Champions!

This weekend marked the end of European football for this season. These were the champions of the major leagues:





Even though there are no more club games, soccer fans have the World Cup and transfers coming up. The first major confirmed transfer is David Villa for Barcelona. The team needs a striker after Ibrahimovic's poor season at the Camp Nou. There are many rumors for Fabregas, who said he is ready to return to Barcelona. Real Madrid are likely to hire Jose Mourinho. Transfer rumors include: Carlos Tevez, David Silva, and Maicon. In England, Manchester United and Arsenal want to spend the least amount of money possible. Manchester City and Chelsea are looking to sign many players, but there are no solid rumors yet.

I will be writing about the World Cup shortly, but today Spain's manager Vicente del Bosque announced his final 23-man squad. Spain are the World Cup favorites because of Euro 2008 and the squad. Here is the final list:

Goal Keepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), José Manuel Reina (Liverpool), Víctor Valdés (Barcelona).

Defense: Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona), Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Carlos Marchena (Valencia).

Midfield: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Xavi Hernández (Barcelona), Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), Cesc Fábregas (Arsenal), Javi Martínez (Athletic).

Strikers: Jesús Navas (Sevilla), David Silva (Valencia), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Barcelona), Pedro Rodríguez (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic).

Saint Messi

If you pull open the drawer of any hotel table, you will find a copy of the Bible. If you open to the index, you will find many devoted saints. You will find many, but not all. The most recent saint that has been performing miracles in recent years is Lionel Andres Messi. The young Argentine superstar is out of this world, and has shown to be talented enough to make the Bible at least a page longer. All over the world, the media can't stop acclaiming the recently baptized "Saint Messi". Forget about walking on water, what Messi does with a ball makes me wonder if he is God's second son. Behind his boyish face, there is a player filled with talent that spills from his left foot. It's not only talent that has paralyzed this world, but the character makes Messi even more unique.

Messi comes from a financially challenged family in the poorest part of Rosario, Argentina. What follows it thought to only happen in movies. At the age of twelve, his entire family was taken to Barcelona, so Messi could play in one of the greatest clubs in history, F.C. Barcelona. With the smell of old food around him, Messi signed his first contract on a napkin in the club's cafeteria. The club would finance the treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. What Messi was worth back then is not even a fraction to what another team would have to pay for his services. As time passed, Messi grew. He was taller, but there is no ruler to measure his growth as a player. What followed were record breaking seasons. Youngest player to play in Spain, youngest player to score, and youngest player to make you beg for more. In the 2006-2007 season, Messi exploded as a player. At the age of twenty, he was doing what no other veteran of the sport was able to do. This was only the beginning. Each year Messi was playing better. Maradona even called him his “successor”. Experts have tried to explain Messi’s in his early years, but words fail to complete the task. Successful? Talented? Out of this world? Not even close.

A hat-trick in the Santiago Bernabeu against archrivals Real Madrid, showed that Messi was a key piece to Barcelona’s squad. After Ronaldinho left Barcelona, Messi’s modern career started. He had the honor to carry the legendary number 10 on his back. Soccer history’s legends all wore number 10; just Pele and Maradona. Messi proved during the 2008-2009 season that he could be considered one of the greatest players in history. He wrote his name in capital letters for the history books to tell. Every minute he played was a spectacular show. He slid past players with ease; he dribbled with grace, and took shots with more power than a bolt of lightning. Even though last year was the best season Barcelona has ever had, Messi has been playing even better this season. How Messi could improve as a player is a secret that keeps God thinking all night. He not only has his numbers to prove his talent, but watching Messi play is entertainment at its peak. With the World Cup coming up next month, and Messi playing like a biblical figure; Argentina can cruise to a third World Cup. And there is no doubt that Messi can give Argentina many World Cups considering his young age and talent.

Lionel Messi has been performing miracles that go beyond turning water into wine. Goal after goal; match after match; Messi has a smile on his face. He is a boy that can do the impossible with his sacred left foot. Being role model for many, Messi has never been involved in scandals of any sort. With the Argentinean media calling him “God dressed as a soccer player”, the Bible can make room for one more saint. I don’t know the criteria for a saint very well, but what more can we ask from this young all-star?

