go anywhere but City, as they're in a financial position to outbid everyone else, and United are in a position of desperately needing cash.
Further, leaving Manchester United, but not leaving Manchester would have made his life miserable.
Also, when you compare Rooney and Tevez on form this year, Rooney doesn't make the starting 11 (City don't play with more than one striker). Tevez has been on-fire, Rooney has been slowed by injuries, and has lost his goal-scoring touch.
And finally, in my opinion, I think Rooney has actually entered the decline phase of his career. Yes, he's only 24. But Michael Owen was on the decline at a similar age, if not earlier. Rooney rose to prominence at an early age with Everton. He has a lot of games under his belt, especially when you think of all his England Caps (67 senior Caps so far). He's rarely had a summer off. And worse, he's had a number of major injuries. Games and injuries add up, especially with the all-action style in which he plays.
Are Manchester United better off with Rooney? Absolutely, for now, though I still think they'll struggle to stay in the Top 4 this year. But check back in years 4 and 5 of the new contract. He might end up being a millstone around their neck.
Monday, October 04, 2010
de Jong dropped from Dutch national team after horror tackle on Ben Arfa
Good for the Dutch national team manager to drop the Manchester City hard man from the Dutch squad after what transpired this weekend. For those of you that do not know about the incident - it occurred in the 4th minute of the Manchester City v Newcastle match where the Dutch international went in very hard and with bad intent on Ben Arfa which resulted in a badly broken leg for the Newcastle man.
Video of the tackle - not as graphic, thankfully, as others we have seen on the pitch:
Clearly de Jong's intent was to stop the man and not the ball. I realize that football has elements of violence and these things happen. There is also room and at times needs to be "hard" players on the pitch. Players like Keane, Gattuso, Vieira, Essien or past players like Terry Butcher and Claudio Gentile are vital cogs to any team that can find such talents. Why? They do the dirty work, go after all 50-50 balls, stick their heads where boots are flying, are asked to shut down the opponents creativity and are expected to run hard for 90+ minutes and take a physical beating.
However de Jong has demonstrated that he regularly crosses this line when it comes to be the enforcer for his teams. Remember the karate kick for Holland in the World Cup finals, for which he should have been shown the straight red! I am still surprised that Alonso didn't crack a rib or worse! This latest incident falls into this category of crossing the line. Do I think his intent was to break Ben Arfa's leg? No. But his tackle was clearly meant to send a message, no intent of winning the ball just an opportunity to go after a creative player's legs to tell him "be careful dribbling around me because you might get hurt." No surprise that the tackle was early and targeted one of Newcastle's more creative players.
The fact at de Jong did not get a foul let a lone a card given, just as it happened in the World Cup final, is what is most criminal about the situation. As I stated, there needs to be some aspect of tough play in football, always has been always will be. However plays such as what happened needs to be policed whether on the pitch by the official or after the fact by the league. If reckless fouls are permitted on the games creative players how can we expect the game to be played as it was intended? I would rather see a Van Basten's career continue than be cut short because teams constantly hacked his ankles and legs to slow him down. The FA has been mum on this, to no surprise, the EPL has always been regarded as one of the most physical leagues in the world. However the money flows into the EPL because talented players come to play in the league, if they begin to fear for their safety that tide might shift elsewhere. I am glad the Dutch national team manager took a stand and dropped the player. Now up to the FA to do something about it.
Broken bones, sprains, bruises and tears will happen, it is part of the game. But blatant attempts to injure and egregious goon like tactics must be curbed.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
EPL about to kick off - The Frog gives some insight into who will win the title
We had Ligue 1 kick off, I provided Frog's predictions a few posts ago, clearly Goal.com read that post since we have similar predictions for the final standings! Couple this with the Community Shield - the first match to announce the start of the EPL season, I figured I would lean on my predictive powers to provide some thoughts on how the EPL will finish this season. By the way, Chelsea won both the FA Cup and EPL title, so why is it Manchester United in the Community Cup? Shouldn't Portsmouth have some claim to the match as well?? They did finish runners up in the FA Cup final...just saying...anyways on to the predictions.
