2013/14 EPL title race is the most open in years

Season 2013/14 has veered away from the script of seasons past and found itself in the unusual situation of being contended by more teams (eight) at the half way mark than Robin van Persie has goals (seven).

Picking a winner seems a challenging task, so I’ll just give an overview of each team’s chances.

Arsenal (first)
Arsene Wenger’s team are in pole position at the moment, providing an excellent opportunity for his trophy hiatus to finally come to an end.

The early season transfer deal that resulted in German international Mesut Özil joining from the Bernabeu has proved valuable and his combination with rising star Aaron Ramsey has shot the Gunners to the top.

They’ve been extremely consistent so far but with a meagre one-point lead you just get the feeling that when the big games come Arsenal could come unstuck, the losses to both Manchester sides examples of this.

Wenger of course has been in positions like this before and we know how most of those ended up.

Verdict: Plenty of potential and consistency but need to step up in the big games.

Manchester City (second)
City have succeeded in every encounter at fortress Etihad this Premier League season, with the formidable home record paving the way for their rise up the table.

Manuel Pellegrini has settled in quite nicely, with his team producing some ridiculous scores that would have won them sets of tennis against Norwich, Spurs and even league leaders Arsenal.

That straight sets victory can be attributed to an attacking style of play that has come about due to the firepower of new strike pair Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo, combined with a strong midfield.

Yaya Toure has also cemented his place as the most consistent free kick taker in the league, making him a fantasy player’s dream.

So long as City can sort out those goalkeeping selection shenanigans they could be (much to my annoyance as a United supporter) a good chance for the title.

Verdict: Strong attacking team, developing the knack of closing out games as well. Real contenders.

Chelsea (third)
Jose Mourinho made his return to Stamford Bridge at the start of the season and has still managed to keep his unbeaten record there as Chelsea manager intact, including wins against City and Liverpool.

They have been fairly consistent throughout the season, with their results mostly attributed to the strength of their midfield, one of the strongest in the league.

What remains the real concern for Chelsea is their lack of strike power, with not a single one of their strikers scoring a goal away from home in the 2013 calendar year.

Now surely a side with such a problem cannot possibly win the league and that is certainly my view of the current Chelsea team.

Demba Ba and Fernando Torres have been no better than last season and the arrival of Samuel Eto’o has done absolutely nothing.

Verdict: Mourinho needs an in-form attacking weapon in this transfer window else title hopes will wither.

Liverpool (fourth)
Good signs at Anfield as wins keep coming on the shoulders of a strike duo.

Liverpool have found themselves their very own SAS to send into battle, as the now reunited combination of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, who have been dangerous as individuals, have proven to be lethal as a pair.

Certainly Liverpool have the attacking weapons required to win a title but there really isn’t a great depth of talent throughout the defence and midfield.

This isn’t too important against the lower positioned sides but if Liverpool are serious about winning the league they need to develop into an overall strong side.

Verdict: Definite contenders but really need to start winning more big games and in order to do so the SAS need to be able to call for backup.

Everton (fifth)
This year’s dark horses from Goodison Park find themselves one point off the Champions League positions at the moment.

Following the departure of David Moyes, the Toffees have remarkably endured the fewest defeats in the league, with a side containing an excellent mixture of experience and youth.

Seasoned defenders Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka, along with keeper Tim Howard have provided an excellent platform for exciting young talents like Ross Barkeley and Romelu Lukaku to shine.

Lukaku has proved to be an excellent addition for Everton, the type of striker who really could have played a prominent role in Chelsea’s season had they not sent him out on loan.

With a combination of athleticism and strength, Lukaku has played a large part in Everton’s success.

Verdict: If they can turn some of those eight draws into wins over the second half of the season, a Champions League berth will be inevitable.

Tottenham (sixth)
It was always going to be hard to fill a hole as big as that left by now-Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, but Spurs have fallen well short of doing so.

Goals have been in quite short supply, despite the signing of striker Roberto Soldado, the Spaniard currently their top scorer with five, four of those being from penalties.

You really can’t expect to be beating the best with a statistic like that and that is exactly what has happened as Spurs are yet to beat any of the five teams above them.

This combined with the fact two of these failures were 6-0 and 5-0 defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool respectively ended up costing André Villas-Boas his job.

Verdict: On points Tottenham are certainly still title contenders but I honestly can’t see European football in them.

Manchester United (seventh)
This season marked the start of a new chapter for the defending champions as David Moyes came to Old Trafford determined to maintain United’s strong record of seasons past.

Yet very early on it became apparent there would be no repeat of the walk in the park that was season 2012/13.

In fact United have struggled a lot throughout the season, something that has been seen coming ever since the 4-1 derby defeat to City in the early stages of the season.

Wayne Rooney was one of two shining lights for United, playing some of the best football of his career until he recently fell victim to injury.

Adnan Janujaj has been the other, with the young midfielder gaining plenty of game time in a squad hampered by injury of late.

One could have been mistaken for thinking the old United were back when Robin van Persie scored the lone goal in the November defeat of Arsenal but injuries to both him and Rooney have stalled progress.

Verdict: When Rooney and van Persie are fit United will look of old again, but they may struggle to hold together until then.

Newcastle (eighth)
Despite trailing leaders Arsenal by a substantial 15 point margin, I have included the Geordies in my list because I do believe they have shown the potential to win the title or at least qualify for European football over the course of the season.

Wins against United and Chelsea and even their gallant defeats against City and Arsenal have shown how far this side has developed.

Loic Remy has proved to be a useful addition for Newcastle, leading the mostly-French contingent in the goal scoring department.

Yet one really does feel like an injection of class and experience over the transfer season would go a long way.

Verdict: My dark horse for a spot in Europe but their chances could depend on a new addition.