World Cup

I think that the most superb event is the FIFA World Cup. Every four years there is a World Cup. Every four years, most of the planet forgets about their lives to focus on the World Cup. The World Cup is soccer’s biggest event, which is the sport that is played the most throughout the world. It is very special because it is a tournament played by nations, not clubs. So everyone can forget their club shirt, and join every countryman around them, to support their national team. Every single match is exciting, from the start qualifiers to the last whistle in the final. Millions of people travel to the World Cup, and many more watch it from the comfort of their homes. Not only is it superb because of the sport that is played, it is also amazing because of the way it is organized. These matches are more exciting because every single match is very important, because there are very few games played. Most countries lose in the early stages, but having played at least three games against the world’s best nations is a unique experience.

Why is Barcelona not the same as last year?

Every single person that has been watching La Liga BBVA lately has been asking themselves, why is Barcelona not the same as last year? The team has the same players except for Ibrahimovic who was very successful in Italy. They have about the same number of points they had last year in this point of the tournament. They share first place with Real Madrid, but the people are not convinced, and there are many explanations for what is happening.

Barcelona won every single tournament it competed in. The team had a beautiful passing game, and everyone will agree they were the best team last year. This is one of the reasons why Barcelona can't play like last year. Every single team they play against is very well prepared and cautious. Teams that play against Barcelona prepare harder this year than they did last year. Now that they know what Barcelona does, and how they do it; other teams are able to plan well, and play better. The perfect example is this weekend's match against Almeria which ended in a 2-2 draw that cost Barcelona the top spot. Almeria played very defensive, with fast players that could counter-attack. While Barcelona had the most possession and opportunities, Almeria defended very well, and took advantage of their counter-attack opportunities. Basically, teams are more prepared and play better against Barcelona, like Atletico Madrid who beat the Blaugranas 2-1.

Apart from the other teams damaging Barcelona's game, there is a noticeable difference in the squad. The defense has been having problems with constant injuries. Dani Alves and now Abidal, have made the wings vulnerable to counter-attacks. In the midfield, Keita has been injured for a long time and Busquetes isn't the same. While Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi are still playing very well, there are two key players who made a huge difference last year; Henry and Eto'o. More than half of Barcelona's goals last year came from Henry, Eto'o, and Messi. Barcelona lost two of three. Eto was swapped for Ibrahimovic who has been having problems adjusting to the squad. Henry is aging, and his game has been dwindling. He hasn't made many appearances or goals this season. Barcelona needs to recover these players or replace them in the next transfer season. Pedro has been a strong replacement for Henry, but there will never be a player like the Frenchman.

Another reason Barcelona is not the same as last year is because Barcelona is Barcelona. I know it sounds confusing, but it's true. Because of the team's achievements, everyone is expecting great things from them. If Barcelona wins 2-0, the team played horribly. Since everyone expects that Barcelona will win each match by more than three goals, many wins aren't appreciated. The team might also seem to be playing worse because of the league table. This year they have only one point less than what they had last year. The difference is Real Madrid have been having an extraordinary season. Since Barcelona aren't dominating La Liga, people think they are playing very bad. Even though the team isn't play like last year, the team is still one of the best. They have only lost one league game in the entire season. They are in the second round of the UEFA Champion's League. The team can definitely win La Liga and Champion's League. The squad problems can easily be solved in the transfer season, with numerous rumors for Fabregas, Villa and Rooney. After what Barca did last year, how can anyone expect them to it all again the next year?

Barcelona Surprise and Robben Glory

This week's first semi-final of the Champion's League brought a huge surprise. Barcelona was humiliated by Inter 3-1. Meanwhile, Arjen Robben scored again for Bayern Munich to beat Lyon 1-0 in the Aliianz Arena. At this point, nobody knows what is going to happen in the Champion's League. Most people thought Barcelona could win the cup again, but Inter and Robben created doubts.

The match between Barcelona and Inter was also a match between Ibrahimovic and Eto because they were both playing for their old clubs. Neither of them did very well, but Ibrahimovic did worse. Ibrahimovic has been having a poor season, and I think that Guardiola regrets trading Eto for Ibrahimovic. Even though Barcelona went ahead, the failed to stop Sneijder who scored one goal and set up another. Barcelona still has a strong chance of moving on, but Inter is a very tough team, and they have to score at least two goals.