5th Place: Liverpool Football Club: So the Benetiz-less Reds will scrap and fight their way back to knocking on the top 4. The loss of Mascherano will be a difficult hole to fill in the midfield. Granted Hodgson is looking to sign Juventus midfielder Poulsen to slot in that holding spot. However make no mistake, the Argentine was a tough tackling midfielder that gave that team much of its metal in the midfield and provided much needed cover to the back 4. However I think with Hodgson in place, the team will have a better defensive discipline and game. Similar to what we saw from the English manager last season with Fulham, expect him to get the most out what he has on his roster. Unlike his predecessor, I have faith that Hodgson will squeeze the most value out of this roster. The biggest questions will revolve around Torres and his health. The fact he decided to stay with the Reds is clearly a huge plus. Add Joe Cole and I think you will have a revitalized strike force. Maybe Hodgson will be able to do with Kuyt what he did in London with Zamora. Don't laugh, but the Dutch player might fit that mold. A player that can hold the ball allow the Coles and Torres and Gerrards to get into position offensively. Whether or not Hodgson will get the most out of the likes of Babel and Aquilani - some players that have failed to live up to expectations will determine how far Liverpool can go. I think that the Reds finally have a manager that can manage over a championship season and not just for a knock out tournament. Look for the Reds to get back into the picture for potential Champions League.
4th Place: Manchester United FC: What...the Red Devils....4th place!!! Sir Alex Ferguson not in the top 2!!!!! That's right, you read it here first. Manchester United is due for a fall from grace, still get Champions League football but just barely. Why? Simple - Manchester United's age, injuries and heavy work load will final catch up to them. In addition the lack of big name signing over the past 2 seasons will be difficult to overcome. The last time Manchester United won the title it was on the backs of Tevez, Ronaldo and Rooney and their scoring talents that carried the team . Hmmmm, Tevez and Ronaldo gone and that scoring gap is now up to Owen and Berbatov to make up. Mind you this is not Owen from 1998 or Berbatov from his Tottenham days, both strikers' better days are clearly behind them...add to this a Rooney that has clearly shown wear and tear of too many games and being brought back too quickly from his ankle injury (and a number of other knocks) last season. This team played back to back Champions League finals then made it to the 1/4 finals last season over the past 3 years, add to this the amount of international football players such as Evra, Rooney, Ferdinand have in their boots as well. Oh yeah, Ferdinand is clearly succumbing to the injury bug as well, not a good sign. Also how much more can SAF get out of Giggs, Scholes and Neville? Last I checked these three AARP players still seem to play important roles for SAF, especially Neville at right back...frightening. Not sure what to expect from Nani and Anderson...both were suppose to be the next generation to relief Giggs et al. There is some youth - Macheda, Fabio , Rafael and Cleverly (nice goal from the youngster below) - however not sure if they are ready to really take on a greater responsibility.
Add all this together and I think we are going to see a Red Devilteam that takes a serious drop in form. They have not made a big signing, that has worked out, in a few seasons. They are older, the names they signed to replace the likes of Ronaldo and Tevez have not lived up to their billing, Van Der Saar has a lot of wear on those tires, the youth is too immature and this team has played a lot of football over the past 3-4 years. They will go backwards this season.
