After 37 gruelling weeks, we come to the last round of the English Premier League…and what a round its going to be!
So here are five reasons why you should be up late and watching the final round….
1. The title will finally be decided….
First, Manchester City had it and we thought it was over. Then Manchester United had it and once again we thought it was all over. Even Mancini said it was “finished”. Yet again though the Premier League champion will be decided on the final day of the season. As it stands, a victory over QPR at the Etihad Stadium will give Mancini and his City boys their first title since 1968. United though, will have be professional, beat Sunderland in a difficult trip to the Stadium of Light and hope for the best. Knowing football anything can happen. Once must only look at what happened on the final day of the 1995 season.
2. The Champions League race…
The Gunners are in pole position to grab the third and final automatic Champions League place. On their heels, fierce rivals Tottenham and surprise package Newcastle. A win over West Bromwich will seal the Gunners’ position, regardless of what Tottenham and Newcastle produce at Fulham and Everton. While there is still fourth place and the chance to play-off for qualification, no one can underestimate the importance of finishing third. The key factor in all this is Chelsea. If Chelsea produce a memorable victory in the Champions League over Bayern Munich, they will take the final 4th place…meaning after a year’s hard work, Newcastle or Spurs or even Arsenal could find themselves in the Europa League.
3. Survival for next season…
With one spot remaining to stay up, it all comes down to the Bolton Wanderers and QPR. The scenario is quite simple: a win for Bolton over Stoke City will ensure they survive the drop. QPR will have to overcome City away, spoil the title party and snatch away the spot. The positive aspect is that they only need a draw. Realistically though, they will be hoping Stoke City will blow Bolton’s chances out of the water. This is going to be very, very tight.
4. Can RVP break the record…
Robin Van Persie is a sure foot to take the Premier League golden boot this season. He has 30 goals to his name, with Wayne Rooney behind him on 26 goals. Unless Rooney produces a goal glut at the Stadium of Light, RVP will take another award this season. But thats not the interesting part. RVP needs to score two more goals to break the record for most goals in a 38 game season. The record is held jointly by Alan Shearer and Cristano Ronaldo, who both have 31 goals a season. He can do himself a favour and more importantly his team a huge hand (like he has done all season) by finding the net against West Bromwich.
5. Last time to watch the Premier league for three months…
This is the last time we’re going to see the United score last minute winners, Chelsea fire a manager, Arsenal collapse mid-season, rumours of Gareth Bale departing, the sacking of relegation threaten teams, Liverpool shooting themselves in the foot, City spending millions, Sir Alex Ferguson chewing gum, Mancini saying everything is “finished”, Roberto Martinez saving Wigan again and plenty more. The next time the Premier League will grace our lovely eyes will be mid-August. So do yourself a favour and watch it…
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Andrew Bishara