Arsenal
Arsenal started the season poorly and for once it looked a certainty that they would drop out of the top 4 but since January the team has rallied together and got on a good run mainly thanks to goal machine Robin Van Persie who has 33 goals this season. It may be a team game but it is clear to everyone that without a class act like Van Persie Arsenal would probably be in a similar position to say Liverpool as behind the Dutch man's 33 goals their next two highest scorers are Theo Walcott with 10 and Arteta with 5. Before last weekends defeat to QPR the North London club had won 7 in a row which has put them in fighting contention with Tottenham for 3rd place, whether or not they finish above their rivals the fans and the board are hoping that they will cement their place in Europes Elite competition next year as that is the key for Arsene Wenger's side. Despite the positives the wait for a trophy at the Emirates still looms following a disappointing defeat to Sunderland in the FA Cup and a spirited fightback against AC Milan in the Champions League which saw them lose 4-3 on aggregate. With recent form and the incentive to finish in the top 4 Arsenal may well achieve this but it is clear to see that this is a necessity as Wenger needs this top 4 finish financially and for the long term future of the club so that he can convince his prized asset Van Persie to sign a new contract otherwise the club risk falling in to the wilderness. Arsenal will need to spend in the summer to please their captain and Champions League football will ensure that they can sign some good players to better the squad and push on next seasonAston Villa
Aston Villa have only won 2 of their last 10 games and they will need to perform much better in their final 8 games if they are to avoid being dragged in to a relegation battle. A couple more wins and the Villains will be safe but with recent form and the clubs below them picking up points they now find themselves only 5 points above the drop zone. Speaking of safe the "safe" target of 40 points is only 7 points away for Villa but as we know with the Premier League some years you need more points some you need less. Some fans at Villa Park would probably take relegation so that Alex McLeish gets the sack as since he made the managerial change from rivals Birmingham he has failed to impress the supporters. McLeish will need his two main strikers, Bent and Agbonlahor, to keep fit as they have 16 goals in all competitions between them this season if they are to survive in the Premier League which the Scottish manager knows all too well following that disappointment in going down with Birmingham during the last campaign. The next top scorer for the club is captain Stiliyan Petrov who recently was diagnosed with leukaemia so I just want to say get well to him, Villa may well use this as inspiration in their fight for survival. The big game for them is the game in hand against Bolton who are only 4 points below them and if they lose that game I'm sure it will be out of the 5 teams from 15th to 19th who will suffer a long with Wolves in relegation this year.Blackburn Rovers
Steve Kean's Blackburn have dropped in to the relegation zone on goal difference following a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United. Since taking the hotseat at Ewood Park Kean has had his critics even after guiding the team to survival last season. He will be keen, no pun intended, to prove he can do it again during his first full season in charge, the clubs Venky owners didn't even know that relegation existed which shows how much they know about the sport, probably the same as Kean seeing as its his first job in management and hasn't exactly done great. With that being said it's results which effectively determine success so judgement on his ability as a Premier League boss should be reserved until the end of the season, although personally I believe the Lancashire club will be heading towards the Championship come May and Kean probably to a meeting in a curry house with the owners finding out that his reign as boss is over with him then taking a stroll to the jobcentre bumping in to someone like Glenn Roeder. Bolton Wanderers
With Owen Coyle proving the doubters wrong when he left his post as Burnley boss to take the Bolton job by getting his side to play some good football last season instead of the nitty gritty stuff we'd seen under previous managers at the club I really thought that Bolton would push on for a top half finish this term but instead they find themselves in a relegation battle. But battling they are as the Wanderers have won 3 on the bounce following 4 straight defeats before this run, the team currently sit a point above the drop zone with a game in hand against fellow strugglers Aston Villa. Bolton's impressive performance in the FA Cup which saw them reach the quarter finals was sadly overshadowed by the collapse of Fabrice Muamba who was in hospital fighting for his life but thankfully is on the road to recovery despite the odds being stacked against him, get well soon Fabrice. Bolton lost to Tottenham 3-1 in the FA Cup but can now focus on Premier League survival, it is unfair to link somebody's life to inspiring the team but the Muamba incident has certainly rallied Bolton together and if they can continue the league form they have shown over the past 3 games Coyle's men could earn their place in English football's top flight come the end of the campaign.Chelsea
