Comment: The final countdown

We now head into the final month of what has been an exhilarating and an unusual English Premier League season. The giants of English football, Manchester United, are seventh in the table; while their oldest League rivals, Liverpool, are on top with only four games remaining.

The two other teams in contention for the title, Manchester City and Chelsea, are there at the top to no one’s surprise. These two powerhouses with their foreign owners, who do not think twice before spending the odd 100 million for transfers, have created squads which consist of top quality players; the substitute bench included.

On the other hand, Liverpool, who have an exciting mix of young and experienced players, have shown the world that building a team can prove more beneficial than buying one. The Reds, who have not won the League in more than 20 years, have the title in their sights and the only remaining challenge should be when they host Chelsea.

The Reds defeated Manchester giants 3-2, in a match that could prove to be the title-winning encounter for Liverpool. Emotions ran rampant as tear-filled celebrations were witnessed after the full time whistle. The manager, Brendan Rodgers, was ecstatic with Liverpool’s dominance this season and their latest win against City.

“We were put under pressure in a very big game against a big opponent, but you can see from our football that we are coping,” said Rodgers, whose side have won 10 consecutive league matches.

“My message to the players is to continue. We don’t need to change. We played with no fear. You can see that, whether it is the big opponent like Manchester City or at Norwich City next week, we will play the same way.”

On the other hand, Manchester City have six remaining fixtures; all of them against lesser opponents, with the exception of fourth-placed Everton at Goodison Park. City’s manager, Manuel Pellegrini, said in a post-match interview after the Liverpool game, that the title has not been decided yet. However, it is not in their hands anymore as it will be up to Liverpool to slip-up for City to win the title.

Meanwhile, West London side Chelsea, who grabbed a scrappy 1-0 victory against Swansea with a 68th-minute strike from striker Demba Ba, will be looking to quietly grab the title away from Liverpool in what will be a crucial match against The Reds on April 27.

Jose Mourinho, also known as the ‘Special One’, as always has been an animated figure for The Blues this season. His post-match interviews and antics on the sideline during the games have caused a stir in the media. But no matter how ridiculous the Portuguese may seem in his second stint with Chelsea, we can never rule out Mourinho’s squad, as he has shown time and time again why he is considered one of the best in the world.

The final month of the 2013-2014 English Premier League season has the potential to go down as one of the most intense in the history of English football. Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all have the chance to win the title. But only time will tell which club has the consistency to finish the season without stuttering at the penultimate stage.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2014.

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