Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool [Van Persie 22'; Keane 42'], EPL Gameweek 18

[mcgillianaire]

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Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool [Van Persie 22'; Keane 42']
Everton 0 - 0 Chelsea
FULHAM 3 - 0 Middlesbrough [Bullard 41', Murphy 54', Dempsey 59']

"If we can finish this Christmas period at the top of the table, we have an 80% possibility of winning the title." -Rafa Benitez

Bold words coming from a man who's struggled to come to terms with the Premiership since arriving on Merseyside in the summer of 2004. Bold words for a team that hasn't won a league championship since 1990. But bold or not, we're top at Christmas and let's hope he's right about the 80% possibility. Unfortunately, history is not on our side. Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, only six times have clubs gone on to win the league title after leading at Christmas. Manchester United achieved it three times in '93/94, '00/01 & '06/07; Chelsea twice in '04/05 & '05/06; and Blackburn once in '94/95. OK, so what if we're up against history? At least we're moving in the right direction. Not only have we secured pole position, but we've also qualified for the knockout stages of the European Cup and procured a delicious encounter against the competition's most successful team in the New Year. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. And let's not kid ourselves. This season has been an absolute clanger as far as Manchester United and Chelsea are concerned. Not only have they both lost vital points in matches they used to win easily, but they have repeatedly allowed Liverpool off the hook and lost several opportunities to go top of the table, tonight included.

The London and Mancunian clubs have really flattered to deceive. Not once or twice but at least a half dozen times. (Though depending on how you look at it, United may have the advantage of two games in hand.) And to make matters even more confusing, Arsenal have had an even more topsy-turvy half-season. Five losses within the first fourteen-or-so games is not title challenger material, especially when the opposition reads like the Who's Who of Premiership relegation for the last few years. But then again, deserved victories over Manchester United at home and Chelsea away. God knows what's going to happen to The Gunners in the second half.

Who'd've guessed that all of the Big Four would regularly slip up this season. Some said Liverpool had used up all their good luck by the end ofthe first month after a series of comeback victories, topped off by the stunning 3-2 revival at Manchester City after going two-down at halftime. Then the naysayers said we'd run out of our good luck with each listless draw that opened up golden opportunities for the other Big Three to cash in on. But they didn't. Not once or twice but nearly a half dozen times. Somehow the season's script hasn't panned out as usual. And I can't understand why. Is it because the gap between the best and the rest has closed down? Or have the big guns lost the hunger and desire to claim English football's top prize? I hope it's not the latter.

Amidst all this confusion, what is certain is that this season has hardly had a dull moment and with the Cinderella-like run of Hull City holding its own at Christmas, and Aston Villa threatening to breakup the Big Four's dominance, we're in for possibly the best-ever second-half to a Premier League season. I think it's fair to say that though the three favourites to win the title are Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, it's not too late to close the door on Arsenal. Unfortunately I don't think Arsenal have the resources or stamina to inflict a Manchester United-like second-half-of-the-season assault upon the title, and in fact I might even tempt fate in proclaiming Aston Villa the dark horses to emulate their title run of 1981. At the very least, I expect a place in next season's European Cup.

As far as the rest of the table is concerned, it's been an incredible season for The Cottagers. When I became a Fulham season-ticket holder weeks before the pitch-battles commenced I didn't give them a chance to finish in the top-half of the table. Especially since they had only managed to secure a place in this season's Premier League with a late winner on the last day of last season. But boy has it been worth it. Ever since witnessing my first match at Craven Cottage, courtesy a 2-for-1 deal from Transport for London last March, I am yet to see the London club lose a match! In that time I have seen them defeat no less than Everton, Arsenal and Newcastle, as well as Bolton and Middlesbrough. And not to mention, the nil-nil draw at Anfield in my homecoming. Infact the video above is one I took this weekend of the second goal, a penalty, scored by former Liverpool midfielder, Danny Murphy, as The Cottagers ripped apart The Smoggies, three-nil. With performances like these and a stunning home record, Fulham should easily survive this season's adventures and with a few more away victories, they might even secure a place in Europe. Let's hope they do!

And finally a few words about the rest. Everton and Portsmouth seem to be slowly but surely working their way back to the part of the table which they've made their own: just below the Big Four but good enough to stay above everybody else and consistently qualify for the UEFA Cup. The middle of the table is congested with Northern clubs, while the two remaining London clubs (Spurs & West Ham) find themselves precariously above the relegation zone. The Gaffer at White Hart Lane appears to have already built himself legendary status there without really achieving much, and ironically enough, their useless former manager has now become the big man at Real Madrid (our opponents in the next round of the European Cup!). Small world. And then the last three. Manchester City (hahaha), Blackburn (shit happens) and West Brom (life is cruel on those who least deserve it). It looks like West Brom and Blackburn will go down but City should survive, though they really need to sort out their shit defence. Spurs should end up in midtable safety and they remain the only club to have defeated Liverpool in all competitions this season, and what's crazy, they've done it twice - in the league and in the League Cup. But that's the thing, it don't matter if you lose to a club that's only won the league title once. At the end of the day, it's the daddy on top who matters and this Christmas, it's us. Season's greetings! COME ON YOU REDS!!! YNWA!!!

Comments

[drunkendeadcat.livejournal.com]

great goals in this game and a good result for us :)