The title race is going down to the
wire with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City fighting it out. It's
so close we can't call it. So, we've asked fan websites of the three
teams to convince us why it'll be their team lifting the Premier League
trophy next month. Here is Steven Allweis from Man City's View from a Blue who puts forward the five reasons why Manuel Pellegrini will be celebrating league glory in his first season in England.
1) Hunger to reclaim the title
After
the title in 2012 had been secured in such exhilarating circumstances,
last year was feeble. It was as if the players had achieved their
ambitions and therefore there was no desire to repeat that success.
This
season, however, there is a noticeable focus around the club. There is a
steely determination to bounce back and show that May 13 was not a
one-off. This squad is hungry for success and as nerves become frayed in
the title battle, that attitude and spirit will stand City in good
stead.
Champions: Manchester City celebrate their dramatic Premier League triumph from the 2011/12 season
2) The defence
Much
of the attention on City is directed towards the quality that courses
through the more forward-thinking players in the squad, but just one
goal conceded in the past six Premier League matches suggests the
defence is stronger than many believe.
Vincent
Kompany is the inspirational leader of the side, Martin Demichelis is
by no means the amateurish clown often depicted in the media and Pablo
Zabaleta is the best right-back in the league.
With
Joe Hart having bounced back strongly from his troubles, the defence is
now a solid unit who can, if necessary, grind out a battling three
points.
3) Sergio Aguero’s return
That
the Blues have coped in his absence says much about the quality the
players possess, not just in attacking areas, but all over the pitch.
Alvaro
Negredo’s form in the second half of the season is in direct contrast
to his pulsating performances earlier in the campaign, Edin Dzeko is as
wildly inconsistent as ever, Stevan Jovetic has barely featured and yet
the team have still been scoring goals and winning.
Aguero’s
return will provide a boost at the perfect time. Pace, trickery,
workrate, touch, vision and clinical in front of goal. He has it all.
4) David Silva
The
best player I’ve seen in a City shirt. He’s a genius, a controlling
maestro who dictates play, glides into space, teases opponents and has
more than just a sprinkling of invention.
His
displays, previously excellent and full of creativity, have been pushed
up a notch since moving into a more central role over recent weeks.
It’s a privilege to watch him and if he continues in this enthralling vein, City will win the title.
5) Remaining fixtures
A
couple of trips to Merseyside, one to face a rampant Liverpool and the
other against recent nemesis, Everton, have been widely highlighted as
potentially damaging obstacles.
But
the players have raised their game this season against the better sides
and should City come through those encounters unscathed, the other
fixtures - including meetings at home with Sunderland, West Brom, Aston
Villa and West Ham – look relatively comfortable.
Read more of Steven's opinion at View from a Blue and @viewfromablue
source:dailymail
