English Premier League: Premier League hots up at both ends of the table

United will look to extend lead at Norwich today

LONDON: The battle for the Premier League title may be compelling, with three heavyweights in contention, but the fight to avoid relegation from English football’s top-flight is nearly as fierce.

At the top, leaders Manchester United travel to Norwich with a two-point advantage over champions Manchester City, at home to Aston Villa.

European champions Chelsea, a point further back in third, travel to surprise package West Brom, an impressive fifth in the table, in a match that pits Blues boss Roberto di Matteo and the Baggies Steve Clarke, once an assistant manager at Stamford Bridge, against their former clubs.

In an era where Premier League players are routinely criticised for being primarily concerned with their pay packets, United veteran Rio Ferdinand said the lure of silverware remained as strong as ever.

“It doesn’t matter how much money you have, at the end of your career, what you will be most proud of are your achievements,” said Ferdinand. “If you have won things and continue to win things for this great club, that is something to talk about. I wouldn’t sit down and talk about how much money I have.”

It was a point echoed by City winger James Milner

“Our fans turn out in big numbers,” said Milner. “They were here when we weren’t winning things for so many years so it’s nice that we are now and as I say, that’s not a feeling we could ever get tired of.”

Tension at the bottom of the table too

There will be a different sort of grim fascination in watching bottom of the table QPR welcome second-bottom Southampton to Loftus Road as both clubs battle to remain in the lucrative top flight.

West London club QPR have yet to win in 11 Premier League matches this season while Southampton have just one victory to show for their efforts since ending seven years of Premier League exile.

The North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham sees both clubs battling to get back into the top four while Everton will look to maintain their place among the leading quartet at home to strugglers Reading.

Liverpool will look to Luis Suarez to continue the form that has already yielded 11 goals this season, eight in 11 Premier League matches. Reds manager Brendan Rodgers has denied reports the Uruguay striker is on his way out of Anfield in a big-money move to City.

And Suarez, who has four years left on his Liverpool contract, said, “I have a very long contract here and it’s a dream come true to be playing at a club like Liverpool because, as I’ve said, as a boy I dreamt of playing for a team like this.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2012.