Take a bow Wigan Athletic! You can’t help but appreciate the sheer romanticism attached to Wigan’s win over Manchester United – unless you’re one of the Red Devil brigade – on Wednesday. If one were to travel down the memory lane, the 1-0 win has come as a massive anomalous moment especially if one considers how the EPL era has panned out historically.
Not only 19th beating top was an odd ball on its own; being eight points ahead with six games to go, and having witnessed City losing out to Arsenal you would’ve bet everything you own – and maybe borrowed some more– on a ‘clinical’ performance by Manchester United that would’ve had ensured that they have one hand on the trophy that they are vying to defend. Manchester United don’t let go when they have a lead at this time of the year; let alone to a side that is fighting for survival. Also with Wigan having the fewest home wins (2) and points (13) of any team in the top division, the result was jarring at the very least. Now with Wigan outplaying the defending champions a very eager cat has been thrown among quite a few fragile pigeons, and a spanner into the works at both ends of the table.
Wigan might’ve been the principal protagonist on Wednesday, but Manchester City duly followed the script with a ‘clinical’ 4-0 beating ofWest Brom at the Etihad, which included a goal for Carlos Tevez to boot. Now with five points the difference with five games to go, City smell the blood that United customarily sniff at this time of the year. Technically it’s two points that City should hope that United lose elsewhere somehow – despite their considerably easier run – for, City have the game between the two archenemy at the Etihad in their own hands. City also have a better goal difference, and would’ve dug out more than their fair share of optimism from United’s struggles on Wednesday. There’s definitely hope for City even if it’s United’s title to lose by a country mile.
Wigan meanwhile, have catapulted themselves out of the relegation zone with that win and have in turn enlarged their odds of going down this year. While the three points were invaluable, it is actually the overall performance of the side – something that they have replicated recently, including during the game against Chelsea – that oozes buoyancy. Hence, it’s Bolton and Blackburn – who were victims of a rare Andy Carroll goal – that are now being peddled as relegation favourites with Wolves having all but bit the dust already.
While there was a convulsion at the top and bottom on Wednesday, the race for fourth spot is also getting more scorching after every Gameweek. I think it’s save to say that with their North London rivals locating a precipitous downward spiral, Arsenal are now a shoo-in for third – although the Gunners are no stranger to nosedives themselves.
Spurs and Newcastle are now level on points with 59 points each, with Chelsea a couple of points behind. What makes Spurs’ task really tough on paper is that despite currently occupying the fourth spot as things stand, they still have to play QPR, Blackburn and Bolton – three of the relegation contenders, who’d be fighting for their lives. Chelsea have no cakewalk either, and still have to play Arsenal and Liverpool away; and while Liverpool might be out of sorts – quite an understatement – they still would want to end the season well. Plus Chelsea have a game against Newcastle as well, which on current form could be the fourth spot decider.
Of those challenging for fourth it’s Newcastle who have the form on their side with a spree of consecutive wins. But Newcastle too have a tough run-in, with a game against City to add to the one at Chelsea as well. In any case, with that potential ‘title decider’ at the Etihad, and games between Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle to go, there are some absolute humdingers in store that would be pivotal in the final shapeup of the league table.
Everything’s going down to the wire