The other match between Bayern Munich and Lyon belonged to Robben. Ribery received a red card at the start of the match. Apart from being in a poor form, Ribery might go to jail for a sex scandal with a minor. Meanwhile, Arjen Robben has been playing very well, and has scored Bayern's most important goals this season. He is in excellent form and has many expectations for the World Cup.

Real Madrid regret selling Robben and Wesley Sneijder because they were both able to achieve what Real Madrid failed to do this season, reach the Champion's League semi final, score against Barcelona, and score against Lyon. Maybe the millions of Euros Real Madrid invested actually made the squad worse for the Champion's League? La Liga has been great for Real, but the Champion's was a disappointment.

This is also great news for Holland because their players are in a great form just before the World Cup. They also recovered Van Persie. Holland has a great team, and if the players keep playing like they are playing this way, I think that Holland can improve Johan Cruyff's golden age, and bring the Cup to Holland for the first time.

New Leaders in England and Spain

This weekend, no leader of the major European leagues was able to add three points to their total. Barcelona now shares first place with Real Madrid. Bayern Munich was saved by Nurnberg. Inter couldn't take advantage of Milan's draw. Arsenal were leaders for a couple of hours, but Scholes took United to the very top. At this point, nobody can predict what is going to happen.

In Germany, Bayern tied with FC Koln 1-1. With this result, Bayer Leverkusen was only three points away from the top, but for the first time in the entire reason, Leverkusen lost. The only team to accomplish this feat is FC Nuremberg, who managed to win 3-2. The table in Germany now has Bayern, Bayer, and Shalke 04 in the title run. There is only a difference of three points between the first team and the third.

In Italy, there was a match that promised, Milan vs. Roma. The perfect match for Inter because the teams in third and second were going to play each other. Clearly, Milan had many more opportunities, but they were unable to score. The match ended in a 0-0 which brought smiles to Inter fans all over the world. Inter faced Genoa at the Giuseppe Meazza. The match ended in a goalless draw, 0-0. Inter lost their chance to extend their lead over Milan which is still four points. (See full table here).

In England, Arsenal played Burnley and won 3-1. This result made the Gunners reach the top, but it cost them Fabregas; who was injured and will miss tomorrow's game against Porto at the Emirates. Arsenal was in first place because Chelsea was playing Stoke City for the FA Cup quarter final and won 2-0. Manchester United played Wolverhampton after Arsenal's game. It seemed the Gunners would keep first place, but Paul Scholes gave United three points with the match's only goal; 1-0. The table's first three positions remains very tight. Even though there are only three candidates to win the league, there are three teams fighting to take fourth place to be able to play the UEFA Champion's league. Manchester City, Totenham, and Liverpool are very close in the fight for fourth place. Liverpool lost 1-0 with a goal from the Colombian player Hugo Rodallega.

In Spain, Real Madrid shares the top with Barcelona. Barcelona who haven't been playing very well in the past few games, managed to tie with Almeria in a forgettable match for the Catalans. Messi scored 2, tying the match on both occasions. Real Madrid had a tough match against Sevilla in the Bernabeu. At first, it seemed the Merengues were going to lose their first home game this season, but Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Van der Vart turned the score around. Real had 31 shots, and deserved the win which was 3-2 with a very late goal by substitute Van der Vart. With these results, Real Madrid is back on top, and Barcelona goes to second because of goal difference. The match at the Bernabeu between Real Madrid and Barcelona will be very important, not only because of the points, but because it could decide La Liga. If there is a tie at the end of the season, the champion is decided by the two matches they played. Right now, Barcelona would be the champion because of their victory at the Camp Nou, but anything can happen.

Internation Friendlies

Today and yesterday we had international friendlies in preparation for the World Cup in South Africa. There were many promising matches all over the world. One of the most interesting matches was Spain-France, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Spain. Spain is the favorite in the World Cup, and they are still playing at an excellent level. France has great players, but the team doesn't play very well. In my personal opinion, I think that the manager should be sacked. It is unbelievable that a team with such great players plays so bad.

Speaking of a team with great players, and playing horribly is Argentina. Even though they were able to beat Germany 1-0, they still don't convince me. The fact that they almost couldn't qualify for the World Cup with such great players makes me doubt Maradona's ability as a manager. Argentina has Messi, Tevez, Higuain, Riquelme, and many other all-stars. With a good manager, Argentina can win the World Cup. With Maradona, the team doesn't play like it should. I think they beat Germany because of the player's talent, not Maradona's decisions.

