Thanks to their lucky 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City can now look to leapfrog third place Arsenal for an automatic UEFA Champions League spot.
Last season, it was Spurs who shattered the Citizens’ dream of stepping on Europe’s biggest club football stage. This term however, Premier League followers have witnessed a switch in both teams’ fate, with Man City getting the advantage this time around.
An unforgettable own goal from Tottenham striker Peter Crouch was just what was needed by the Blues, who already had much to struggle with, in a match that was vital in determining who would benefit from a place in the Top Four. Subsequent to the Londoners’ miserable defeat, Liverpool maintain their fifth position, while it is City who sit just behind struggling giants Arsenal.
The Gunners have had to go through a host of evitable setbacks this season, and this has cost them nothing but their chances for the title. The most the Gunners can think of as at now is ultimately the second place, while Roberto Mancini’s boys can aim for the third spot—good enough to let them skip Champions League qualifying series later this summer.
Arsenal lost 3-1 to Stoke City on Sunday at the Britannia Stadium as they failed to overtake Chelsea; Ancelotti’s men were also trampled by Manchester United on the same day. At this point, the Gunners are mathematically locked in the Champions League zone, but they could needlessly load their agenda ahead of next season with preliminary games through further unsatisfying results.
In the meantime though, all they need to do is simply keep hold of their edge to survive, if not go higher in the standings. Bearing in mind that the on-going Premier League contest will be coming to an end in no time, tenacity is the only thing that can keep them going. As for Manchester City, they are still required to resist fatal mistakes, since they are just inches away from being guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League finals. Who knows, they could well end up being the surprise package of the continental competition…
An unforgettable own goal from Tottenham striker Peter Crouch was just what was needed by the Blues, who already had much to struggle with, in a match that was vital in determining who would benefit from a place in the Top Four. Subsequent to the Londoners’ miserable defeat, Liverpool maintain their fifth position, while it is City who sit just behind struggling giants Arsenal.
The Gunners have had to go through a host of evitable setbacks this season, and this has cost them nothing but their chances for the title. The most the Gunners can think of as at now is ultimately the second place, while Roberto Mancini’s boys can aim for the third spot—good enough to let them skip Champions League qualifying series later this summer.
Arsenal lost 3-1 to Stoke City on Sunday at the Britannia Stadium as they failed to overtake Chelsea; Ancelotti’s men were also trampled by Manchester United on the same day. At this point, the Gunners are mathematically locked in the Champions League zone, but they could needlessly load their agenda ahead of next season with preliminary games through further unsatisfying results.
In the meantime though, all they need to do is simply keep hold of their edge to survive, if not go higher in the standings. Bearing in mind that the on-going Premier League contest will be coming to an end in no time, tenacity is the only thing that can keep them going. As for Manchester City, they are still required to resist fatal mistakes, since they are just inches away from being guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League finals. Who knows, they could well end up being the surprise package of the continental competition…