Andre Villas-Boas suffered a fate that many others have when was sacked by Roman Abramovich following a dismal run of results. The club are currently 5th and are facing one of their sternest tests since the Russian took over as they look to earn Champions League qualification next season with the West London side currently 5 points off the top 4. Villas-Boas never had the respect of the players which showed in their performances but interim boss Roberto Di-Matteo has revived the clubs spirits by guiding them to an FA Cup semi final following a 5-2 win against Championship side Leicester and with the Blues overturning a 3-1 deficit to Napoli in the Champions League by beating the Italian side 5-4 in extra time they now have a quarter final in Europe's biggest competition and semi final in the FA Cup to look forward too. The club could enjoy a successful end to the season if all goes to plan, that plan will include getting the best out of £50 million pound man Fernando Torres who grabbed a brace today in the FA Cup after not scoring for 24 games and then put in a very impressive performance against Aston Villa during the 4-2 win at the weekend which again saw him find the back of the net. Torres is a player who I want to see do well and he is showing his quality in spurts, Di Matteo seems to have had a great effect on everyone around the club including Fernando himself. Whether or not any silverware makes its way to Stamford Bridge come the end of the season the minimum aim will be to finish in the top 4 because if they don't the club will fail to attract quality players and it will also halt them in there attempt to find a new manager if Di-Matteo doesn't get the job on a permanent basis, the next 7 games could be a defining moment in the Abramovich era.Everton
Everton have once again had a stop start season but manager David Moyes continues to work wonders on a tight budget. His side have a semi final in the FA Cup against fellow Merseysiders and rivals Liverpool at Wembley following victory over Sunderland in the previous round. Moyes is the type of manager who proves that success doesn't always come down to trophies but with that being said who's to say the Toffees won't be celebrating some silverware come May. Everton are now above Liverpool in the league and sit 7th following back to back wins and have Europe in their sights which would be a big step forward for the club, with Evertons experience in the side and usual good form towards the business end of the campaign Moyes men should finish in top 10.Fulham
Martin Jol's first season at Fulham has been solid and after ending a three game losing streak at the weekend with a 2-1 win over Norwich they could finish in the top half of the table. They currently are 10th in the league but if it wasn't for their form at home, which has seen them pick up 28 of their 39 points this season, and star player Clint Dempsey's 19 goals the club could have found themselves in a scrap at the bottom. Thankfully for them they will most likely be playing Premier League football next season unless a disaster happens but with 7 games to go that's unlikely. Jol will look for his side to finish as high as they can to make his first season a success and use it as a foundation to push on next year.Liverpool
The story of Liverpools season is pretty simple, if they had been more prolific in front of goal they would have finished off many games they would argue that they should have won and would possibly be competing for Champions League qualification. They they have drawn 8 games at home with 5 wins and only 2 losses but one includes an embarrassing defeat to Wigan almost a fortnight ago, the Reds have only scored 19 at home and 17 away from Anfield which is poor, Luis Suarez needs to start converting chances but he has the quality to be one of the best strikers in the Premier League where as his team mate Andy Carroll is under lots of pressure as it seems he will never live up to the £35 million that he cost. Carroll's dive at the weekend against former club Newcastle summed up his time in a Liverpool shirt but lets be honest it wasn't Carroll who turned round and said "I'm worth 35 million sign me up". That was Liverpool's fault and it is Liverpool's dealings in the transfer window that have to be looked at because many of those in the squad don't deserve to be at the club, following a 3-0 derby win it appeared they'd push on at the end of the season but 3 defeats since then leave them 8th and now closer to the relegation zone then 4th spot. On a brighter note you could say foundations have been set for a bright future at Anfield following their Carling Cup triumph over Cardiff on penalties last month, some would consider the Carling Cup as not a major achievement but it installs a winning mentality in to a side and should help them push on next season now that they are back in Europe and attract some better quality players to improve the team. An FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Everton looms as well which could help lift morale at the club especially if they win the trophy as then the season could be deemed as successful, I think Kenny Dalglish himself will be disappointed because the league is what Liverpool want. Unfortunately most fans expect success straight away which won't happen, Dalglish himself has been criticised with people saying what do you expect from a man who had been out of the game 15 years, I agree some of his ideas on the pitch appear out of date and some of his signings were shocking but he is the man for Liverpool. One things for sure, this summer is a big summer for Liverpool and next season will be a big moment for them as they look to press on to the next level, Premier League title challenge and Champions League football, or remain floating around in the wilderness wondering what could be.Manchester City