England defeated Egypt 3-1. England has proved to be a strong candidate to win the World Cup with Capello leading the team. The players are playing very well together, and are getting results. The engine in the team is Wayne Rooney, who is one of the best in the world. England can go very far in the World Cup if they keep playing like they are playing right now.

Other teams that are candidates to win the World Cup are Brazil and Holland.They both defeated good teams. Brazil defeated Ireland 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium with an incredible goal from Robinho. Brazil's second goal can only be done by Brazilians, every day the team impresses me even more. Holland defeated USA 2-1.USA has already proved that they are a strong team after reaching the Confederations Cup Final. Holland has a great team, but they still don't reach the final level in their game.

Arsenal, Milan, and Real Madrid closer than ever

This weekend we had Liga BBVA, Serie A, Bundesliga, Barclay's Premier League, and the Carling Cup Final.

One of the most interesting matches this weekend was Chelsea vs. Manchester City. Apart from being two great teams, there was the Terry-Bridge battle. Since the first minute, you could feel the rage inside Wayne Bridge. When the players were greeting each other, Wayne Bridge moved his hand to avoid Terry's. The game started with a great goal from Frank Lampard who doesn't seem to be playing very well this year. Just before extra time, Carlos Tevez scored Manchester City's first goal. Tevez was returning from Argentina because his daughter had birth complications. He celebrated his goal for his daughter and ended the first half. Then Craig Bellamy scored an amazing goal. At this point, Chelsea started to crumble. Belleti gave Carlos Tevez the third goal be committing a penalty and getting a red card. This time, Tevez dedicated the celebration to Bridge. Then a vulnerable Chelsea was victim of a perfect counter attack with Tevez, Wright-Phillips, and Bellamy finishing the play. Lampard then scored his second from a penalty. Tevez won the Brigde-Terry battle.

Another major news for the Premier League is Arsenal. Apart from beating Stoke City 3-1, Aron Ramsey was injured horrifically. This injury is just as horrible as Eduardo's injury. The sad part is they were both Arsenal players. The only good news for Arsenal fans is that they are two points behind United and three behind Chelsea.(See full table here).

In the Serie A, Milan dominated Atalanta 3-1 with a great Pato performance. Unfortunately,the Brazilian was injured and will miss Milan's game against Roma who drew 2-2 at Napoli. Inter had an intense game against Udinese, and was able to win 3-2. Milan is still in the run, only four points behind Inter, but they face a tough match at Rome against Roma. (See full table here).

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munchen defeated Hamburg SV 1-0 with a great Ribery goal. Bayer Leverkusen tied in a scoreless match against FC Koln. Even though Leverkusen are still undefeated this season, Bayern Munchen have a two point lead over Leverkusen. (See full table here).

One of the most interesting leagues this year is La Liga BBVA, with possibly the two best teams in the world, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Real Madrid crushed Tenerife 5-1, with an impressive Higuain. Higuain has been Real Madrid's savior this season scoring the most goals in number and importance. Without Higuain, Real Madrid wouldn't be two point behind Barcelona. Barcelona haven't been the amazing team everyone expects it to be, but they get the job done. The played a close match against Malaga that ended 2-1. Barcelona dominated the entire match, but the Malaga defense complicated things for Barcelona. Even though the defense did great, they couldn't stop Pedro and Messi. With Messi's goal, he is now tied with David Villa in top scorers with 17 for each striker. Higuain is just one goal behind. Speaking of David Villa, his side had a humiliating match against Atletico Madrid, which they lost 4-1. Atletico is an irregular team that can beat Valencia and Barcelona, but have problems getting a single point from bottom half teams. Real Madrid is very close. Even though Barcelona have more points than what they had in this time period last year, Real Madrid have played very well, and are winning matches. They face Sevilla, a very tough opponent, which they need to beat to keep the title run. (See full table here).

