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Wenger’s Arsenal – ‘Big 4’ status under siege

EPL – We’re Halfway

The clock is ticking with regards to the opening of the transfer window and there are a number of English Premier League clubs who cannot wait to get some new business done.

The 2008/09 season has been one of the most competitive so far with ten points separating the bottom club and the team currently in 7^th place.

The genuine fear of relegation is there for over half the league and there is no doubt that many boardrooms will be doing the calculations and deciding if they can afford to not buy players in January because one or two extra reinforcements may guarantee another season in the top flight with all the money that goes along with it.

The teams at the top may not be making too many moves in the January window, especially in comparison with the money that will be spent on preservation but as points go begging, there may be a desire to strengthen the first team to tip the balance in a title race that is more open that it has been for years.

Liverpool Looking Good on The Tyne
Liverpool sit atop the Premier League at New Year for the first time in over a decade and their 5-1 demolition away to Newcastle will give them great confidence as they look to maintain their status as top of the league.

Liverpool played without Torres or Keane but dominated from start to finish and it was surprising that it took them so long to open the scoring.

Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given made four fantastic saves in the first half an hour before a Steven Gerrard goal opened the floodgates and from there on, Liverpool never looked back.

The Scousers main problems have come at home against packed defences but this stands as one of their best results of the season so far, against a Geordie side that had not lost at home under Joe Kinnear.

Kinnear pointed to a number of absentees from his line-up and you can guarantee that he will be looking for a few additions to his squad in January.

Another important influence on Newcastle’s season may be whether Michael Owen remains at the club to the end of the season, as there appears to be a number of would be buyers looking to buy the former Liverpool ace. There have been consistent rumours linking Owen with a return to Anfield but Rafa Bentiez has never been too keen on him and it may be that Owen ends up at Aston Villa or Manchester City.

Chelsea Drops Points Again
So with Liverpool winning convincingly in the early kick-off, all eyes turned to Chelsea to see if they could remain close to their Merseyside title rivals.

On the 90^th minute mark, it appeared that Phil Scolari’s team were going to ground out a 2-1 away victory at Fulham but a Clint Dempsey goal, his second of the match, tied the game and ensured Chelsea dropped two points in their pursuit of the title.

The credit crunch has appeared to hit moneybags Chelsea and there are serious doubts about any transfer money being spent but with an alarming dip in form, it may well be that Scolari demands cash to get his team back on the rails.

Their opponents Fulham have now gone nine games without defeat; a run that would be envied by many but like Newcastle, a lot of their focus in January will be in trying to keep hold of one of their better players. Jimmy Bullard is being courted by a number of teams and it appears the midfielder is requesting a wage packet that may be beyond Fulham’s reach.

The player has been in great form in recent months and even earned a call up to the England squad this season so his stock has never been higher.

Arsenal vs Aston Villa
Arsenal managed a stuffy 1-0 win over struggling Portsmouth to leapfrog Aston Villa back into fourth place, although the Gooners have played a game more than Martin O’Neills team.

Arsenal were 2-0 up into the second half when they played Villa on Friday and let two points slip at the death and there is a genuine belief that Villa can pip them for the final Champions League spot. Arsenal are currently 10 points behind leaders Liverpool and no one seriously believes the Emirates club will muster a title challenge.

Manchester United are also ten points behind Liverpool but given the Red Devils have three games in hand over their Scouser rivals, there is a bit more leeway given to them. A scrappy 1-0 win over Stoke in their first match since being hailed World Champions brought United back to earth with a bump but it was the sort of victory that wins titles.

United do not expect to do any business during the transfer window but Stoke City may be looking for one or two additional players to help their fight against relegation.

Who’ll Go Down?
West Bromwich Albion may have beaten Tottenham Hotspurs 2-0 but with boss Tony Mowbray admitting there will only be loan signings in January, it is looking like a long slog for the Baggies with relegation back to the Championship awaiting them.

Aside from that, the relegation battle looks extremely open with a host of clubs looking in an extremely bad way.

Given the number of managerial changes that have already occurred in the English top flight this season, there has been an apparent edginess by directors and do not be surprised if one or two managers are removed from office during this campaign.

With the transfer window closing at the end of January, these teams will have to move fast if they want their new boss to have a chance of bringing in his own players to make a difference.

Of course, the financial situation for many clubs may well involve them having to sell players as opposed to bringing more in. Currently, Portsmouth and West Ham United look to be in a bad way and do not be surprised if players like Glen Johnston, Jermain Defoe and Craig Bellamy are playing for a different club by the time February comes around.

There are a couple of league games before the New Year but the following weekend sees a rest from top flight action as the FA Cup has the big teams getting involved again. With teams prioritizing league and European glory or safety from relegation, there may be a lack of focus being placed on the FA Cup this season so there may be a shock or two in the upcoming round. Premier League watchers will already be looking forward to the Manchester United versus Chelsea league game in the following weekend.

by Andrew Reilly

for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk

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