“Adebayor up front with Carlos Tevez – unbelievable! And they have Roque Santa Cruz and Robinho too. What a strike force! That’s it, [Manchester] City are champions for sure.”

This is what Jose Mourinho had to say late last week when asked where he thinks the Premier League title will end up come May 2010. Experience tells us that when Mourinho speaks, remember to add salt. A lot of it. If you happen to be a fan of a rival club, however, make sure you have something for your blood pressure.

However, before this is written off as a typically controversial Mourinho sound bite designed to rile a few of his heavyweight peers, it may be worth taking a closer look at the activity going on at Manchester City. I mean, could a team come from beneath the ‘Top 4’ and claim the title? Could a side that has spent over thirty years in the shadow of their red rivals sprint to the finishing line first?

I’ve heard it mentioned that it’s been done before…and recently too, but the Chelsea ‘model’ was completely different. Yes, they spent big but they were already a firm fixture in the top 4 and their Premier League success was arguably more Mourinho-related (as much as it pains me to say) rather than anything to do with a summer of epic transfer activity. Being part of the Top 4 furniture really cannot be underestimated and it’s taken for granted that the League winner will always come from one of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United or Chelsea. However, with high profile departures from each of these clubs either rumoured or confirmed it seems now is as good a time as any for a team outside of the hierarchy to clinch the title.  Having said that, my money would still be on one of Aston Villa or Everton or Spurs making that leap. Here’s why.

Their players

Yes, City have spent big and yes they have bought some stellar names but make no mistake – if any of the top 4 had really wanted to buy those players, they would have. Take Carlos Tevez for example. Manchester United had him for two years and despite the old Trafford faithful taking them to their hearts, their support for Tevez and his work rate was more a condemnation of the collective lack of ‘effort’ shown by Ronaldo and Berbatov. The question for United was, should they pay £25M to keep the supporters happy or should they cut their losses and hope the fans keep their trust in the manager? There was only ever going to be one outcome and with some of the comments made by Tevez since, it would seem to be the shrewd one. Ok, who else. Adebayor? A Mercenary of the highest order and one that the Arsenal faithful were happy to see leave. Adebayor will undoubtedly make City a better team but not a Premier League winning one, he is also not the ‘Marquee’ signing the owners are desperate to make. Ok, Barry? A good signing definitely, but a Premier League winning one? No chance. Barry has cemented his place in the English starting 11 in the past 18 months but there are plenty of players in the Premiership who can lay claim to being at least his equal. Most of these players reside at teams within the top 4! City really needs a Messi or a Kaka to really strike fear into the hearts of their opponents.

Their rivals

On paper, it’s looking rosy for City and by the time the league kicks off they could have another batch of superstars in place, but the teams ahead of them are in pretty decent shape as the kickoff looms ever closer…

Despite Losing Ronaldo, Manchester United has started pre-season on fire. And, as I’ve said time and time again – their strength in recent years has been their defense and this doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. Whilst Arsenal have lost Adebayor to City, I feel their firepower will keep them up around the top of the league – Van Persie is due an injury free spell, Eduardo looks ready to take the step up and Arshavin’s four-goal salvo against Liverpool last season has already made him an Emirates favourite. Over at Stamford Bridge, we have seen a relatively quiet summer, but the acquisition of Carlo Ancelotti as their new boss has the potential to be a masterstroke, the only question that remains is where their focus lies. It’s no secret that their owner craves Champions League glory over further Premier League success. However, they have too many match-winners (Lampard, Drogba etc) to drop out of the top 4 in the coming season. And finally, Liverpool – with Ronaldo gone, it seems more than likely that Torres will take on the mantle of ‘most feared attacker’ in the league and if him and Gerrard stay fit, I can’t see Manchester city getting within 15 points of them.

So there we go. It may seem damning but I’m only attempting to lay down some perspective. City will ruffle some feathers this season and will be a match for anyone on their day (especially at home) but the best City fans can hope for from a league perspective is for their team to blur the boundaries between the top 4 and the rest. For that to happen they will need to take points off the big boys and hope a few others do too. But win the league? No chance. They won’t even make the Top 4…

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The Premier League has swung firmly back into action and spread bettors up and down the country have already enjoyed some tremendously exciting games. All eyes will be on Old Trafford on Saturday evening, but having already previewed that game we’ll take a look at some of the slightly less fashionable contests. Bolton have made a slow start to the season and those spread bettors getting against the Trotters have made healthy profits from the opening two games. They don’t have an easy task on Saturday when Liverpool come to town and those who like to play the spreads will know that the Reds have won all of the last five meetings between these two outfits, all by at least a two-goal margin. The Trotters also lost all eight games against the Big Four last season, so spread bettors hoping to sell Liverpool’s supremacy will be hoping to see a performance similar to when Big Sam was at the helm. Bolton won two and drew two of their four games at the Reebok against Liverpool between 2003/04 – 2006/07.

