2008-2009 EPL Wrap-Up (Week 11-20)
January 4th 2009 20:53
Liverpool is still in the lead as the Premiership heads into 2009. However, Chelsea and the Red Devils aren't far behind with Sir Alex Ferguson's troops holding two games in hand. Here are the standings after 20 games.
1. Liverpool (20-13-6-1 | 45pts) (Last 10: 5-4-1 | 19pts)
After a decent start to their season where they went undefeated, grabbing several late wins in the process, Liverpool started their second ten-game sequence with a 2-1 loss against Tottenham, their lone defeat so far in the season. Their wins have become more convincing as three of their five victories came with clean sheets, and their last one was a complete thrashing of Newcastle United which finished on the score of 5-1. Still, draws against Fulham, West Ham United, Hull City and Arsenal have prevented the Reds from pulling away, allowing the other teams to stay close behind. One can only hope that the return of Fernando Torres will provide the gamebreaker in those types of game.
2. Chelsea (20-12-6-2 | 42pts) (Last 10: 5-4-1 | 19pts)
Although Chelsea have the same record as Liverpool for the last ten games, their performances seem to have been declining rather than the other way around. Their defense has nothing to reproach to itself – all five wins have been with clean sheets and two of their four draws finished scoreless. It's the offense that's been lacking inspiration despite scoring 18 goals in ten games – six in their last five. After a great start to his season, Nicolas Anelkas has slowed down and Joe Cole's injuries have deprived the Blues of much needed skills and thrills. What Chelsea lacks right now is a player that can come off the bench and completely change the complexion of the game. Kalou has filled that role for a certain period but he can't be expected to do it every game. I'm not convinced that Deco and Ballack can be very effective playing at the same time because it feels like one is always taking some of the other's space and role. The Blues also lack young guns – youngsters who are just hungry to play, who could give back the enthusiasm that was there at the beginning of the season. It might be a stretch, but I wonder what a player like PSV's Afellay could do playing on the wings for Chelsea.
3. Manchester United (18-11-5-2 | 38pts) (Last 10: 6-3-1 | 21pts)
The Red Devils' much vaunted offense has gone dry, scoring 14 goals in their last ten games – just three in their last five. The good news is that they're still winning, picking up three more points than the top two in the last ten games. But, you have to wonder how much stress Sir Alex Ferguson is willing to take as his team struggles to find the back of the net before the final quarter of the game. What's even more worrisome is that they haven't won a single game against the Top Four while picking up 1-0 wins against teams such as Stoke City, Sunderland, and Middlesbrough. To my mind, much of the imbalance has come from the arrival of Berbatov. Unlike Tevez and Rooney, Berbatov isn't a hard-working, Energizer bunny, he simply hangs around, waiting for opportunities here and there. In that sense, United are starting to look more and more like Chelsea with a central striker holding the ball up instead of Manchester's usual free-flowing, tic-tac-toe-like offense. With Berbatov sticking firmly in the middle, Rooney and Ronaldo aren't able to move as freely as before, making United's play pretty predictable. Their next fixture against Chelsea will prove to be a decisive match for both teams.
4. Aston Villa (20-11-5-4 | 35pts) (Last 10: 5-3-2 | 16pts)
The surprise of the season, the Villans have been having a jolly good time inserting themselves between Arsenal and the rest of the Big Four. Although they started the month of November with two losses, they rebounded very well, defeating Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates, drawing 0-0 against Manchester United, and drawing 2-2 against Arsenal.
5. Arsenal (20-10-5-5 | 35pts) (Last 10: 4-3-3 | 15pts)
There are two sides to Arsene Wenger's squad: the strikingly efficient side which defeated both Manchester United and Chelsea 2-1 and drew 1-1 against Liverpool, and the easily demoralized side which was blanked against both Aston Villa and Manchester City (2-0 and 3-0 losses respectively). Four of those five results happened during the month of November, clearly showing a lack of consistency and focus. Wenger preached patience, knowing that Eduardo is inching closer to a Premier League return – something that will give more options to the French manager. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the Gunners two days before Christmas as Fabregas suffered a ligament injury in Arsenal's draw against Liverpool. The young captain will be out until April, meaning that he will also miss the Champions League's first knock-out stage. It's a big blow to Arsenal, and one can't help but feel that Wenger must find a central midfielder during the winter transfer period to give more confidence to his squad.
6. Everton (20-9-5-6 | 32pts) (Last 10: 6-2-2 | 20pts)
After getting only three wins in their first ten games, Everton improved their record by grabbing six wins in their last ten games. The main improvement has happened in defense as they went from conceding 24 goals in their first ten games, 6 in their last ten, and three in their last five that came from a 3-2 loss against Aston Villa.
7. Wigan Athletic (19-8-4-7 | 28pts) (Last 10: 6-3-1 | 21pts)
Similarly to Everton, Wigan have reversed their fortunes in the second ten-game stretch of the season, a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford being the highlight of that period.