After Manchester United's win tonight and Manchester City drawing 3-3 with Sunderand at the weekend the blue side of Manchester trails its rivals by 5 points with 7 games to go. The blue moon was in full view for months as City as they led the league before only winning 1 in their last 4 which has seen them lose away to Swansea 1-0 and draw with Stoke 1-1 too. It appears that a promising start to the season which saw them batter United 6-1 at Old Trafford is going to count for nothing and that they'll be licking their wounds come May with manager Roberto Mancini possible licking the glass of the exit door following getting the sack. That assumption is probably not going to happen but with the amount of money that the Abu Dhabi owners have invested in to the football club how long will they remain patient and back the Italian as they obviously demand success like all of these wealthy owners *cough Abramovich*. To be fair it seems that these owners have a bit more sense then the Eastern European down in London so I'm sure they'll stand by Mancini unless Mourinho becomes available then that changes everything but besides him there's no once else out there worth swapping him as Mancini has built a squad that is capable of competing for the title. They like United have had a disappointing season in Europe as well which saw their first ever campaign in the Champions League fail at just the group stage and with what looks like all the domestic trophies eluding them it looks like City will finish trophy-less. Their run in for the title includes tough games such as Arsenal this weekend and before that game they could be 8 points off top spot if United beat QPR on Saturday. If the season does end without any silverware then it is very likely that they'll raid Europe's best clubs again this summer for more talent and ship out whatever they consider to be deadwood at the club and look to compete on all fronts next season.Manchester United
By Manchester United's extremely high standards this season has been strange but the same could be said for last year when they went on to win the league and reach the Champions League final. In comparison this season has been a bit more disappointing as they lost in the FA Cup 3rd round to Liverpool and to Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup, the Red Devils also fell at the first hurdle in the Champions League which left them in Europe's second tier of football and to make matters worse were outplayed by La Liga's Athletic Bilbao losing 5-3 on aggregate. The Spanish fluid football is Ferguson's challenge for next season but for now he has one a lot closer to home, Manchester City. Despite the indifferent season at Old Trafford in the league United have been grinding out results and got to that part of the season when they play their best stuff, Fergie and United have the know how in these situations and their reason form proves that they look almost certain to clinch a 20th Premier League title. The Red Devils have won 9 of their last 10 games whilst winning 7 in a row now following tonight's impressive victory over Blackburn which finished 2-0 thanks to goals from Valencia and Ashley Young. With wins over Arsenal 2-1, Tottenham 3-0, Wolves 5-0 and a game when they came back from 3 goals down against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to grab a valuable point United have been playing some of their best stuff this season in recent weeks. At times people may say they have relied on star man Wayne Rooney who has 29 goals in all competitions but now they are firing on all cylinders with the likes of Hernandez, 12 goals, and Welbeck, 10 goals, contributing. With other key players like Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia returning from injury and the young lads like Jones as well as goalkeeper David De Gea, who came under bundles of criticism at the start of the season has now hit top form with United having kept 4 clean sheets in a row, continuing to impress along with legends Ryan Giggs and the returning Paul Scholes all of this is great news for United as the squad have all rallied together and that's without club captain Nemanja Vidic who has been out for the majority of the season. All of the squad are playing their part in this title bid as they have kicked in to full gear at the business end of the campaign like they always do. Now the Red Devils have a 20th League Title set in their sights as Sir Alex Ferguson looks to make another piece of amazing history and fend off the challenge from the noisy neighbours for another season.Newcastle United
