Source: Telegraph
Arsene Wenger is at a loss to explain openness of Premier League race
'Something has deeply changed,' he says. [LNB]A glance at the league table illustrates his point. With more than half the season completed, a spread of only 12 points covers the top seven and, in a competition in which Arsenal were invincible as recently as 2004 and Chelsea lost only once the year after, the 'Big Four' have already been beaten 19 times. [LNB] Related ArticlesArsenal v Everton: match previewWenger disgruntled with postponementsGazidis not expecting Kroenke Arsenal takeoverGazidis: Wenger will stay at ArsenalFabregas to return at BoltonSport on television'There are now more teams aspiring to be in the top four; financially, the desire is there — the message is: 'We want to go in there now.' That has changed completely the structure,' says Wenger. [LNB]For the neutral, the sudden vulnerability of clubs who were previously so dominant has ensured the most enticing season in recent memory. A three-way race between Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal looks the most likely outcome, yet the experience of the past five months suggests that we should still expect the unexpected. [LNB]After all, Arsenal had been widely discounted at the beginning of December when a 3-0 loss against Chelsea left them 11 points adrift. By 5pm today, they could find themselves within a point of Chelsea and still have a game in hand. [LNB]Wenger believes that his players have now passed a major test of their team spirit and, having spent the past five years hearing that a lack of experience was Arsenal's great weakness, he pinpoints their hunger as potentially the crucial asset. [LNB]Arsenal's big challenge, though, is to handle a pile-up in fixtures over this month and next that looks every bit as hazardous as the icy snow which forced the postponement of Wednesday's match against Bolton. [LNB]Wenger's summary of the backlog yesterday was certainly succinct. 'A nightmare,' he said. [LNB]In the space of just 15 days from Jan 27, Arsenal will play Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and then Liverpool. The game with Bolton also must be squeezed in somewhere. [LNB]With the availability of Alex Song, arguably Arsenal's player of the season, uncertain due to his commitments in the African Cup of Nations and major question marks over how Wenger manages his shortage of strikers, it is hardly the ideal moment to embark on such a crucial series of matches. [LNB]Yet every major club has their problems. Chelsea are severely depleted this month without Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and John-Obi Mikel and, while the immediate fixtures do not appear particularly daunting, they can ill afford further lost momentum. [LNB]There is also a question mark over whether an ageing squad can maintain their often scintillating early-season form. In Chelsea's favour, however, is a remarkably even spread of matches against their main rivals. [LNB]For Manchester United, who are going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive league title, the most positive aspect of a season full of disappointing performances is the fact that they remain only two points adrift of Chelsea. Now is also traditionally the time when they put together a significant unbeaten run. [LNB]Aside from a trip to Arsenal at the end of the month, the immediate fixtures should carry only a limited threat. Indeed, it is April — when they have matches in quick succession against Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham — that may prove decisive. Those games also arrive at what Sir Alex Ferguson would famously call 'squeaky bum time'. [LNB]Wenger agrees. 'I don't think nerves play a big part in December — they play a big part in March and April,' he says. 'Nobody will run away with it and get 19 wins. At the moment there are six or seven teams who could play in the top four and they will all play each other. That means everybody will drop points.'[LNB]If that proves to be the case, at least four others clubs cannot be discounted. So, could Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham or Aston Villa still conceivably win this Premier League? [LNB]The most inviting fixtures would appear to be those of Roberto Mancini's Manchester City, who have the luxury of home matches still to come against Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Aston Villa. Rather less enticing is the programme that awaits Tottenham, including a hellish April with games in consecutive weeks against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. [LNB]Liverpool also have a difficult sequence of away matches in February and March. [LNB]Yet, for all the clubs, it is consistency that will clearly now be decisive. [LNB]Wenger has often noted that the title race only ever really starts after Christmas and, in this most unusual of seasons, that prediction could not be truer. [LNB]Key fixtures for the big seven[LNB]CHELSEA: Feb 7 Arsenal (h), Feb 27 Man City (h), March 27 Aston Villa (h), April 3 Man Utd (a), April 17 Tottenham (a), May 1 Liverpool (a).MAN UTD: Jan 31 Arsenal (a), Feb 10 Aston Villa (a), Mar 20 Liverpool (h), April 3 Chelsea (h), Apr 17 Man City (a), Apr 24 Tottenham (h). ARSENAL: Jan 27 Aston Villa (a), Jan 31 Man Utd (h), Feb 7 Chelsea (a), Feb 10 Liverpool (h), April 10 Tottenham (a), April 24 Man City (h). TOTTENHAM: Jan 10 Liverpool (a), Feb 6 Aston Villa (h), March 7 Man City (a), April 10 Arsenal (h), April 17 Chelsea (h), April 24 Man Utd (a). MAN CITY: Feb 21 Liverpool (h), Feb 27 Chelsea (a), Mar 7 Tottenham (h), Apr 17 Man Utd (h), Apr 24 Arsenal (h), May 1 Aston Villa (h)ASTON VILLA: Jan 27 Arsenal (h), Feb 6 Tottenham (a), Feb 10 Man Utd (h), March 27 Chelsea (a), May 1 Man City (a). LIVERPOOL: Jan 10 Tottenham (h), Feb 10 Arsenal (a), Feb 21 Man City (a), Mar 20 Man Utd (a), May 1 Chelsea (h), May 9 Hull City (a).
