Buzzin Football Blog

With FA cup third round games taking place this coming weekend, the next round of Premiership football will take place on the 10thJanuary 2009. So the notorious Christmas period of games comes to an end with Aston Villa taking on Hull tonight and the chance for Martin O’Neill’s team to nudge past Arsenal into fourthplace in the league and on equal points with Manchester United, if they are able to win.

Of course United have two games in hand over the other top four or should we now say top five teams , an enviable position for the English, European and now World club champions.

What an unpredictable season it is turning out to be. Manchester United have the possibility to unnerve Chelsea at Old Trafford in the first weekend of the 2009 Premier league fixture list, where a win for the champions would put them one point behind last years runners up and still with those two games in hand.

While each of the top clubs have had games where they look unbeatable, none has managed to look convincing enough on a long term basis, but as they say winning points when performing badly is the sign of champions. Of course on that basis the title would appear to be wide open but at present my money would be on Manchester United prising the lead from Liverpool by the end of the season.

While Chelsea remain in with a shout, the promise of samba football at the bridge never lasted more than a few games, almost as long as the rise and fall of Deco as the new messiah. Arsenal too lost focus of their vision of total football as another season looks set to implode, the injury to Euro 2008 winner Cesc Fabregas being the last straw.

Liverpool have also struggled to look convincing title chasers on a regular basis and have rescued games through sheer good luck on a number of occasions already this season, then again the same can be said of any of the contenders. Of course Fernando Torres is fit again and we may yet see that partnership with Robbie Keane being more fruitful. A lot may also depend on the outcome of Steven Gerrard’s arrest in the premiership news yesterday.

And Manchester United are also starting to fit together nicely, even if the strike force that Fergie rated as the best in the world are not scoring for fun, they are still winning games when it counts.

If I were to stick my neck out I expect a tougher second half to the season, remaining close at top and bottom of the table, Manchester United sneaking it at the death from Liverpool and a real possibility of Aston Villa finishing above Arsenal.