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Can the Red Devils be stopped? Who will be in Europe next season? Can Wigan manufacture another great escape?
Here is my prediction for how this instalment of the English Premier League will conclude:
First – Manchester United – 97 points
Sir Alex and his men are already 15 points clear. Even though they face noisy neighbours Manchester City (at Old Trafford), Chelsea and Arsenal, they should get enough points from these games alone to wrap up the title.
The big question is whether Rooney, with 12 EPL goals and 12 assists, is still good enough for United?
Second – Chelsea – 79 points
It’s a big call, but I think the Premier League’s most despised manager, Rafa Benitez, can get his team to overtake an out-of-sorts Manchester City.
This is especially true if they can topple United when they visit Stamford Bridge.
They also face Liverpool and Tottenham on the run home, as well as their Europa League commitments.
Third – Manchester City – 78 points
Off-field behaviour is not helping Roberto Mancini and his team arrest the downward slide. R
ecent losses to a 10-man Everton and lowly Southampton have been exasperated by Carlos Tevez and Micah Richards both having off field traffic issues, as well as the usual antics of Mario Balotelli.
They must get points from games against a rampant Manchester United and a desperate Tottenham Hotspur to hold their spot.
Fourth – Tottenham Hotspur – 78 points
My workings have the boys from White Hart lane finishing on equal points as Manchester City, and having a big say on the make-up of the top four.
They will need to take points against either Chelsea or the Citizens to keep their North London rivals at bay and play Champions League football.
All the while speculation on the future of white-hot Welshman Gareth Bale will only increase.
Fifth – Arsenal – 74 points
It is entirely feasible that the Gunners can sneak in to the top four. Sesides Manchester United and Everton, they face all three clubs in the relegation zones.
Arsene Wenger will need to secure Champion’s League football in order to silence the calls for his head, but the Gunners have a tough ask and will rely on results going their way.
Sixth – Everton – 66 points
Perennially thereabouts, David Moyes’ men have probably left their run a bit late, despite a good win against Manchester City.
The Toffees face Tottenham and Arsenal away, as well as facing Liverpool at Anfield.
It will take a huge (and, admittedly, possible) slip from the Gunners to allow Everton an automatic place in next season’s Europa League.
Seventh – Liverpool – 61 points
The task of moving above cross town rivals Everton has been made the entire bit harder for Brendon Rogers and co with the season ending injury to Joe Allen.
The imminent retirement of the kop’s favourite centre back Jamie Carragher will add some extra emotion for Liverpool in their Merseyside showdown at Anfield.
Eighth – West Bromwich Albion – 55 points
The Baggies have been a real surprise packet this year, despite the constant antics of want-away forward Peter Odemwingie.
This season they were led by 13 goals from on-loan Belgian Striker Romelu Lukaku.
If they can’t find another high quality goal scorer next year, it could be a lot more difficult at the Hawthorns.
Nineth – Swansea – 52 points
It has been another solid top-flight year for Swansea, including ending Bradford’s dream run to take the League Cup trophy.
They also have re-signed Manager Michael Laudrup.
The run home is tough for the Welsh club – they face the entire current top four – and the match against Fulham could decide their final place.
10th – Fulham – 46 points
The Cottagers have had a relatively good year, not quite up to it on their recent European adventures, but decent all the same. They should be able to hold their place in the top half.
They have a reasonable run home, including a winnable local derby against bottom placed Queen’s Park Rangers.
11th – Stoke City – 45 points
The world’s second oldest professional football club will go into their sixth consecutive year in the top flight with a safe mid table finish, though a win against Norwich could launch them above Fulham.
The Potters decided not to renew Michael Owen’s contract.
12th – West Ham United – 43 points
With the right results, West Ham should be able to leapfrog Newcastle and Norwich to grab twelfth place.
It is vital that the Hammers stay up this year, as they are currently negotiating a move into the London Olympic stadium.
13th – Norwich City – 42 points
Norwich defender Russel Martin says that his team need two wins to guarantee survival, which they should get against relegation candidates Reading and Aston Villa.
14th – Newcastle United – 39 points
The sale of striker Demba Ba and injury to Hatem Ben Arfa have hurt the Geordies, who were high flying earlier in the year.
They are still in the Europa League, with a tough game against Portuguese side Benfica looming.
15th – Southampton – 36 points
It has been an up and down return to the Premier League for the south coast club.
An unexpected coaching change and a recent loss to QPR have been offset by taking two big scalps in Manchester City and Liverpool.
Most of the Saints’ run home is against bottom half clubs, so they should get the points to stay up. Striker Rickie Lambert is the highest scoring Englishman in the league, hitting the net 13 times.
16th – Sunderland – 34 points
Sunderland is out of form and has badly missed influential captain Lee Cattermole this year, who has managed only 10 games.
They should narrowly avoid the drop, especially if they can manage to take points from northern rivals Newcastle.
17th – Aston Villa – 32 points
It has been a disappointing season for the Villains, with Gabby Agbonlahor and Darren Bent missing in action for large parts.
They can thank Belgian Christian Benteke for his season-saving 13 goals. A couple of upset wins against Norwich or Stoke could lead them further away from relegation.
18th – Wigan Athletic – 30 points
It is tough to see the Latics being able to force another great escape.
A win against bottom placed QPR, however, could set up a final day thriller against fellow relegation battlers Aston Villa.
19th – Reading – 27 points
A short and tough return to the EPL for the 2011/12 Championship winners.
Even giving Reading four points from their last eight games was a stretch. They are now without a manager, having recently lost Brian McDermott.
Two wins in the first half of the year has hurt the club.
20th – Queens Park Rangers – 24 points
There is no doubt QPR are a club in crisis.
This year was a poor showing for them, despite the club spending big money on some reasonably big names.
They lost £22.6 million, and have a debt of £90 million, before the transfer fees they paid for the likes of Park Ji Sung and Christopher Samba are factored in.
They could easily follow the financially-induced downward spirals of clubs like Leeds and Southampton, and end up in the lower tiers of English football.
So there you have it. Manchester United are champions, Tottenham joining the big four, and Villa narrowly avoiding the drop.
Let the off season transfer speculation begin!
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