A three-horse race finally!

Bengaluru: According to several surveys, the English Premier League is by far the most popular football league in the world. On an average around 650 million viewers tune in to a game while the league, broadcast in over 200 countries, enjoys nearly a 3.5 billion cumulative television audience. Even cutting across leagues from other sports like cricket and basketball, the Premier League is right up there amongst the top five. It really is the gold standard of global football — in terms of viewership, fan following, marketing, revenues etc.

One of the reasons why the league is so widely consumed is because of the “intense competition” it offers. Very often we are told, say compared to other top European leagues like the La Liga in Spain, Bundesliga in Germany or Serie A in Italy, the Premier League is extremely competitive. On their day, a relegation-threatened team can give the title-chasers a run for their money, or even cause an upset. There are just no easy games for the heavyweights and the all-round competition is generally high. The reality, however, is far from the truth though with the title race generally being just a one or two-horse battle on most occasions.

Take the last decade for instance — six times teams have cruised to victory with the second-placed team fizzling out even before the start of the home stretch. The thrill of the league was seen mostly in the battle for Champions League spots — a highly lucrative event for clubs — and the fight to avoid relegation. This was not the case, say two-three decades ago, when teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool fought tooth and nail to earn the right to trophy. 

The primary reason why the league has turned into one-horse race is the rise of Manchester City, especially after the arrival of Spanish genius Pep Guardiola. Since he set foot at the blue side of Manchester in 2016 following successful stints with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, City have just become a winning machine, emerging triumphant on five out of the last seven seasons, including three on the trot. Taming City, giving their financial might and the power to poach the best players and minds, is becoming an extremely hard job. Before the season begins, most pundits would predict City as champions and that’s how the script pans out, barring the 2019-20 season when Liverpool triumphed in dominant style.

Things though are looking different this season with a determined Liverpool and a young and energetic Arsenal keen on breaking the City monopoly. Following 27 games on the first weekend of March, Liverpool lead the table with 63 points, City are second a point behind and Arsenal a further point behind at third. For the first time since the 2013/14 season when just five points separated the top three teams (City, Liverpool, Chelsea), three teams are involved in a title race with each one playing their best football and fans salivating at what could be cracking finish.

Of course, given their all-round pedigree and penchant for finishing strong when most sides fall of exhaustion or succumb to nerves, City are still the favourites to bag a fourth straight title which would further attest their credentials as not just the biggest force in English football now but a true power in the continent too. 

City, missing the services of their talismanic midfielder Kevin de Bruyne for five months and maverick striker Erling Haaland for two months, suffered a dip in form to slip down the title race after a strong start. The dynamic duo are, however, back to full fitness and firing on all cylinders, giving City the cutting edge they so missed towards the end of last year. Also what makes City so strong is the wealth of world-class talents Guardiola has at his disposal.

Players like Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Rodrigo and Julian Alvarez have the ability to change games in the blink of an eye. The 23-year-old Foden showed why he’s touted the next big thing in England with two sensational goals against Manchester United last weekend while Rodrigo scored the lone goal in City’s Champions League final win over Inter Milan last season. Just not goals but City have some of the best players in every position and with the champions' mentality deeply ingrained into their system, Liverpool and Arsenal have to win the remaining 11 games to inscribe their names on the trophy. Easier said than done.

Liverpool, perhaps the only side who have pushed City to the limits by running them close once and then annexing the title next season, will take heart from that. Coached by the highly energetic Jurgen Klopp, they play a brand of fast-paced football called gegenpressing — in simple terms counter-pressing after losing possession but at lightening quick speed — an antidote to Guardiola’s possession-based style. In fact, the two will go head to head on Sunday at Anfield, the clash which could potentially decide who wears the crown.

Having decided to walk away from football to recharge his batteries after giving it his all in landing Liverpool their first title in the Premier League era — the Reds last won England’s top flight title way back in 1989-90 — and restoring the supremacy of old, Klopp is determined to bow out on a high. And his wards, who revere him for giving them hope when no one did, are equally determined to hand him a triumphant farewell. 

Like City, Liverpool too missed key players due to injuries but most of them are back to full fitness now with ace striker Mohammed Salah on top of his game. Although Klopp has a much different side to the one that won Premier League and the Champions League in 2018-19, the pieces are falling in places nicely with even Darwin Nunez — often the subject of ridicule for his inexplicable misses — finding his scoring boots.

In this fight between two heavyweights is a charge from fallen giants Arsenal. Once the aristocrats of English football especially during Arsene Wenger era, the Gunners had slipped down the ladder and even embraced mediocrity. But hope has arrived through former player Mikel Arteta, who has revitalised the side since taking charge as coach in December 2019. An assistant to Guardiola at City, Arteta endured some tough moments early on when his tactics were questioned as Arsenal fumbled in familiar fashion in key matches. Arteta had to do a lot of unpacking to form a team of his own which is now taking shape beautifully.

Just like how Wenger recruited some talented young players when he stepped foot at Arsenal, Arteta has roped in some exciting young players and is turning them into exceptional talents. Where Arsenal were once the battering rams in crunch clashes, they now believe they can beat the best which was witnessed in wins over City and Liverpool this season. Arsenal, who led for a major part of last season before stumbling at the finish line that allowed City to gallop away, have displayed good mental resilience as well. Leading before Christmas, they lost back to back games and it looked like the young squad would stumble again.

They, however, have bounced back in blazing fashion, notching up seven wins on the bounce, including scoring more than four goals in their last four matches. Skipper Martin Odegaard, the gifted Bukayo Saka, the speedy Gabriel Martinelli as well as Declan Rice are in top shape and are fired up to create a legacy of their own by winning Arsenal’s first Premier League title in over two decades. 

Arsenal and Liverpool have the belief but City have the belligerence. Get set for a thrilling climax!