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Leg 1

Today we had he first Round of 16 fixtures between Lyon and Real Madrid which ended in a 1-0 victory for Lyon. Makoun's stunning goal at the start of the second half was enough for the French side to take the first leg. This doesn't mean Lyon are in the quarter finals, but they did take a giant step to get there. Real Madrid couldn't do very much to score or stop Lyon. Lyon had many chances while the Spanish giants failed to deliver. Real Madrid can reach the quarter finals, they have to beat Lyon by one goal to go into penalties or by two to qualify directly. Real Madrid has to be careful, and not concede a goal because of the away goal rule. Real Madrid has some adjustments to improve their defense which often makes mistakes with the aerial game. Lyon played a great match, and the don't need to change very much. They need to defend will, and take advantage of their counter attack opportunities. My prediction is that Lyon will eliminate Real Madrid from the Champion's League.

Apart from Real Madrid Lyon, there was a great match between AC Milan and Manchester United. David Beckham faced his old team, and he admit he wouldn't celebrate goal. The result was an away win for Manchester United with many goals, 2-3. The game started with an early goal from Ronaldinho, but Paul Scholes tied the game with a lucky goal. It seemed Milan would take the lead again, but just minutes after Luis Antonio Valencia came in for Nani, he set up a beautiful cross for Wayne Rooney who scored with an amazing header. Then, Milan was devastated, they lost control of the game. Man United took advantage, and once again, Rooney scored with his head. It all seemed like it was the end for Milan, but Clarence Seedorf scored a late goal to keep the Rossneri's heads held high. Milan has to score many goals at Old Trafford, but they can qualify directly with a 2-0 victory. Milan's defense has to improve. They failed to stop Wayne Rooney, and Rooney who is now one of the world's best forwards can't be left alone. They need to asphyxiate Rooney, and not let him touch the ball. If Milan play like they did in the first half of today's game, and the manage to stop Wayne Rooney, they should be able to get the job done at Old Trafford.

Tomorrow, there's another two fixtures. Bayern Munchen vs. Fiorentina, and FC Porto vs. Arsenal. Both seem to be interesting fixtures, but Arsenal comes out with five key injured players.

Seria A and Liga BBVA Leaders Slip Up

This weekend we, had no Barclay's Premier League because of the FA Cup, but we did have a very intense Serie A and Liga BBVA with leaders, Inter and Barcelona failing to earn three points.

Italian leaders, Inter, faced fourth place Napoli who has been having a formidable campaign. Inter who had an eleven point lead over Milan; had all the confidence in the world despite Milan's victory over Udinese on Friday http://footyroom.com/ac-milan-3-2-udinese-2010-02/. Napoli who is fighting for the last spot that will take them to the Champion's League, needed to win to extend its lead over Sampdoria and Juventus. Neither Inter nor Napoli were able to score a single goal, which ended the match in a draw http://footyroom.com/napoli-0-0-inter-milan-2010-02/. Both sides had very clear chances, but it seems Napoli had more chances. Even though Inter have conceded two points, they are still dominating the Serie A. The have a very comfortable lead, and everything seems to indicate that they will take the league, once again http://soccernet.espn.go.com/league?id=ita.1&cc=3888.

This weekend we had something we hadn't seen during the whole Liga BBVA. We saw Barcelona lose a match. They faced bottom half Atletico Madrid at the Estadio Vicente Calderon. Atletico had been humiliated by Barcelona at the Camp Nou 5-2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxhawqlfo24. Barcelona had to play the match with substitute defense because of Pique's red card ban, and Dani Alves and Abidal's injuries. Milito, Maxwell, and Jeffren had to take their rolls. Atletico played an excellent half an hour which was enough to get the result they needed. For the first time in the whole year, Barcelona were trailing, and they failed to turn the game around http://footyroom.com/atletico-madrid-2-1-barcelona-2010-02/. To make matters worse, Xavi and Keita have been added to the injured list. The only good news is that Ibrahimovic finally scored after six games of no goals. This result makes La Liga more interesting because Real Madrid was able to beat Xerez with two CR9 goals http://footyroom.com/xerez-0-3-real-madrid-2010-02/. La Liga is getting more competitive, but there are only two teams that are candidates to take the league, Barcelona and Real Madrid http://soccernet.espn.go.com/league?id=esp.1&cc=3888. Maybe Real Madrid can take advantage of Barcelona's injuries to reach the top, but they have tough match against Villareal after playing against Lyon in the Champions League. A Spanish newspaper released the following statement, " Real Madrid is two points behind Barcelona, but light years away in game quality."

