The Barclays Premier League 2009-10: I Think Chelsea's Going to Win It

Well by no means am I a Chelsea fan - in fact, I wouldn't even count them among my top 3 favorite English teams - but I must say that if there is one team that looks like it is going to go all the way this season, it has got to be the Blues of London.

Sure, they have been rocked by this rubbish FIFA ruling where they cannot participate in the next two transfer windows, but the question is, do they even HAVE to? Take this transfer window that slammed shut on 1st September. And by the recent standards set by Chelsea in the past few years, this year they have been remarkably quiet. They made one little noise. They captured one of the greatest, most accomplished coaches, Carlo Ancelotti, a man with a proven managerial record that too with an aging team like Milan. But yes, one cannot and should not ignore the main reason behind Chelsea's silence during the transfer season. They simply don't need players. That's it. Chelsea don't NEED players. They have a great team. Now all they have to do is make sure that they establish chemistry between themselves and none of them leave the club. It is unlikely why any of the current players will leave Chelsea anyway. Manchester's Arab is rich, but the Russian Roman is not too far behind. Chelsea's owner will readily open his purses to shower his wealth upon those who deserve it. So what they have at Chelsea F.C. is a seemingly perfect situation with a virtuous cycle of good performance and rewards. No weak links, no William Gallas-like situations any more. Just a lot of really good players, under a really good manager, ready to work hard.

And bettering this, is going to be quite a handful!

So what?

I mean even Manchester United has a good team and a good coach, Liverpool have two of the best players in the league in Steven Gerrard and Torres, Manchester City have acquired a bevy of players and are playing under a significantly good coach, there is always the lurking threat of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal upsetting the applecart, Aston Villa look pretty tight and teams like Tottenham Hotspur are a real shot in the arm for the title race in the Premier League. So unlike the usual 4, this year there are 7 teams that have a realistic chance at the title. So why am I with Chelsea? Let me shoot them all down one by one.

Liverpool F.C.
Because Chelsea have the one thing that other teams lack. Replaceabilty. Where did (my) Liverpool lose the plot last year? If God forbid Torres or Gerrard goes down, Liverpool are in shambles. And besides them, we hardly have any players that can take the reins and responsibility to perform well till the end of the season. If Torres gets injured, who's going to score our goals? Besides, in my opinion Liverpool are stuck with a slightly eccentric manager who I feel is pretty panicky. This is where Liverpool lose the plot.

Arsenal F.C.
Same with Arsenal. We saw for the past two years how a couple of Injuries totally hamstrung Arsenal in the title race. Last week their captain Fabregas did not play and we could see that they clearly lacked incisiveness in front of goal. As good a finisher as Robin Van Persie is, who's going to pass the ball to him if Nasri and Fabregas do not play? Besides, I feel Arsenal need some harder players than that. Despite all the arguments of their coach of the opposition playing too rough a game, it is pretty clear that Arsenal's best players are far too prone to injury.

The Manchesters
Let's start with City. Sure they have put together a fantastic team and have the points to prove it, they haven't looked convincing. They've just barely managed to cobble wins against sides that are not really playing that well. Wolverhampton, Blackburn and Portsmouth (before some Arab came and got them too). Their real test is next up with Arsenal (who I'm sure will want revenge on a Manchester club, especially one that stole two of their players) and Manchester United as consecutive. Any title hopeful ought to at least get a draw in these games.

Manchester United should put up a good fight, but they have lost their best player and acquired a couple that, even combined, don't look half as good. Besides if Wayne Rooney gets injured (although I wonder what on earth could injure him) they can say goodbye to the title.

The Others
Well Tottenham have started really well and are looking good enough to fight the best. But the question is whether they have the depth in their squad. Because if they don't, their players are going to get fatigued in January and the Spurs might not have a good answer to that problem. But sterling midfield though. Palacios, Modric, Lennon, Kranjcar, Huddlestone, with Keane and Defoe upfront. Phew. But yeah, Spurs are going to be a handful this season.

Aston Villa sure put up a fight each year. But, it's the same thing again, isn't it? Player fatigue and injuries really test the depth of the team and make things pretty challenging. And they lost Gareth Barry.

Chelsea F.C.
On the other hand we have Chelsea, who though have not played a 'challenging' enough game, look good enough to win the title. The thing with them is, they are just not making technical errors on the field. Other teams have had their share of bad tackles, bad defending and vulnerability in front of goal. Chelsea on the other hand have made the best of the team available and have done so well. And the most important factor which gets Chelsea heads and shoulders above the rest is that currently no player is irreplaceable. Perhaps captain John Terry may be an exception, but surely Chelsea will find someone who will stick his neck up and make sure the team does not lose. Just take a good hard look at the team and try finding a loop-hole. There isn't any! They have a well-balanced squad that can take and put the best opposition that the Premier League can throw at them. I'm not saying anything about their Champions League chances, because I haven't seen European heavyweights Inter Milan, Juventus or Barcelona play yet, but Chelsea will have one eye on the one Cup that has eluded them all these years too.