Newcastle have been the success story of the season with Alan Pardew working wonders at the club. The Toon are 6th and should be in Europe next season which is pleasing for all associated at the club, Mike Ashley was criticised for hiring Pardew after controversially sacking former boss Chris Houghton but Pardew's first season in charge has seen him work wonders. Andy Carroll's £35 million pound sale had many thinking Newcastle were just a selling club who would probably not do much better then last season's 12th place finish despite their reputation but Pardew has reinvested the money given to him and bettered the squad. The likes of Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse, Tiote, Santon, Ben Arfa and Demba Ba have added quality to the side which has brought the best of fellow team-mates and enabled them to play good fooball leading to good results. At the moment Newcastle are on equal points with Chelsea and find themselves only 5 points off Champions League football, if they managed to achieve that it would be one of the greatest premier league achievements in recent memory and in April they have 4 very winnable fixtures before ending the campaign against Chelsea, Man City then Everton. Whatever happens Alan Pardew and his team can be very proud of what they are doing but they have set the bar high for themselves and they need to not just push on from now to the end of the season to make this memorable but they need to do the same next season in order to prove a point.Norwich City
As is the case with the majority of promoted sides in their first season quite a few believed Norwich would struggle in the big time. Paul Lambert's side had achieved back to back promotions seeing them jump from league 1 to the premier league in two seasons, all campaign his team have competed well and have been rewarded as the Canaries are almost definitely safe. They have 39 points with 7 games to go and are only off of being in the top half because of goal difference, one more win should confirm their top flight status as Norwich look to finish in the top half of the table in their first season back in England's top tier of football, if they have a strong end to the season depending on who wins the FA Cup European spots could go up to 7th or even 8th place so Lambert will be looking for his players to dig in deep and finish strongly to try and make this campaign as memorable as possible. With that being said the Scots man and his side know that survival was the main aim for the season and now that is almost achieved they can enjoy the summer and push on next season to try and establish themselves providing they can keep their strikeforce of Grant Holt and Steve Morison who have 23 goals between them as well as the likes of influential midfielder Anthony Pilkington who is the clubs 3rd top scorer with 7 goals.Queens Park Rangers
QPR although be it on goal difference have climbed out of the relegation zone at the right time with just 7 game to go, they are the only promoted side who find themselves in danger of going down at the end of the season but thankfully they have a squad that is stronger then those in and around them thanks to investment from new chairman Tony Fernandez during the January transfer window. Fernandez also felt it was right to have a managerial change shortly after his arrival, usually I would say its unfair to sack the man who got you up but Mark Hughes has a lot more to offer then Neil Warnock in the Premier League and he has the ability to attract better calibre players which January prove with him bringing in the likes of Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora up front and reuniting himself with former player Shaun Wright-Philips. These players were coups for a team in their first season of the Premier League and by signing them as well as holding on to the likes of Adel Taarabt it has meant that QPR can play better football, defensively the like of Taiwo at the back and Barton in midfield have also contributed. Come May QPR could well be in with a chance of having a second season in the bigtime and use their chairman's cash to help build a stronger side for the next campaign.Stoke City
Stoke City are 10 points above the drop zone and 5 points from 7th as they sit in 13th at the moment, Tony Pulis' men are often criticised for the way they play but they get results so you can't fault that. It is their 4th season in the top division since promotion in 2008 and they've even coped well with the demands of European football this season in which the Potters made the knockout stages of the Europa League but were knocked out by Valencia in what was a dream tie for all those associated at Stoke. Pulis spent money in the summer and will look to do the same this year whilst motivating his players to finish as high as they can and get results in their final 7 games, Peter Crouch has 12 goals for the club including a stunning and most likely goal of the season strike against Manchester City. Once again fans, players, staff and the board can be proud of the teams achievements this year as the club are now an established top flight side.Sunderland
Steve Bruce built a squad capable of a top half finish in the Premier League but he just seemed to be unlucky and not get the results, it wasn't that the players weren't playing for him it just seemed like it wasn't meant to be in the end. In the end the board did the right thing once they hired Martin O'Neill as he is a manager with great experience, know how and quality plus he is a Sunderland fan, he's brought passion and desire back to the Black Cats and now the club sit 9th in the league whilst facing the possibility of maybe finishing the season with a place in Europe. Some of the signings who were not performing under Bruce now are under O'Neill plus the Irish man has had players return from injury at just the right time, the draw at the weekend with Manchester City showed how much Sunderland have come on as they led 3-1 but were unfortunate to not come away with 3 points. Their performance in the FA Cup almost saw them book a place at Wembley before losing out to Everton but the fans and board can take confidence from this campaign and as the team look to finish the season on a high once the new manager gets to have a summer for himself buying and selling who he likes the team can push on again next year and will hope to have another successful campaign.Swansea City
