By Daily Sports on December 6, 2016
The race for the English Premiership crown took a new twist last weekend as leaders Chelsea stunned one of their major rivals Manchester City with a 3-1 away win at the Etihad Stadium. With the win, Chelsea has gone three points clear on top of the log ahead of fellow Londoners Arsenal who hammered West Ham 5-1 away.
Many analysts had billed the Chelsea vs. City game as a potential title decider even if it is still relatively early days in the league and have jumped to the conclusion that other contenders should be discounted as pretenders.
Arise TV Correspondent Ben Uwadia is one of those who have ruled out the other top sides from the race with the simple argument that recent history doesn’t favour their chances.
The reasoning also is that Chelsea and Manchester City are rich clubs that could simply go into the transfer market in January and make the expensive additions that would guarantee them success.
With this thinking, the good form of sides like Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur should not be taking seriously as they are expected to fade away when the race reaches its home stretch.
But I wonder why these people have not learnt lessons from Leicester City's march to the title last season. Why haven't these guys understood that the best predictors of success or failure have less to do with history, name recognition and how rich a club is and more to do with the present quality within the team's playing and coaching staff, the relationship and communication between the players and the coaches and luck.
It's still too early to tell perhaps which of the top sides have more of these qualities. So far, the top 5 sides presently have shown some very good sides of their tactical, technical, physical and mental organisation. It will boil down to which team can be more consistent by May.
The end shall tell. But for now, I wonder why many still choose to make predictions on who will be crowned champions come the season’s end based on the wrong indices.
Source Daily Sports
Posted December 6, 2016
You may also like...
FIFA invites Pinnick to Best Football Awards ceremony...
Andy Murray: I don’t deserve a send-off like...
Barca Give Fresh Hope to La Liga Rivals...
Stephen Odey: MFM reacts to age cheating claims...
Osimhen resumes training ahead Milan clash
Everton release Stephen Pienaar

Uche felt I don’t like him – Glasner
Ejuke gets ‘Jay-Jay’ nickname amid EPL links
International Sambo Federation hails blind Nigerian athletes
2030 Commonwealth Games Podium Target: NOC President Hails Netball Revival
Aina doubtful for Villa’s Europa League clash
Oyebanji labels Oyebode football tourney talent pipeline
Adeshina bags Texas Tech student-athlete award
Portable challenges Davido, Zlatan after Carter Efe defeat
Inter plot €8m Akinsanmiro buy back after Pisa sale
Joshua’s former trainer predicts KO against Fury
Ikoyi Club set to host inter-school swimming league
Portable blames huge gambles for Carter Efe defeat
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,762 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,083 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,019 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,605 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,530 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,428 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,273 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,827 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,014 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,513 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,936 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,390 views)