8. Hull City (20-7-6-7 | 27pts) (Last 10: 1-4-5 | 7pts)
Just one win in their last ten games has brought Hull City back down to earth. Two severe losses at the hands of Manchester City (5-1) and Sunderland (4-1) in their last three games don't leave much space for optimism.
9. Fulham (19-6-8-5 | 26pts) (Last 10: 3-6-1 | 15pts)
Just one defeat in the last ten games has kept Fulham afloat, hanging in the top ten. Draws against Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Chelsea point in the right direction.
10. West Ham United (20-7-4-9 | 25pts) (Last 10: 3-4-3 | 13pts)
Consistency has been the problem at West Ham United in this second ten-game stretch as wins, draws, and defeats succeed each other without the establishment of any kind of streak whether it's a losing streak or a winning one.
11. Bolton (20-7-2-11 | 23pts) (Last 10: 5-0-5 | 15pts)
In true second-half-of-the-table fashion, it's either win or lose for Bolton who defeat the teams below them but can't do the same to the teams above.
12. Portsmouth (20-6-5-9 | 23pts) (Last 10: 2-3-5 | 9pts)
Portsmouth ended 2008 on a four-game losing streak. The move of holding midfielder Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid isn't going to improve things in 2009.
13. Manchester City (20-6-4-10 | 22pts) (Last 10: 2-3-5 | 9pts)
Every world-class player in Europe has been linked to a move to City ever since the beginning of the season. They might need to climb up a bit in the standings to attract interest though.
14. Newcastle United (20-5-7-8 | 22pts) (Last 10: 3-4-3 | 13pts)
15. Sunderland (20-6-4-10 | 22pts) (Last 10: 3-1-6 | 10pts)
16. Tottenham Hotspur (20-5-5-10 | 20pts) (Last 10: 4-2-4 | 14pts)
Surprise wins against Liverpool and Manchester City, and a 0-0 draw against Manchester United are the Spurs' best results in the second ten-game stretch of the season.
17. Middlesbrough (20-5-5-10 | 20pts) (Last 10: 1-4-5 | 7pts)
18. Stoke City (20-5-5-10 | 20pts) (Last 10: 2-4-4 | 10pts)
19. Blackburn Rovers (20-4-6-10 | 18pts) (Last 10: 1-3-6 | 6pts)
A six-game losing streak was interrupted by a 3-0 win against Stoke City. Manager Paul Ince was also replaced by Sam Allardyce in order to bring the Rovers back in the right direction.
20. West Bromwich Albiom (20-5-3-12 | 18pts) (Last 10: 2-2-6 | 5pts)
West Brom has the worst record in the Premiership, picking up only five points in the last two months. The only way to explain this position is the lack of Premier League experience from a side that was promoted this season.
1. Liverpool (20-13-6-1 | 45pts) (Last 10: 5-4-1 | 19pts)
After a decent start to their season where they went undefeated, grabbing several late wins in the process, Liverpool started their second ten-game sequence with a 2-1 loss against Tottenham, their lone defeat so far in the season. Their wins have become more convincing as three of their five victories came with clean sheets, and their last one was a complete thrashing of Newcastle United which finished on the score of 5-1. Still, draws against Fulham, West Ham United, Hull City and Arsenal have prevented the Reds from pulling away, allowing the other teams to stay close behind. One can only hope that the return of Fernando Torres will provide the gamebreaker in those types of game.
2. Chelsea (20-12-6-2 | 42pts) (Last 10: 5-4-1 | 19pts)
Although Chelsea have the same record as Liverpool for the last ten games, their performances seem to have been declining rather than the other way around. Their defense has nothing to reproach to itself – all five wins have been with clean sheets and two of their four draws finished scoreless. It's the offense that's been lacking inspiration despite scoring 18 goals in ten games – six in their last five. After a great start to his season, Nicolas Anelkas has slowed down and Joe Cole's injuries have deprived the Blues of much needed skills and thrills. What Chelsea lacks right now is a player that can come off the bench and completely change the complexion of the game. Kalou has filled that role for a certain period but he can't be expected to do it every game. I'm not convinced that Deco and Ballack can be very effective playing at the same time because it feels like one is always taking some of the other's space and role. The Blues also lack young guns – youngsters who are just hungry to play, who could give back the enthusiasm that was there at the beginning of the season. It might be a stretch, but I wonder what a player like PSV's Afellay could do playing on the wings for Chelsea.
3. Manchester United (18-11-5-2 | 38pts) (Last 10: 6-3-1 | 21pts)
The Red Devils' much vaunted offense has gone dry, scoring 14 goals in their last ten games – just three in their last five. The good news is that they're still winning, picking up three more points than the top two in the last ten games. But, you have to wonder how much stress Sir Alex Ferguson is willing to take as his team struggles to find the back of the net before the final quarter of the game. What's even more worrisome is that they haven't won a single game against the Top Four while picking up 1-0 wins against teams such as Stoke City, Sunderland, and Middlesbrough. To my mind, much of the imbalance has come from the arrival of Berbatov. Unlike Tevez and Rooney, Berbatov isn't a hard-working, Energizer bunny, he simply hangs around, waiting for opportunities here and there. In that sense, United are starting to look more and more like Chelsea with a central striker holding the ball up instead of Manchester's usual free-flowing, tic-tac-toe-like offense. With Berbatov sticking firmly in the middle, Rooney and Ronaldo aren't able to move as freely as before, making United's play pretty predictable. Their next fixture against Chelsea will prove to be a decisive match for both teams.