3rd Place: Manchester City FC: Whooohooo, yup the Frog thinks the Citizens will take a major step up the standings. I think they might have been here last season had they not wasted the first half of the season with Mark Hughes at the helm. I think the Citizens under Hughes dropped at least 15 points due to drawing games rather than winning. Turn that around and you have a team that team gets Champions League football this season. With Mancini in place for the start of the season, I doubt the Citizens will be dropping silly points. Of course with the deep pockets of the Abu Dhabi United Group, ManCity has gone on another shopping spree adding the likes of Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng and Aleksander Kolarov to the likes of Adebayor, Tevez, Vieira and Barry to name some of the players added to the roster last season. They have 2 solid keepers - Given and Hart. Their defense should be good and offensively will be carried again by Tevez. If Mancini can convince Robinho to come back and play, I think that will only add to what could be a strong offense. Even if the Brazilian stays at Santos, Manchester City have many other offensive options. The other question is can Stephen Ireland be motivated and convinced to give it his all for the Citizens? If he does leave for Milner than that would be a net positive for Manchester City. Add to this the potential for the Inter striker Ballotelli coming to play at the City of Manchester Stadium and look out! The question still remains if the Italian manager can motivate and manage this assembly of high paid hired guns for an entire season. My bet is yes, well enough to get into the top 3.
2nd Place: Chelsea Football Club: The defending champions will not defend their title. But it will be a good battle between themselves and their rest of the league. I think Chelsea falls into the same dilemma as does Manchester United...which big players have they signed the past 2 seasons? They lost Ballack and Joe Cole. Signed Yossi Benayoun to wear the #10 shirt...um okay. Ashley Cole might be on his way out to Real Madrid. Essien is back, but is he 100% healthy? Rumors swirl around Drogba leaving to Marseilles....unlikely but still. Anelka? Who knows what to expect after the summer debacle. Carvalho and Terry are not getting any younger, and both started showing signs of decline last season. What about Lampard? Not sure he is not also on the back 9 of his career. Can some of the youth step up such as a Kakuta who was the star for the U19 European Champions - France. Without Joe Cole we might see the young French striker get more time with the first team . Of course much of these issues could be resolved if Abramovich opens his deep wallet and goes out and acquires an Aguero or even goes after Torres. Problem for me is this side has made their runs with the same core for a few seasons - Terry, Drogba, Lampard, Essien, Cech - they have not done enough to refresh some of these pillars. They had enough to make it work last season for the double, but is this a season too far for the core? I think so.
1st Place: Arsenal F.C.: So that leaves us with....the Gunners! Okay okay I might be called a homer since I am a Gunner fan. However here is my reasoning: the Arsenalteam has the talent on the rise and talent that has not been as beat up as their other contenders over the past 2-3 years. Let us play a quick game - Nasri, Chamakh, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Rosicky, Arshavin, Walcott - what do they have in common? No World Cup. Add to this Cesc, did not log a ton of minutes, Bendtner same and Van Persie yes played a lot for Holland...but he barely played last season so overall he has not logged a huge number of minutes over the past few seasons. Sagna, Clichy and Diaby...well we know they only played 3 games in South Africa and skipped a practice so they are fresh! I think that the 3 headed striker monster of Chamakh, Bendtner and Van Persie will play very well in front of a midfield of Diaby, Cesc, Walcott, Rosicky,
Arshavin, Nasri etc (I realize that Walcott and Arshavin can be seen as strikers but I consider then hybrid midfield wide players and strikers/wingers). The duo of Vermaelen - Koscielny look very strong, and the addition via subtraction aka letting Gallas walk will be a big boost for the team especially in the dressing room. I also think Wilshere is poised for a solid season (so does Capello as he gave the young Gunner his first call up for the England v Hungary friendly). Of course, Wenger will need to make a few more moves prior to the end of the transfer window - get a keeper, fellow podcaster Sam the Gooner made it very clear "If Wenger does not sign a keeper by the end of the transfer window he should be fired on the spot." and second I think Wenger needs to find another central defender. The Gunners always have the talent. I think the core that Wenger has been grooming is ready to make the big move to winning the EPL. Part of that is also the fact time is ticking...on Cesc. Clearly he appears to have one of his Nike boots in Barcelona, so the Gunners better get the most of out of their captain this season. Wenger sign a keeper...even Schwarzer would be a huge step in the right direction of course Eduardo would be better! Over the weekend the rumors of a daring swoop for World Cup champion and Liverpool #1, Riena has picked up some steam, but that might just be that...a rumor. I see Chelsea and Manchester United slipping due to age and too much wear and tear...while Arsenal are ready to hit their stride and have plenty in the tank. Wenger gets back on top!!!
