Kevin McCarrabelieves that, while Manchester United and Chelsea are better equipped, Arsenal still have a chance
MANCHESTER UNITED interrupted the mediocrity last weekend. It came as a bit of a shock. The dismissal of Arsenal at the Emirates was brisk and few had anticipated that show of strength. Until then there was an assumption that the Premier League had been relegated, with La Liga unquestionably the best domestic competition in the world.
Barcelona and Real Madrid may yet prove that to be the case but we have come to the stage of the programme in England where the main rivals will have to reach peak form.
United, as befits a club that has taken the title for the past three years, seem to be finding a rhythm as they pursue the leaders, Chelsea, in earnest. On December 19th they went through the woe of a 3-0 defeat at Fulham, although the resounding loss reflected the absence of even one experienced defender in a team selection imposed on Alex Ferguson by injuries. Since then United have won five of their six League games and a draw with Birmingham at St Andrew’s was bearable.
The ascent, all the same, has been anything but effortless. Whether you put the limited transfer dealings down to the Glazers’s ownership or Ferguson’s sudden conversion to thrift, this still looks like a squad in need of rejuvenation. The manager has instead concentrated on getting whatever service is feasible from his veterans. There is no good alternative to the 39-year-old Edwin van der Sar on the books. Ryan Giggs (36) goes on being influential even if he is not quite at the peak he reached in the autumn. Arsenal learned last week that the 35-year-old Paul Scholes, on a given day, can still have an effect.
United are shored up, too, by people like Darren Fletcher, whose aggression and sensible passing are earning the Scot the animosity of opposition fans who would once have ignored him. Younger players such as Nani and, to a degree, the 19-year-old Rafael da Silva are beginning to make their presence felt. It still does not feel like the start of a golden age but United are at least bearing up.
After today’s match with Portsmouth at Old Trafford they go to Aston Villa and then Everton. So long as United stay in steady form, the visit of Chelsea to Old Trafford on April 3rd will look pivotal. The bookies, however, do not feel their pulses racing. Carlo Ancelotti’s side is still odds-on to bring the title back to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2006. This confidence is intriguing since the Chelsea squad does not differ all that much from those who have fallen short in the past.
The scrappy draw at Hull City this week was not the work of an inexorable power. Counter-intuitively, the benefits of Didier Drogba’s return were cancelled out by a fall in Nicolas Anelka’s influence. The Frenchman has supplied more crosses than anyone else at the club in this campaign but does not look happy if, literally and figuratively, he is marginalised. Four of Anelka’s 13 goals this season came while Drogba was at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nonetheless the two Chelsea strikers have complemented one another well enough to keep Ancelotti content. The manager shows far more signs of ambivalence where the heart of his defence is concerned. Few of his counterparts would choose to have a rotation system for centre-backs but John Terry is now paired with Ricardo Carvalho in some fixtures and Alex in others.
Despite sharing the best defensive record in the Premier League with Manchester United, there are odd quirks and 15 of the 20 goals conceded by Chelsea have come from set pieces. Ancelotti is yet to cure the ailment but he still has a capable squad that is well served in most departments, particularly now that Branislav Ivanovic is more convincing as an overlapping full-back.
United, too, have cause to see themselves as a gathering force, especially if Rio Ferdinand is free of back trouble once he completes his suspension. Arsenal, however, remain a threat to them and to Chelsea. They go to Stamford Bridge six points off the lead but Wenger’s situation would look different if the side repeated last season’s win there.
Arsenal, by tomorrow night, will have been through most of the obviously severe fixtures. The away games that follow take them to clubs such as Stoke, Hull, Wigan and Blackburn, who are all presently in the lower half of the table. The other trips are to Birmingham, eighth at the moment, and Tottenham, who will pose severe problems. Arsenal rallied earlier in this campaign after being pummelled 3-0 at home by Chelsea. Should they be disregarded again, it will be of help to Wenger, even if Ancelotti and Ferguson still look better equipped.
Guardian Service
