We don't know how the Premier League title race is going to go down ... but whatever you want to happen, we've got you covered.
Something strange is happening in north London. Arsenal, who this weekend stuffed Liverpool in resounding and amusing fashion, have won seven league games on the spin and, over the last two months, have moved from sixth to second in the table, and halved the gap to champions-elect Chelsea from 14 points to seven, albeit Chelsea have a game in hand.
Does this count as a title race? No. Not yet. But there are seven games to go (or eight for Chelsea), and Chelsea haven't won anything yet. So ... are we going to get one? Are Chelsea going to stuff the title up?
As part of SB Nation Soccer's continuing mission to revolutionise #hot #football #content #delivery, we've decided to solve the problem of pretending we know the answer to such a fundamentally unknowable question. We've decided to solve the problem by ignoring it. Instead, we are proud to present the world's first opinion piece that tailors itself to your views. Simply read down the following answers until you find the one that pleases you the most, then stop. You leave happy, confident that your favourite football website agrees with you. And your happiness is our mission.
So, let's get to it. Are Chelsea going to mess up the title ... ?
Yes!
Chelsea might not have lost since New Year's Day, when Harry Kane and his Tottenham friends made Gary Cahill look very silly indeed, but they haven't played well for almost as long. Since the 5-0 dismantling of Swansea on 17 January, Chelsea have drawn six of their thirteen games, against teams as varied in strength as PSG and Burnley. Of their seven wins, only one has been by a margin of more than one goal.
Diego Costa has injured himself, again, while Cesc Fabregas is theoretically fit but playing like a heavy smoker. Oscar's congealed, Willian's peripheral, and while Juan Cuadrado may well turn out to be an upgrade on Mohammed Salah, he's taken to the Premier League like a duck to a forklift truck. At the back, meanwhile, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic look shakier with every passing game.
We're about to find out what happens when an elite football club decides to adopt an old-school approach to squad management: Chelsea's first choice players are either shattered or crocked, while the back-ups are out of form and low on confidence. Like a marathon runner who set off too quickly, Chelsea are going to collapse in a heap before the finish line, all energy drained from their trembling limbs, while Arsenal (and possibly even Manchester United) skip blithely on by.
Possibly ...
While common sense suggests that Chelsea are too far ahead, too close to the end, the schedule is neatly set up to manufacture at least a little excitement. Chelsea's next game is away at Queens Park Rangers, and while you'd expect them to win, we note with interest that a yellow card for either Nemanja Matic or Cesc Fabregas would lead to them missing the next two games. And those next two games are against the league's two form teams, Manchester United and Arsenal.
Arsenal are busy in the FA Cup the weekend Louis van Gaal's merry men go to Stamford Bridge, so that will effectively eat the game in hand. So if United win, and then Arsenal win, the gap will be down to four points with five games to go. And that? That counts as a race. One that Chelsea are still favourites to win, of course, but one that comes with much more pressure. Mourinho teams are generally seen as being better than most at handling the rigours of the sharp end of the season — such is the serenity of the Special One — but it would be refreshing to see them forced to prove it.
Probably not
To secure the title, Chelsea only need 15 points from eight games. Which is to say: even in light of the fact that they've been stuttering and stumbling over recent weeks, they can afford to lose their three remaining games against top half teams — United and Liverpool at home, Arsenal away — and still wrap things up with wins over QPR, Leicester, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Sunderland. Shouldn't be a problem.
Indeed, on current form you'd expect Chelsea to deal handily with Liverpool and it wouldn't be a surprise if they took something from the other two tricky games as well. Something of a shame, of course, for any Arsenal fans eyeing something exceptional. But anybody holding out for a Chelsea failure is effectively doing so on the basis that the league leaders aren't going to able to deal with three relegation candidates and two teams without much to play for. And that's fueled by hope, not expectation or calculation.
No
Seven points clear and a game in hand. Jose Mourinho, almost certainly the best manager in the league. Eden Hazard, by some distance the best player in the league. John Terry, probably still the best central defender in the league. Seven points clear and a game in hand. Don't be silly.
Obviously not
We don't want to be harsh, but ... well, once you get right down to it ... look, the thing is ... it's Arsenal. Yes, they've been excellent recently, and yes, they went and one at City, and yes, everybody's smiling. But still. Arsenal. Arsenal. We just don't see it.
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1O3PMH2
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