So the Gunners win silverware for the first time since they had Pat Vieira roaming the midfield. Tottenham will be a one and done when it comes to the Champions League, I just did not see the North London club bringing in any talent this transfer season and that will hurt their chances to stay ahead of Liverpool or Manchester City.
Player of the Year: Cesc. The Arsenal captain will mark his last season in the EPL with a player of the year title and lead his club to the domestic title...and then will scamper off to Barcelona.
Manager of the Year: Hodgson. The former Fulham manager will take Liverpool and make the most out of a roster Rafa could never do enough with because he had no "money."
Cannot believe the season is starting, I am looking forward to watching the Gunners get back to the top!
Add all this together and I think we are going to see a Red Devil
1st Place: Arsenal F.C.: So that leaves us with....the Gunners! Okay okay I might be called a homer since I am a Gunner fan. However here is my reasoning: the Arsenal
So the Gunners win silverware for the first time since they had Pat Vieira roaming the midfield. Tottenham will be a one and done when it comes to the Champions League, I just did not see the North London club bringing in any talent this transfer season and that will hurt their chances to stay ahead of Liverpool or Manchester City.
Player of the Year: Cesc. The Arsenal captain will mark his last season in the EPL with a player of the year title and lead his club to the domestic title...and then will scamper off to Barcelona.
Manager of the Year: Hodgson. The former Fulham manager will take Liverpool and make the most out of a roster Rafa could never do enough with because he had no "money."
Cannot believe the season is starting, I am looking forward to watching the Gunners get back to the top!
Monday, March 01, 2010
Thank you Manchester City....the Premier League race tightens up!
What a difference a weekend can make. The Citizens headed into Stamford Bridge and dominated the Premier League leading Blues winning 4-2, ending the Chelsea home unbeaten streak and putting the entire league race back to a 3 horse competition.
Manchester City demonstrated no fear of heading into a very hostile environment. Tevez and Bellamy both proved incredibly dangerous to the Chelsea defense. Chelsea also looked rattled after finding themselves down at the start of the second half. Their defense looked very shaky with Terry and Carvalho both being completely turned around by the first Tevez goal. Chelsea fans also thought that Peter Cech was a disaster this season, unfortunately his understudy - Hilario - is not making anyone forget the Czech Republic keeper. Clearly Chelsea miss the presence of Essien. In the past, the Blues could count on Essien and Makelele to hold down the defensive midfield and really provide the glue that kept the team in one piece - allowing players such as Ballack, Lampard, Cole and the likes to play their offensive game without any real focus on their defensive duties. Without these two defensive workhorses, Chelsea has a gaping hole between the back 4 and the offensive players. While this can be overcome for the majority of their matches, against a quality attacking such as the Citizens they end up paying the price.
The table as it stands:
The John Terry and Wayne Bridge off field news dominated the pre-game hype, but in the end it was a game between two teams that have followed a similar path. Prior to both teams being taken over by absurdly wealthy owners, they were both good clubs, but clearly second tier in both England and in their own cities. Now both sides are backed by owners with deep pockets and can have rebuilt both sides through outrageous spending on players (ironically one player - Sean Wright Phillips was one of Chelsea's big early acquisition once Abramovich bought the side is now back with his original club who is now also a big spender).
Manchester City has some top quality scalps this season - Chelsea (twice!) and Arsenal. They also had a spell of dreadful draws which got Hughes sacked. Much like Chelsea with Abramovich, Manchester City is looking to break into the top of the Premiership on the backs of mountains of funds to go out and acquire what ever player they see fit. That strategy has worked for Chelsea - 2 Premier League titles with the Russian billionaire's rubles - and appears to be relatively successful for the Citizens - currently tied with Tottenham for 4th spot in the Premiership.
