Disaster in Manchester

Are you a tool-wielding person? If so, go ahead and throw your wrench into both the Champions League and Premier League races. After both Manchester clubs failed to qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League, the whole European soccer scene has shifted. England and Spain have been recent perennial powerhouses in the Champions League scene but only Barcelona and Real Madrid have advanced out of the arguably best four teams in Europe.

On Wednesday, Manchester United needed a draw at FC Basel to advance to the round of 16 while Manchester City needed a win or a Napoli loss to stay afloat. Neither happened and now both will sit back while other European club teams strive for one of the most prestigious titles in the world. This will not only alter the course of Champions League soccer come February, but will change how the English Premier League race will play out.

As a United fan, this loss to Basel was admittedly devastating. Competing for the Champions League title has been a given for United for 14 of the last 16 seasons, and now they find themselves on the outside looking in. United started the season on a tear that was normal of a Sir Alex squad, but have stumbled mightily since their embarrassing loss at the hands of City. With news that captain Nemanja Vidic is out for the season with a knee injury, the United faithful will certainly be in a state of pain that they have not experienced for quite some time.

For City, this loss is tough but not as crushing. They needed a win and a loss by Napoli, and by beating Bayern Munich 2-0 they did their part but Napoli did not lose and thus advanced ahead of City. However, critics of the newly successful Manchester City squad will say their path to the Premier League title will be easier now that they do not have to deal with the pressures of the Champions League. This is true to some extent. Playing against Europe’s best while also being targeted by every other team in the EPL can be tough and may be the reason that few teams have been able to win both. Chelsea and Arsenal, who both advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League, will certainly feel that they have more obstacles along the road to catching City in the EPL.

The city of Manchester had certainly been flying high this season and the events of the past week have brought both squads down to earth. It should still be an interesting race for the EPL title, with the perils of winter and the January transfer window yet to come. But it will be in the back of the minds of fans, players, and managers alike that both Manchester clubs were not able to stave off the pressure and stay in the Champions League. Winning the EPL without participating in this top-level competition will not be quite as sweet if either City or United take home the championship and while we can hope that the race stays exciting, it certainly has lost some its luster.

Excitement, pressure aplenty as EPL comes to a finish (April 2011)

This season’s race to become champion of the English Premier League has certainly been an interesting one. A few years ago, the big four—Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal, dominated the EPL. While those teams are still consistently toward the top half of the table, other teams are stepping up. Tottenham Hotspur (I love that nickname), Manchester City, and Everton have all had strong showings this season in creating an interesting battle for Champions League spots next year.

Though Manchester United and Arsenal had been battling for the top spot most of 2011, it was Chelsea who jumped out to a strong lead in the first half of the season, only to choke it away on over-coaching and a surprising move to bring in highly touted striker Fernando Torres. Not only has Torres struggled (scoreless in almost 700 minutes in a Chelsea uniform until his first goal Saturday), but he has also taken playing time away from the always-dangerous Didier Drogba. Admirably, Chelsea has fought back to 2^nd place, and are threatening to take the title if United should falter.

After the last week’s events, it seems that Arsenal are officially out of the title race, dropping to 9 points out of the lead after a loss at Bolton. Time and again, Arsenal field squads that are solid on paper, but are missing chemistry on the field. After he tried to inspire confidence by saying Arsenal were within reach of the Quadruple, manager Arsene Wenger can only be frustrated and befuddled by a team who fails to win the “big matches”, as rightly he should. Now he awaits his fate as to whether he will be returning to the sidelines in Emirates Stadium next season. A new manager is not necessarily the best move, but it may be what is needed to light a spark for the Gunners.

Finally, in the top spot since late last fall, Manchester United have rather quietly set themselves up for the Double (Premier and Champions League titles). After a rather disappointing loss to their Manchester counter-parts in the FA Cup, United can focus on what are the two most important races for a team of this caliber. Sir Alex Ferguson has done a rather commendable job in balancing his multitude of starting-XI worthy players throughout the various competitions; even though both Arsenal and Chelsea remain on the schedule, United should coast to the Premier League title. Many critics will view this season as one of Sir Alex’s finest if he can lock down both titles. With many intriguing matchups still remaining, the Premier League again gives fans an exciting finish to the season.