Kevin Kuo – US PRESSWIRE
Tottenham Hotspurs’ momentous victory at Old Trafford on Saturday evening seems to have rendered Andre Villas Boas’ critics mute for the foreseeable future at least. After the Portuguese manager masterminded the North London side’s first victory against Manchester United for 23 years thanks to a devastating counter-attacking display, soccer scholars are now beginning to ponder whether the White Hart Lane outfit might actually be genuine title contenders.
In August, the two Manchester clubs were the only realistic candidates to lift the Premier League trophy come May 2013, with Roberto Di Matteo’s European champions also predicted to be in the mix too but with many believing that their manager’s inexperience set to halt their charge come March and April.
But with United alongside Manchester City flattering to deceive so far this campaign, Chelsea continuing to collect points, Arsenal drawing praise but still lacking any real cutting edge and Everton looking surprisingly competitive, who are the genuine threats to Roberto Mancini’s title?
Much has been made of City’s mediocre start, but they’re still unbeaten whilst their supposed closest rivals from across town have already been defeated, both at home and away. No one seems to doubt their talents, what with Mancini having spent a small fortune on his squad, but if they continue to progress in Europe, then their Italian manager might struggle to pursue success on two fronts.
At the moment, though, Chelsea are the team to beat, having only dropped two points in six games. They are now three clear of an extraordinary Everton side, whose manager, David Moyes, has coagulated a splendid team of solid Premier League stars together that have been one of the most impressive sides so far. Will they be able to maintain their form? Well, their shallow squad probably means no, but if the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Nikica Jelavic, Leon Osman and Phil Jagielka can remain fit and still maintain their imperious form, then they might just sneak a Champions League spot.
Down in London, though, the next few months will define both Arsenal and Tottenham’s credentials. Arsene Wenger’s side had been rightly lauded after their impressive victories over Southampton and Liverpool, but they have recently, once again shown lapses in defence at key moments against quality opposition and proved that they lack the experience to grasp their first championship since 2004.
After a disappointing start to his reign, Villas-Boas now seems to have found the right balance to his side and his deceivingly talented team might be on the brink of launching an assault on the teams above. But this season will be too early for them. Yet, AVB appears to have learned from the copious amount of errors he committed at Stamford Bridge to come back as a stronger manager whose age will allow him to build his own team at White Hart Lane over the coming years, if he is given the time to do so.
Then there is United. Have they started poorly? Yes. Is their midfield a miss match of aged has-beens and ineffectual divas? Maybe. Will the team that finishes above them be the champions? Almost definitely.
It’s going to be a sensational journey to see who actually comes out on top.
