The Season’s Surprises So Far
November is just around the corner and despite the frequent international breaks, a quarter of the season has already elapsed.
Arsenal are on fire, making a mockery of all the pundits who believed there would be no life after Henry. They lead the table with United tucked in second place. Ferguson’s team struggled in front of goal in the early games but has hit top form against Wigan and Villa. The manager has been forced to rotate his first team players and must be delighted by the promise shown by Nani in particular and by Anderson, Simpson and Pique.
United’s low point of the season so far was the defeat at the hands of the season’s suprise package City. Under the guidance of the underestimated Sven, Blue Manchester is very well placed, occupying third spot in the league, despite lacking a top class keeper. If form and luck hold, the season could end with an unlikely European place.
The Swedish manager’s famed roving eye is just as capable of assesing players as it is future playmates. City fans will be delighted by the summer trading that shipped out some shockers and brought in Elano, Petrov and Corluka. Mpenza looked a dreadful player last term but is now transformed.
Liverpool are struggling for form but still lurk ominously in fourth place. Torres looks the part and if Rafa can find and stick to a midfield quartet with the right blend, Liverpool will enter the winter months with some confidence, having yet to lose a Premiership match this season.
Who would have put money on Chelsea being in seventh place and having already lost two games this season? The best Chelsea manager ever has gone and his replacement inspires little confidence in the dressing room. The talk is of massive summer defections with Drogba and Carvalho topping the list of the want-aways. Was it all John Terry’s fault?
Roy Keane, complete with a beard that gives him the look of a medieval regent, would be quite happy if the season ended now for Sunderland. The goal return of new Trinidad striker Jones gives the north east club a fighting chance of staying up. The hard luck stories springing from defeats against United, Arsenal and West Ham confirm the first season difficulties of all promoted sides and point to many nail-biting days ahead.
For Spurs, the wish must be simply for a restart to the campaign. Martin Jol has every reason to put his house on the market as it cannot be long now before he is relieved of the White Hart Lane manager’s sheepskin. Spurs, tipped to break through into the Big Four this season, now find themselves third from bottom. Is it all down to Ledley King’s absence?
| Position | TEAM | GAMES | W | D | L | F | A | D | Points |
| 1 | Arsenal | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 25 |
| 2 | United | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 23 |
| 3 | City | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 19 |
| 7 | Chelsea | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 18 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 19 | -8 | 8 |
| 18 | Spurs | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 21 | -4 | 7 |
