Now a two-horse race?

By: Rob | February 1st, 2009

Liverpool beat Chelsea at Anfield today, a result which sees them move two points behind league leaders Manchester United. Chelsea meanwhile are third, five points off the pace. United have played a game less than the other two.

So does this mean, as The Guardian is suggesting, that it is now a two-horse race?

Well I don’t think Chelsea are to be counted out of the race from a mathamatical point of view – even if you see them as 8 points back. But they seem to be lacking the fight to really put on title challenge this year.

Today, admittedly they were helped by Mike Riley’s odd choice in issue Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard with a red card just after the break. Before that it was the usual Chelsea-Liverpool stalemate, but even during that stalemate, Liverpool looked the hungrier of the two teams.

While the Lampard sending off was clearly an odd descion, it was striking that Lampard professionally walked off the pitch without protest. Fair play to him for not making a song and dance out of it – but its hard to imagine players under Jose Mourinho not making a song and dance out of it.

Chelsea, despite having a team of absolute world beaters, seem to be lacking in desire after the near-misses of last season. I can only think of one of two reasons, first that Scolari doesn’t fill them with the same confidence – hard to believe from a World Cup Winner – or that the near misses mean they now feel like they blew their one big chance.

Either way, I think changes have to be made at the Bridge. Part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s continued success at Manchester United has come from his fearlessness in taking good teams apart when the hungar began to wane. Think how much critisism he came under when he sold Mark Hughes and Paul Ince, and replaced them with a couple of kids from the youth academy. Worked though.

Liverpool will be very glad with the win. Their form has been somewhat indifferent of late, and although to reliance on Fernando Torres to get the Reds goals still is striking – especially with the increasingly bizzare Robbie Keane (left out today) situation – the win will give them a great deal of confidence to get back into winning ways and start pressurising Manchester United again.

The big one is going to be United playing Liverpool without a doubt. Maybe Chelsea should concentrate on Europe.