Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - If this weekend proved one thing, it is that this year's English Premier League title will be claimed by one of three EPL heavyweights, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal.
The Blues entered this season having claimed the last two EPL titles, and were an overwhelming favorite to add a third. The offseason signings of striker Andriy Shevchenko and midfielder Michael Ballack only added to manager Jose Mourinho's embarrassment of riches. However, Chelsea have encountered a few speed bumps early in the season, and have not been quite as sharp as the past two seasons. The Stamford Bridge squad does still possess the greatest collection of talent in Europe, and it is only a matter of time before they put it together.
Manchester United, meanwhile, currently hold a three-point edge of Chelsea, and have been at the top all season. The departure of striker Ruud van Nistelrooy this past summer to Real Madrid created quite a stir around Old Trafford, but Frenchman Louis Saha has filled his boots very capably and is the biggest scoring threat currently on the United roster. Wayne Rooney still seems to be rounding into form after sustaining a serious ankle injury at the end of last season. It didn't help matters that he suited up for England in the World Cup, and despite showing flashes of his former self, including a hat-trick against Bolton two weeks ago, he has struggled to find the back of the net. This is certainly not the most talented team that Sir Alex Ferguson has fielded, but they do make the most of their ability. Saturday's 1-0 win over Blackburn gave me all the proof that I needed to believe that United will hang with Chelsea at the top throughout the season. I know, the team scraped by a bottom-half team in ugly fashion, but that was the type of game that the Red Devils would have found a way to lose over the past couple of years.
Arsenal is a team that some may have written off early in the season as the Gunners secured just two points in their first three matches and hardly resembled the high-powered teams of years past. The season turned around in Arsenal's fourth game, however, as Arsene Wenger's men handed Manchester United its first loss of the season, and did so without the services of superstar striker Thierry Henry. Since that game, Arsenal has returned to its free-flowing offensive style, and has put the rest of the Premiership on notice. The Gunners are easily the most entertaining team in England, and showed their offensive prowess in Sunday's 3-0 trouncing of Liverpool, a game that put the Reds title hopes to sleep. Although Arsenal currently sits 10 points back of United, they do have a game in hand and meet up with Chelsea two times and the Red Devils once more. When they are on top of their game they can beat anyone, and will have the chance to do so over the next couple of months.
These three teams have ruled the EPL with an iron fist over the past decade, and that trend will continue this campaign. In the end, Chelsea's abundance of talent will probably win out, but you can never count out Ferguson and United, who have pulled off similar surprises en route to league titles. While Arsenal remains wildly entertaining, their sluggish start may prove too big an obstacle to overcome, but you can bet that it will be fun to watch them try.
* Game of the Week *
Sunday's match between Liverpool and Arsenal provided an early must-win situation for both clubs. The winner of the match would put themselves back into the conversation as a threat to both Manchester United and Chelsea. The loser would be all but done at such an early point in the season.
It seems that Liverpool did not get the memo about the importance of this match, as the Reds played a seemingly indifferent contest, and were soundly outclassed by a high-flying Arsenal side, 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Goals from Mathieu Flamini, Kolo Toure and William Gallas, all unlikely sources, provided the home side with the resounding win, and brought Arsenal to within 10 points of United at the top.
Flamini's goal was a classic Arsenal build up, as Alexander Hleb found Francesc Fabregas with a pass, who then one-touched the ball to a sliding Flamini before the Frenchman pushed it across the line. Toure was the beneficiary of a nice through-ball by Robin van Persie in the second half that made it a 2-0 game and took the life away from Liverpool. Gallas' tally epitomized Liverpool's lack of effort as he found himself unmarked inside the six-yard box on a corner kick for an easy finish and a 3-0 Arsenal win.
At this point in the season, it looks as though Rafael Benitez and his squad can only hope for a fourth-place finish and the last Champions League spot to take anything away from what has been an incredibly disappointing campaign thus far.
* New deals for Reading's Iceland duo *
Both Ivar Ingimarsson and Brynjar Gunnarsson have signed contract extensions with Reading.
The 31-year-old Gunnarsson will remain at Reading through the 2007-08 season, while Ingimarsson will be playing at the Madjewski Stadium until the 2008-09 campaign.
Both players were key members of Reading's Coca-Cola Championship-winning club last season, earning Reading a promotion into the Premiership this season. Steve Coppell has his team in a good position to remain in England's top tier after this season, something that is difficult to achieve upon promotion.
The Royals are currently in the middle of the table, seven points clear of the dreaded relegation zone.
