MAY 9 — So here we are, on the last day of the English Premier League season. Most of us had it all marked in our calendar back in August as the day by when we hoped our team would have wrapped up the title, and it was just a matter of planning where we’d have the celebration party.
Surprisingly, instead, the destination of the league title is the only issue still outstanding after a long and most eventful season.
The title will be decided by the outcome of the respective matches involving the top two teams in the league, Chelsea and Manchester United (MU). The Blues play host to Wigan Athletic while MU welcome Stoke City to Old Trafford.
It would seem easy enough for both teams to just win their matches, thereby, making Chelsea league champions. But if there is one thing that this season has taught us, there are no certainties.
Ironically, both MU and Chelsea proved it true early on in the season by losing to Burnley and Wigan, respectively. Both teams eventually lost more than a few on the way to their title-assault.
As a result, should Chelsea prevail, this season would be the first time since the 2000/01 season that the champions are a team that have lost six matches.
If Chelsea fail to win against Wigan, thereby allowing MU to take the title, we would need to go back a further six years, to the 1994/95 season to find the last time that a team, namely Blackburn Rovers, were declared champions despite losing seven matches.
Yes, it has been that kind of a peculiar season. Some might call it weak overall, but just the fact that lower-ranked teams, including those battling relegation, had taken points away from the title-contenders means that the rest of the league has stepped up a notch.
Speaking of which, Wigan remain the only side that could join Manchester City in registering a league ‘double’ over Chelsea this season. Everton took five points out of six from their two matches, but the other two sides to have beaten the Blues have been bashed at Stamford Bridge, that is, Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 and Aston Villa 7-1.
So, this match should really just be a walkover for Chelsea, but it might not be as easy as it looks. It’s impossible to know which Wigan will turn up – the one that got battered by Spurs and MU or the Wigan that has humbled Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea already this season. Of course, Chelsea will be buoyed by the knowledge that all those victories came at the DW Stadium.
Chelsea are champions-elect as not only are they a point clear, they’re at home . . . and home, of late, is where the wins and lots of goals have come from – 19 goals in their last four games is a great haul. It will take a miracle of the highest order for Wigan to get a point tonight, let alone three.
However, should the unthinkable happen then MU will surely be crowned champions for the fourth successive season. Their relatively easy task is to beat Stoke at home. This is the same Stoke side which went to Chelsea and shipped seven goals, so MU failing to win is almost unthinkable.
For those who have very short-term memory, the last day of the 2007-08 season had the positions reversed between the same two title contenders. MU led the table on goal difference and just needed to match or better Chelsea’s result at home to Bolton. MU were playing Wigan at home.
In the end, the officials came to the aid of Alex Ferguson’s men yet again. Firstly by not penalizing a clear handball in the box by Rio Ferdinand, then compounding that error by giving a penalty to MU when Wayne Rooney was brought down. Cristiano Ronaldo converted the spot-kick.
Paul Scholes was also lucky not to get a second yellow card, and soon after Emile Heskey headed over from close range, Ryan Giggs made sure of the win with a second goal 10 minutes from time. Meanwhile, Chelsea had gone ahead through Andriy Shevchenko but conceded in the dying moments to finish 1-1.
We can all watch the events unfurl as both matches are the only two live telecast on ESPN-StarSports tonight. This is simply because all 10 matches are played simultaneously, with the kick-off at 11pm tonight.
Actually, there is another potential reversal of fortune with the other two Champions League qualifiers from England, Spurs and Arsenal, on this final day. Spurs have a possibility, albeit slim, of finishing above their North London rivals for the first time since 1995.
With Arsenal’s remarkable self-destruction, losing three out of their last four matches, coinciding with Spurs great finish to the season, the Gunners need to at least draw at home to Europa League finalist Fulham.
Honestly, if Arsene Wenger’s boys can’t beat a second-string Fulham side with one eye on Atletico Madrid this Wednesday, then they probably deserve to lose third place to Spurs.
Indeed, Fulham had requested for their final domestic game to be brought forward by 24 hours to allow them extra recovery time ahead of the biggest match in the history of the club, but it was rejected by the Premier League.
Last season, the match ended in a 0-0 draw, and although a repeat would suffice for the Gunners, they will want to end the season with a win, which should come with both Andrei Arshavin and Robin Van Persie expected to start.
In the meantime, Spurs need to beat Burnley away to have any chance. Spurs fans are still pinching themselves, having seen their side beat the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in the run-in to clinch a place in the Champions League for the first time. Any hope of overtaking Arsenal will be enough motivation for their players and fans to get a win tonight.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified
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