Tomorrow sees all 20 teams kick off simultaneously at 3pm for the last round of matches of the 2013/14 Premier League season; and what a vintage season it has been. It started with all top 3 teams from last season, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United changing manager and ends with Manchester City only needing a draw at the Etihad Stadium against West Ham United to win their second Premier League title in three seasons. Along the way, City have scored 100 goals and, with Liverpool, played the most exciting cavalier football throughout the season. Liverpool have scored 99 goals going in to their last match, at home to Newcastle, who I predict will be looking for a new manager this summer. I predict both Man City & Liverpool will win by four or more goals.
This season, Arsenal fell away in traditional fashion at the start of the year as did their star summer signing Mesut Ozil. While Jose Mourinho claimed while he had no in-form strikers Chelsea had no alternative but to park buses and play the kind of negative football that allegedly got him sacked the last time round by Roman Abramovich. There’s no doubting Mourinho’s coaching and tactical genius. But the amazing feat of taking 12 points from Liverpool & Man. City this season wasn’t enough for a victorious Premier League return for the so-called ‘Chosen One’, as Chelsea lost to the likes of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace & Sunderland; though the bitterest pill for Mourinho & Abramovich was being completely out-classed by Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League. Next season I believe Chelsea will be a differently animal altogether as they go all out this summer to bring at least one if not two top in-form strikers to Stamford Bridge. Diego Costa and possibly Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain) or Radamel Falcao (Monaco) with Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto making way.
As for the reigning champions, Manchester United, it was always going to be a tough gig following Sir Alex Ferguson who managed to bail out gracefully by winning the Premier League last season with a tired looking, aging and below par Man Utd team. But with each loss the pressure mounted on successor and ‘Chosen One’ David Moyes, who was eventually sacked in April. Manchester United will finish a lowly 7th unless they beat Southampton and Spurs lose their final home game to Aston Villa. A match that will probably be manager Tim Sherwood’s last.
So, over the course of the season, the best two teams will fight to the finish; and though both managers have played a significant part in their teams’ success, I believe Manuel Pellegrini and Brendan Rogers achievements come second to the magnificent job Tony Pulis has done at Crystal Palace. Not only has he managed to avoid relegation, but taken the team from 20th to 11th and caused some shocks along the way; none more so than beating Chelsea and forcing their way back from 3-0 against Liverpool.
Tomorrow I will be having an accumulator bet on wins for Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Southampton, Crystal Palace & Sunderland; and next weekend tempted to go with Hull City causing an upset against Arsenal in the FA Cup final. In the meantime, you may want to have a gamble or two on casino games at euro palace before looking forward to the World Cup which starts on 12th June.