Swansea have lit up the Premier League this season playing some free flowing football and their hard work has paid off as the Swans sit 11th with them only being off of a top half place due to goal difference. At home Brendan Rodgers' men have only lost 3 games with their other results including 6 wins and 6 draws meaning that 24 of their 39 points have come at the Liberty stadium. Home results are key to survival especially in your first season in the Premiership which the likes of Swansea and Norwich have proved, Swansea also like Norwich have a squad which many would of doubted coming in to England's top tier of football but the likes of Danny Graham (12 goals) Scott Sinclar (7 goals) Dyer, Britton, Williams and co have proved people wrong. Even their goalkeeper Michael Vorm has been very impressive between the sticks and has won the club points on his own like against Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season. With the teams attractive style of football and a young manager at the helm who appears to want to stay, despite reported interest from Tottenham if current boss Harry Redknapp leaves, the Welsh side will want to establish themselves in the Premier League for years to come which they'll believe they can do thanks to their positive and forward thinking which will also benefit them in attracted better calibre players over the summer.Tottenham Hotspur
It has certainly been one of the most eventful seasons for Spurs in the Premier League era for all those associated at White Hart Lane. They managed to hold on to star player Luka Modric and despite early season losses to Manchester United and Manchester City the North London outfit pushed on and put on an early title challenge themselves which saw them win 10 of their next 11 Premier League games. The next twist came at the Etihad stadium when a last minute Mario Balotelli penalty following a Jermain Defoe open goal miss ruined a spirited comeback for Tottneham as they lost 3-2, following that Harry Redknapp was then and is still being linked with the vacant England position which even he himself admitted has been a distraction. Following this Tottenham are now in a battle to stay in the top 4 places and get Champions League football despite being 3rd for a long period of the season, at this moment in time Spurs are on even points with Arsenal and are only behind their rivals on goal difference. They will be inspired by the fact that they have never finished above the Gunners since the Premier League was formed and with Arsenal facing Manchester City in a key clash this coming weekend Spurs could be back in to 3rd at the end of the weekends games. Chelsea and Newcastle are also closely behind the North London clubs as they are only 5 points behind the pair but with the quality in Tottenham's squad they should confirm Champions League football for next season. This is a must for Tottenham as the club are at a crossroads with the manager situation as well as the rumours of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric maybe leaving, playing in Europe's elite competition will surely convince these types of players to stay whilst attracting other quality players to help build something at the club, even if 'Arry does leave for England securing Champions League football would surely help in finding a suitable replacement for the Englishman. They also have an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea to look forward to soon at Wembley so Spurs could be celebrating some silverware come next month, whatever happens one thing that's for sure is that this summer at White Hart Lane will once again be eventful and if they can keep this group of players with the likes of Van Der Vaart, Parker, Modric, Bale and Adebayor then future seasons including this one could be successful.West Bromwich Albion
West Brom are 8 points clear of the relegation zone with 7 games to go so with a couple more results the Baggies will confirm their top flight status for next season, this is thanks to the likes of Peter Odemwingie and Shane Long who have 17 goals between them. Unlike most teams in the league West Brom have picked up more points on the road then they have at home, Roy Hodgson's side have lost 3 of their last 4 and will have to ensure they don't get complacent even though they are in a fairly safe position at this moment in time. Hodgson has turned the clubs fortunes around since taking over at the club and is better at "smaller" clubs so I'm sure he'll rally his team together and ensure safety for the Midlands side.Wigan Athletic