What remains to be seen is if Manchester City can sustain this form and truly maintain itself at the top of the table for seasons to come. On the pitch, at least this past weekend, they seemed to clearly make the claim that they do not feel threatened by any of the established big clubs.
Manchester City demonstrated no fear of heading into a very hostile environment. Tevez and Bellamy both proved incredibly dangerous to the Chelsea defense. Chelsea also looked rattled after finding themselves down at the start of the second half. Their defense looked very shaky with Terry and Carvalho both being completely turned around by the first Tevez goal. Chelsea fans also thought that Peter Cech was a disaster this season, unfortunately his understudy - Hilario - is not making anyone forget the Czech Republic keeper. Clearly Chelsea miss the presence of Essien. In the past, the Blues could count on Essien and Makelele to hold down the defensive midfield and really provide the glue that kept the team in one piece - allowing players such as Ballack, Lampard, Cole and the likes to play their offensive game without any real focus on their defensive duties. Without these two defensive workhorses, Chelsea has a gaping hole between the back 4 and the offensive players. While this can be overcome for the majority of their matches, against a quality attacking such as the Citizens they end up paying the price.
The table as it stands:
| Pos | Name | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 |  |  | 28 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 14 | +39 | 61 |
| 2 | |  | 28 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 16 | +42 | 60 |
| 3 | |  | 28 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 38 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 28 | 17 | +35 | 58 |
| 4 |  |  | 28 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 18 | +23 | 49 |
| 5 |  |  | 27 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 21 | +17 | 49 |
| 6 | |  | 28 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 33 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 16 | +17 | 48 |
| 7 | |  | 26 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 11 | +16 | 45 |
| 8 | |  | 27 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 20 | -2 | 40 |
| 9 | |  | 28 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 20 | +3 | 38 |
| 10 | |  | 27 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 22 | 0 | 38 |
| 11 | |  | 27 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 15 | -5 | 34 |
| 12 | |  | 28 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 33 | -15 | 34 |
| 13 | |  | 27 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 20 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 23 | -8 | 27 |
| 14 | |  | 27 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 30 | -12 | 27 |
| 15 | |  | 27 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 26 | -19 | 26 |
| 16 | |  | 27 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 35 | -27 | 25 |
| 17 | |  | 27 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 26 | -24 | 24 |
| 18 | |  | 27 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 34 | -29 | 24 |
| 19 | |  | 27 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 43 | -29 | 23 |
| 20 | |  | 27 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 25 | -22 | 19 |
The John Terry and Wayne Bridge off field news dominated the pre-game hype, but in the end it was a game between two teams that have followed a similar path. Prior to both teams being taken over by absurdly wealthy owners, they were both good clubs, but clearly second tier in both England and in their own cities. Now both sides are backed by owners with deep pockets and can have rebuilt both sides through outrageous spending on players (ironically one player - Sean Wright Phillips was one of Chelsea's big early acquisition once Abramovich bought the side is now back with his original club who is now also a big spender).Manchester City has some top quality scalps this season - Chelsea (twice!) and Arsenal. They also had a spell of dreadful draws which got Hughes sacked. Much like Chelsea with Abramovich, Manchester City is looking to break into the top of the Premiership on the backs of mountains of funds to go out and acquire what ever player they see fit. That strategy has worked for Chelsea - 2 Premier League titles with the Russian billionaire's rubles - and appears to be relatively successful for the Citizens - currently tied with Tottenham for 4th spot in the Premiership.
What remains to be seen is if Manchester City can sustain this form and truly maintain itself at the top of the table for seasons to come. On the pitch, at least this past weekend, they seemed to clearly make the claim that they do not feel threatened by any of the established big clubs.
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