The 08/09 Premier League season was won by Manchester United but this season is going to be nail-bitingly close. With Chelsea and Arsenal hard on their heals, its going to be a fight to the finish.
Having sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, Man U had a huge void to fill. Sir Alex Ferguson reacted by signing the Ecuadorian international Antonio Valencia as a direct replacement. Ronaldo could make or break a game for United but Valencia is a totally different player. He does not have the charisma and presence like Ronaldo and neither does he have the sharp-shooting ability as Ronaldo did. He does however have the essential qualities of a winger. He crosses the ball extremely well. Consequently, this has served Wayne Rooney well. More than 50% of Rooney's goals are a direct result of Valencia's crosses.
The departure of Ronaldo has also given Rooney's morale a boost and he is scoring goals like a striker should. He is a much more mature and composed player now and it is beautiful watching him play.
The free transfer of Michael Owen has also seen United's strikeforce given a huge lift. Despite his annoying injuries, Owen has contributed 3 goals for United this season. Wait for it...He is out for the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury. Michael, you need to stop getting injuries.
United as a squad works really well. Every player contributes significantly to the team and the attacking football that they adopt is never short of goals.
Chelsea
When the charismatic Jose Mourinho left Chelsea, I thought Chelsea could never bounce back. But they have. Current manager Carlo Ancelotti, a 2-time UEFA Champions League winner with AC Milan has put together a force to be reckoned with. It is always exciting to watch Chelsea play. They have a strong attacking pack and the defence is rock-solid. You can count on Didier Drogba to deliver the goods and Frank Lampard to come up with shocking winners. They are sure to give United a run for their money this season.
Arsenal
To be honest, Arsenal are a very good side. Arsene Wenger is working on a tight budget and so he fields cheap young players who have pools of talent. Consequently, they do not have enough experience on the pitch to win major championships. One of their most experienced players is Cesc Fàbregas who at 22 years, is hardly a match winner. But as Arsenal demonstrated on March 9th with the 5-0 demolition of FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League cup tie, they cannot be written off until it is all over.
The rest
The rest of the teams are pretty much out of the title race and I am not even going to bother discussing about them. Manchester City have yet to gel as a team and don't get me started on Liverpool. I doze off whenever I watch them play.
Conclusion
I enjoy United's style of play and would love for them to win it again this season. But you never know...
Also see Manchester United to have new owners? and Manchester City FC owners eyeing Liverpool FC