As usual Wigan have plodded along during the season and are now starting to pick up results when it means the most, last season the club ensured survival with a last day victory away to Stoke and with the relegation battle being tight against Roberto Martinez's men could well be fighting for their lives on the last day of the season again come May. With back to back wins and 2 draws before that the Lactics have now picked up 8 of their current total of 28 points in the last 4 matches the team have played, Martinez is a manager with lots of potential but despite his sides turn in fortunes their next 3 games are against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. 3 defeats in those games could see them in a very unpromising position especially as at the moment they are on level points with Blackburn and QPR whilst also having a worse goal difference then all their fellow relegation candidates as well apart from bottom side Wolves. Whatever happens Wigan and Martinez will fight and Martinez will motivate his players like he always does as he intends to pull off another great escape.Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves made the mistake of sacking Mick McCarthy even though they were in the relegation zone in the middle of February after 9 games without victory. McCarthy's men had survived the past 2 seasons in the Premier League and he had the players playing for him despite results not going their way, no offence to a club like Wolves but what did the board expect after sacking the Irish man? To find someone who would magically guide them up the table in to the top half/European positions. With McCarthy in charge and another summer at the club providing they had survived he could of continued to build a squad to establish the team in the Premiership. After failing to secure any of their managerial targets to be McCarthy's successor they turned to their former managers number 2 Terry Connor which has seen the team draw 1 and lose 5 in a row meaning that they now sit bottom of the table with 7 games to go and are 6 points, effectively 7 with their very poor goal difference, from survival. I think it's safe to say that Wolves are going down and they'll probably need to find a boss with some Championship experience whilst holding on to key players like Matt Jarvis and Stephen Fletcher, which will be very difficult, if they are able to mount a promotion challenge back to the top flight next season.Final Table:
I've put my final predictions in to the table below, I've stuck with Manchester United winning the title like I said before the season begun. After the Champions moved 5 points clear of their rivals at the weekend I feel Sir Alex's men will win their 20th league title come the end of the season. This season has been one of the closest in Premier League history and its very unpredictable as to who will finish where, with United winning the league City will take 2nd and I feel Spurs will secure automatic qualification to the Champions League as well by finishing 3rd as with the form they've showed during this campaign all of their remaining fixtures are winnable where as rivals Arsenal and Chelsea still have to face each other and have other tough games themselves. Although many would disagree this leaves the door open for Newcastle to slip in to the top 4, all season they have had their doubters but if they've survived over 3/4's of the season mixing it up the top of the table then what's to stop the Toon from making history and taking 4th place. If that was to happen they would be in the qualification round for the Champions League unless Chelsea win the competition this year but with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich around the West London club will only make the semis at best in that particular tournament. I'll expand on what I think will happen in the Champions League in another blog post, domestically I said my 4 picks for the FA Cup were United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool so with the latter 3 making up 4 of the semi-finalists I think one of my choices will win it with it most likely being the team who wins the semi-final out of Spurs and Chelsea. Liverpool already sealed the Carling Cup and I thought a team like Everton would in it so I guess that kind of counts as a prediction come true seeing as the blue outfit of Merseyside are above their red counterparts. Blackburn are the team I'm sticking with to go down from the post I did previous and with Wolves currently positioned how they are at the bottom of the pile I think it's safe to say they are going down to the Championship as well. That's 20th and 19th taken care of and just to once again go out on a limb like I did with Newcastle I'll make a bold prediction and say that Aston Villa will go down on the basis that if they lose their crunch game in hand against Bolton I feel it will cause a big slide for them and could possibly see them go down but if not it'll be Wigan. By the end of the season hopefully I will have got a lot of the table correct (10 or over). Whatever happens I hope you enjoyed reading and enjoy the rest of the season as it proves to be extremely dramatic and exciting.
| Pos | Team | |
| 1 | Manchester United (C) | |
| 2 | Manchester City | |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | |
| 4 | Newcastle United | |
| 5 | Chelsea | |
| 6 | Arsenal | |
| 7 | Everton | |
| 8 | Liverpool | |
| 9 | Sunderland | |
| 10 | Swansea City | |
| 11 | Fulham | |
| 12 | Norwich City | |
| 13 | Stoke City | |
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 15 | Bolton Wanderers | |
| 16 | Queens Park Rangers | |
| 17 | Wigan Athletic | |
| 18 | Aston Villa (R) | |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers (R) | |
| 20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (R) | |
