Title Race Wide Open as the Likely Lads Bare their Flaws

After another weekend of plentiful goals and gaffes in the Premier League, the argument that this will be the most open title race in years is gathering strength. The usual suspects are all up there but there is an unmistakable vulnerability about the regular top four teams, suggesting this season’s scramble for the biggest domestic prize could have more twists and turns that an alpine climb in the Tour de France.

Early pace-setters Chelsea served notice of their title aspirations with a hard-fought victory over Liverpool yesterday but the most significant conclusion from an otherwise drab affair was their over-reliance on Didier Drogba.
The Ivorian muscleman laid both goals on a plate for his fellow attackers and once again showed his relish for the big games. But the more influential Drogba shows himself to be, the more you wonder how on earth Chelsea will cope with his absence during the African Nations Cup. Take away the Blues’ other titan Michael Essien and you have a gaping hole in the middle of the side which Daniel Sturridge and Mikel John Obi aren’t going to come close to filling.
Chelsea have already shown alarming frailty this season in their resounding defeat at Wigan followed by an anaemic display in Cyprus. And with the January transfer ban ruling out reinforcements, Carlo Ancelotti may find that it’s not only the English weather that casts a gloom over Stamford Bridge this winter.

Liverpool matched Chelsea for most of yesterday’s game, only to find Fernando Torres having an off day while Drogba made hay. More worrying for Reds fans, however, is the paucity of attacking options at Rafael Benitez’s disposal. If Gerrard and Torres aren’t firing, you really wonder where the spark is going to come from. Riera, Babel, Voronin and Ngog are all decent players, but not one of them has proved themselves capable of opening up the tightest defences or providing a game-changing moment against the very best sides.
The absence of Xabi Alonso cannot be overstated. I’d be amazed if Javier Mascherano and Lucas score five goals between them this season. So defensive-minded are Liverpool’s midfield duo that they very rarely influence the play in the attacking third, let alone contribute goals or assists. Alonso used to sit very deep and was never a regular scorer, but his intelligent passing and link play often meant he was at the start of a move that led to a Liverpool goal. Alberto Aquilani has some big shoes to fill but even if he does prove a worthy successor to Alonso, his arrival may be too late to save Liverpool’s season.

I can’t help feeling that Manchester United are slightly flattered by their haul of 19 points from eight games. Saturday’s performance at home to Sunderland was among the most inept produced by a United side in years and confirmed many of the concerns fans and pundits have been expressing about Sir Alex Ferguson’s team.
The continued absence of Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar is depriving the United defence of authority and experience and there have to be serious concerns about the long-term fitness of the England centre-half. With Rooney surprisingly quiet, United also looked short of quality in attack and Antonio Valencia will have to improve dramatically to escape being labelled the biggest flop of the season.
Nonetheless, United snatched a draw at the last, once again showing their amazing capacity to come up with decisive late goals. And leaving arguments over generous time-keeping to one side, Ferguson and his men must take enormous credit for their ability to crank up the pressure on the opposition goal in the dying moments of games. For as long as I can remember, watching United trying to claw their way back into a game when they are drawing has been like having a front row seat for the battle of the Alamo.
Patrice Evra’s equaliser against Sunderland may have owed a fair amount to luck but it followed a period of relentless attacking during which United often had as many as eight men in the opposition penalty area. Every Sunderland player was like the Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke, desperately flinging themselves in all directions as they strived to stem the rising tide of United aggression. The commitment to gamble on all-out attack in pursuit of points has been one the defining characteristics of the Ferguson era and contrasts sharply with the approach of Benitez, who seldom makes changes before the 70th minute of games, regardless of how Liverpool are faring. Only a fool would write United out of the title race.

Arsenal were sublime against Blackburn and could have scored twice as many goals as the six they smashed past Paul Robinson in devastating fashion yesterday. But I can’t help feeling Arsene Wenger’s men are in danger of becoming known as flat-track bullies.
The attacking options at the Gunners manager’s disposal should be the envy of Liverpool, Chelsea and even United but Arsenal’s side retains areas of glaring weakness. The absence of an established enforcer in midfield is so blatant that David Dunn (remember him?) was given the freedom of the Emirates, scoring one goal and dancing into the area before being brought down for what should have been a penalty and the chance to level the score at 3-all.
For all their flair in possession, Arsenal look hideously exposed to the counter-attack and unless Wenger gets over his fear of spending and spanks 20 million on someone in the Javier Mascherano mould in January, the Gunners could be staring down the barrel of a fifth straight season without silverware.