So now it’s official. Arsenal are better than Manchester United.
Certainly the current Premiership table suggests as much. There’s that huge nine-point gap between the Gunners and the chasing hopefuls, United and Chelsea.
Arsenal are unbeaten, United and Chelsea have lost five. And now we’ve got Sir Alex Ferguson admitting: ‘You have to say Arsenal’s form has been better than ours this season.â€
What? Clearly the 62-year-old former dockside worker from Glasgow’s hard-as-nails Clydeside has finally lost it. At this stage of the season, you never tell the opposition that they’re better than you. Or do you?
Fergie has proved himself a master of psychology before, reducing then-Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan to a shambles five winters ago and often ruffling the ultra-smooth Arsène Wenger. Last year they made up a six point late-February gap on Arsenal to snatch the title.
But this time, Fergie appears to have accepted the inevitable. He says: ‘It’s incredible that Arsenal are unbeaten at this stage, 27 games in to the season, because the Premiership is really tough.â€
This frantically frank outburst came when Arsenal and Manchester were drawn together to contest the FA Cup semifinal on Monday, leaving non-Premiership hopefuls Sunderland, Millwall and Tranmere to fight it out for the other place in the final.
That’s not for a month though. On Saturday Arsenal go to Blackburn attempting to extend that incredible unbeaten League run.
Graeme Souness has assembled a useful line-up at Ewood Park yet there they are, four points from the trap-door and a potentially devastating drop to Division One.
Last week I predicted Ireland would beat Rugby World Cup winners England at Twickenham. So when I say I honestly think Blackburn can get up for this one against an Arsenal side embroiled in three major competitions, pay heed.
Having said that, Manchester United have a tough one of their own. It’s the big Manchester Derby at 2pm on Sunday at the brand new City of Manchester Stadium, home of the Commonwealth Games.
City aren’t as difficult to beat there as they were at their run down old Maine Road ground. But they are a point deeper in the mire than Blackburn — yet I believe Keegan’s side is as good, man for man, as any side outside the top three.
Nicolas Anelka remains one of Europe’s top strikers, Shaun Wright-Phillips, tiny step son of Arsenal legend Ian Wright, is developing into a real midfield powerhouse and they have quality throughout.
United, with defensive problems forcing Roy Keane into centre-half, may struggle to garner more than a point. Which leaves Chelsea to close the gap on the runaway leaders.
That shouldn’t be a problem. They go to Bolton, who are still smarting from their Carling Cup final defeat a fortnight ago. Big, bluff Sam Allardyce hasn’t stopped whingeing since Middlesbrough claimed their first-ever trophy … I suspect he’ll be pretty miserable after his visit from the Chelsea millionaires on Saturday night.
I can honestly see Chelsea mounting a real threat on both the Champions League and Premiership fronts. They have more depth than any club in history. They’ve paid £130-million for it, it’s time for people like Joe Cole and Claude Makalele to stand up and be counted.
The most interesting story of the week concerns Leicester and their unruly visit to La Manga last week. Micky Adams offered his resignation after a trip which led to allegations of rape and three players remain in jail as I write. Birmingham, now an unfathomable fifth in the Premiership, must be laughing.
Steve Bruce’s men will walk it at St Andrews while Leicester will be lucky to get a side out. If relegation seemed likely for Leicester before their disastrous ‘training excursion†it’s a certainty now. But will they have the nerve to sack the guilty players? We can only hope so.
Charlton have to beat Middlesbrough to revive their Champions League challenge. They’re just a couple of points adrift of that fabled fourth place and while I think they can beat Boro at The Valley, I also think Newcastle can take at least a point off Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
The battle for that fourth Champions League spot has kept the season alive for plenty of the mid-ranking clubs, with Fulham desperate for all three points against visiting Leeds, who remain a point adrift at the bottom of the table.
Liverpool, who may lose manager Gerard Houllier and striker Michael Owen if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, have got Southampton, led by new boss Paul Sturrock, at St Mary’s on Sunday while Aston Villa, just two points behind them, go to struggling Wolves.
Both Liverpool and Villa should grab full points to tighten that log-jam below fourth spot.
Oh, I forgot to mention Portsmouth’s trip to Everton. That’s because not many people care. Defeat for Pompey could plunge them in to the relegation zone. Everton boss David Moyes, once considered the new Sir Alex Ferguson, doesn’t want to be dragged any closer to the wrong end either. —