The total goals market will be of interest to a number of spread bettors, as Liverpool have already been involved in some high scoring games this season. In fact, if we include the last few games of the last campaign, nine of the Reds’ last ten league games have produced at least three goals. Bolton, on the other hand, are a spread betting goal sellers dream, with a total of just eight goals being scored in their last eight games.

Chelsea have started life under Carlo Ancelotti very impressively and have taken maximum points from their opening three games. Spread bettors will be aware though that the Blues have started the past few seasons with a bang, but have struggled to maintain their momentum. It is also arguable that their form over the past 12 months has been better on their travels than at Stamford Bridge. They struggled to beat Hull on the opening day of the season, drew with the same side here last year and also only managed to beat Stoke thanks to two late goals in January. Burnley are in town on Saturday and they have probably been the biggest story so far this season for football fans and spread bettors alike; having beaten Man United and Everton in a week. Their form at Turf Moor will be the deciding factor in whether they stay up or not, but they will be buoyed by their fourth round Carling Cup victory on penalties here last season.

Spread betting decisions are always slightly more difficult when a Premier League side faces a newly promoted one, but although these two haven’t met in the league since 1983, punters might be interested to learn that Burnley have won 36 of the 78 league meetings, with Chelsea winning just 26. The Blues have managed to find the net at least twice in all three Premier League games so far this season though, so spread buyers of total goals will be hoping the occasion becomes a bit too much for the Clarets.

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English Premier League was founded in 1992 and will complete its 17th seasons as, of the end of the 2008–09 seasons. Seasons run from August to May. All teams play 38 games each. The league held its first season in 1992–93. Initially there were 22 teams in the league, however it was the intention since the inception to cut that back to 20 and as of now that is how many there are. The first ever Premier League goal was scored by Brian Deane of Sheffield United in a 2–1 win against Manchester United. The English Premier League is without a doubt, the most lucrative football league in the world. The Premier League clubs are among the richest in the world. The Premier League is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country’s primary football competition. The English Premier League has become the world’s most watched sporting league. The English Premier League currently has some of the world’s most famous players and oldest clubs. According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), the English Premier League is the top football league in the world for the second consecutive year.

Three of the final four teams in the Champions League semi-finals are from the EPL, and it has been like that the last 3 years. EPL is the strongest and most sought after club league in the world.  The English top flight is a massive worldwide product that is ever increasingly difficult to quantify.  42 clubs have graced the top flight since the breakout of the Premier League of which only 11 of the 42 have managed a top 4 finish in 16 years. 4 clubs have won the title in the 16 seasons of competition. 15 of the 16 titles have been won by Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea. The present champion of this league is Manchester United. They won the ninth title in 2006-07. No team has ever won the title for this number of times. The top English clubs are now massive sports franchises that dominate the global game.  Top players are lured to the Premier league by riches that no other league can rival. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool have consistently occupied the top four positions with complete domination in four of the past five seasons with the sides taking the top places on 19 out of 20 opportunities. Each of the clubs in the league is considered to be a part owner in the league. The league continues to grow and become a force in the world of football. The top four team’s qualified in the Premiership graduated and now play in UEFA Championship League

The 2008/09 season has given us one of the best and closest starts to a season in many years. Liverpool has begun to prove them as a consistent force. Last weekend’s 2-1 win to Arsenal has well and truly brought them back into calculations, even at this early stage in the Premier League season. With Manchester United expected to win their game in hand, it brings the big 4 that much closer together.

As of 2008, it was ranked as the highest grossing league with La Liga, Spain and Serie A, Italy trailing behind. The Premier League will continue to dominate world football for years to come. Through hard work and effort the Premier League was able to rise to the top. England’s most improved club Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool. the English Premier League is considered as the planet’s most popular and most-viewed professional football league, and is seen across the globe by an estimated half a billion people. There are many websites those sell Premier League tickets.

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