This week we have four amazing fixtures in the Champion's League. Bayern Munich vs. Fiorentina, FC Porto vs. Arsenal, Lyon vs. Real Madrid, and the most attractive match of the week, AC Milan vs. Manchester United. David Beckham plays against his old team. Both teams have been playing very well, and are strong candidates to win the Champion's League. The last time these two teams played together was when Milan won the Champion's League in 2007. Milan won both games in the semi final with a brilliant Kaka against an unknown Cristiano Ronaldo. CR9 himself warned his former team that AC Milan is a real challenge, a team who has beaten Ronaldo three out of three times.

Barclay's Premier League Round 26

Today, Arsenal played against Liverpool and won 1-0 http://footyroom.com/arsenal-1-0-liverpool-2010-02/, Chelsea lost against Everton 2-1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN3EUmeV9RU, and Manchester United tied with Aston Villa 1-1 http://footyroom.com/aston-villa-1-1-manchester-united-2010-02/. With Manchester City's victory over Bolton http://footyroom.com/manchester-city-2-0-bolton-wanderers-2010-02/, the top four spots on the English Premier League are getting even more attractive http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=eng.1&cc=3888. Manchester United is one point behind Chelsea, Arsenal is five points behind Manchester United, and both Liverpool and Manchester City are eight points behind the Gunners.

Let's start with fourth place, the last place you can be in to reach the UEFA Champion's League. Liverpool has clearly recovered from its poor season, and has reached fourth place. Manchester City is enjoying a great form with an unstoppable Carlos Tevez. Even though they are tied in points, Manchester City has two games less than Liverpool. It seems that Manchester City will take fourth, but anything can happen when it comes to this sport. On February 21, which is Liverpool's next fixture, Liverpool will visit Manchester City. This is a very important match that might decide who goes to the Champion's League, and who plays the Europa League. even though this match is important, it is critical that the teams maintain good form, and avoid slip ups and concede points.

Now we move on with the first three spots which are the candidates to take the league unless a miracle gets in their way. Arsenal is currently in third place behind Manchester United. Arsenal was behind Chelsea a couple of weeks ago, but Arsenal's games against England's greatest has devastated the team. It all started when the team took only one point from Aston Villa. Then they were humiliated by Manchester United at the Emirates. Their performance improved against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but a goal-hungry Drogba and a strong defence made their performance useless. The Liverpool victory was very important to maintain the team's hopes alive. Today's Chelsea and Manchester United slip ups saved the Gunners from falling behind. A couple more slip ups and they're on top. Arsenal also need Van Persie to recover quickly, because his absence has damaged the team's offense. Arsenal shouldn't give up because the team still has of solid chance of clinching their first cup since 2005's FA Cup victory.

Next on the list is Manchester United, only one point behind Chelsea. Manchester United are trying to win the title for the third consecutive year without Cristiano Ronaldo. So far they're doing good, but they're still not there. The team isn't as strong without the Portuguese superstar, but Rooney has been the most important player by taking charge of the team. The team needs to keep adding points. Chances are that the table won't change very much and the match against Chelsea at Old Trafford on April 3rd might be decisive. It might be hard for Manchester United to keep a good form considering that they have the Carling Cup Final and the UEFA Champions League round two against AC Milan. Manchester United can win the title, but their performance has to be better than what they showed today.

We finally arrive to Chelsea, the team on top with a one point advantage. Chelsea has been one of the greatest if not the greatest team in the Premier. Great performances getting the job done, an almost perfect record at home, and of course, the most points on the table. Chelsea have been runner-ups three years straight. It seems this year is finally the year they take the silverware back home. They have a strong team in all areas that is a candidate to win the Champion's League. Chelsea has to avoid slip ups like today, they can't miss a chance to add points to their total. Like any other team, Chelsea needs to maintain a great form, but this might be challenging because of other tournaments. They face Inter in the Champion's League, and are still alive in the FA Cup. Chelsea has already shown strength against big teams, but their visit at Old Trafford might be a challenge. In the end, Chelsea has to avoid slip ups, and beating Manchester United would be a huge step to win the league.

My prediction for the final positions on the table is 1. Chelsea, 2. Manchester, 3. Arsenal, 4. Manchester City, 5. Liverpool.