4. Aston Villa (20-11-5-4 | 35pts) (Last 10: 5-3-2 | 16pts)
The surprise of the season, the Villans have been having a jolly good time inserting themselves between Arsenal and the rest of the Big Four. Although they started the month of November with two losses, they rebounded very well, defeating Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates, drawing 0-0 against Manchester United, and drawing 2-2 against Arsenal.
5. Arsenal (20-10-5-5 | 35pts) (Last 10: 4-3-3 | 15pts)
There are two sides to Arsene Wenger's squad: the strikingly efficient side which defeated both Manchester United and Chelsea 2-1 and drew 1-1 against Liverpool, and the easily demoralized side which was blanked against both Aston Villa and Manchester City (2-0 and 3-0 losses respectively). Four of those five results happened during the month of November, clearly showing a lack of consistency and focus. Wenger preached patience, knowing that Eduardo is inching closer to a Premier League return – something that will give more options to the French manager. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the Gunners two days before Christmas as Fabregas suffered a ligament injury in Arsenal's draw against Liverpool. The young captain will be out until April, meaning that he will also miss the Champions League's first knock-out stage. It's a big blow to Arsenal, and one can't help but feel that Wenger must find a central midfielder during the winter transfer period to give more confidence to his squad.
6. Everton (20-9-5-6 | 32pts) (Last 10: 6-2-2 | 20pts)
After getting only three wins in their first ten games, Everton improved their record by grabbing six wins in their last ten games. The main improvement has happened in defense as they went from conceding 24 goals in their first ten games, 6 in their last ten, and three in their last five that came from a 3-2 loss against Aston Villa.
7. Wigan Athletic (19-8-4-7 | 28pts) (Last 10: 6-3-1 | 21pts)
Similarly to Everton, Wigan have reversed their fortunes in the second ten-game stretch of the season, a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford being the highlight of that period.
8. Hull City (20-7-6-7 | 27pts) (Last 10: 1-4-5 | 7pts)
Just one win in their last ten games has brought Hull City back down to earth. Two severe losses at the hands of Manchester City (5-1) and Sunderland (4-1) in their last three games don't leave much space for optimism.
9. Fulham (19-6-8-5 | 26pts) (Last 10: 3-6-1 | 15pts)
Just one defeat in the last ten games has kept Fulham afloat, hanging in the top ten. Draws against Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Chelsea point in the right direction.
10. West Ham United (20-7-4-9 | 25pts) (Last 10: 3-4-3 | 13pts)
Consistency has been the problem at West Ham United in this second ten-game stretch as wins, draws, and defeats succeed each other without the establishment of any kind of streak whether it's a losing streak or a winning one.
11. Bolton (20-7-2-11 | 23pts) (Last 10: 5-0-5 | 15pts)
In true second-half-of-the-table fashion, it's either win or lose for Bolton who defeat the teams below them but can't do the same to the teams above.
12. Portsmouth (20-6-5-9 | 23pts) (Last 10: 2-3-5 | 9pts)
Portsmouth ended 2008 on a four-game losing streak. The move of holding midfielder Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid isn't going to improve things in 2009.
13. Manchester City (20-6-4-10 | 22pts) (Last 10: 2-3-5 | 9pts)
Every world-class player in Europe has been linked to a move to City ever since the beginning of the season. They might need to climb up a bit in the standings to attract interest though.
14. Newcastle United (20-5-7-8 | 22pts) (Last 10: 3-4-3 | 13pts)
15. Sunderland (20-6-4-10 | 22pts) (Last 10: 3-1-6 | 10pts)
16. Tottenham Hotspur (20-5-5-10 | 20pts) (Last 10: 4-2-4 | 14pts)
Surprise wins against Liverpool and Manchester City, and a 0-0 draw against Manchester United are the Spurs' best results in the second ten-game stretch of the season.
17. Middlesbrough (20-5-5-10 | 20pts) (Last 10: 1-4-5 | 7pts)
18. Stoke City (20-5-5-10 | 20pts) (Last 10: 2-4-4 | 10pts)
19. Blackburn Rovers (20-4-6-10 | 18pts) (Last 10: 1-3-6 | 6pts)
A six-game losing streak was interrupted by a 3-0 win against Stoke City. Manager Paul Ince was also replaced by Sam Allardyce in order to bring the Rovers back in the right direction.
20. West Bromwich Albiom (20-5-3-12 | 18pts) (Last 10: 2-2-6 | 5pts)
West Brom has the worst record in the Premiership, picking up only five points in the last two months. The only way to explain this position is the lack of Premier League experience from a side that was promoted this season.
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