Scratch My Back Time in the English Premiership

The photo finish in this season’s English Premiership League has created a very interesting scenario where those involved in the race for the top and fourth places find themselves doing their fiercest rivals favours, all in the name of the game. Champions Manchester United and their foes Manchester City, leaders Chelsea and London adversaries Tottenham Hotspurs and Merseysiders Liverpool will in the last three weeks of the season find themselves conducting night vigils in favour of their sworn enemies’ success, in an interesting turn of events not witnessed for a very long time in English football.

Paul Scholes’ last minute header at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday, coupled with Spurs’ inspired trouncing of leaders Chelsea hours later at White Hart Lane has triggered a very interesting scenario which will now see every match involving these teams attracting huge interest from those who would otherwise wish the most horrific and obscene defeat on them. Scholes solitary strike might have been recorded in one match, but it certainly had an effect on at least two other matches. One can easily contend that as the final whistle went in the Manchester derby, the euphoria caused by the goal osmosed into the London derby as Spurs built on that to beat Chelsea 2-1, and leapfrog City into fourth place.  Liverpool, who then beat ..., 3-0 on Monday night, also clearly derived inspiration from Scholes’ exploit as they kept their fight for 4^th place alive.

Fast forward one week and here is the interesting twist: As United take on Spurs at Old Trafford this Saturday afternoon, both City and Chelsea will find themselves doing the unimaginable: cheering on their erstwhile city antagonists. Chelsea will be hoping Spurs will help them put some breathing space between them and the chasing Red Devils, while City will pray United will help them get back into 4^th place by halting Spurs’ fairy tale run.

Despite facing the top 3 in their last 5 games, Harry Redknap’s men have proved their worth (just as Arsene Wenger challenged them to) and so far collected all 6 points on offer, ahead of the crunch tie at the Theatre of Dreams. Although success away to United has eluded Spurs over the years, the Londoners would not have asked for a better run up to the showdown, and their tails will be high.

And then there is Liverpool...

There is no secret to the intense rivalry between Man U and Liverpool, but guess what, the Merseysiders are United’s best bed mates to winning their fourth straight Championship. On the other hand, United can play a huge role in ensuring that Rafa Benitez’s Europa League semi finalists get another run in the prestigious European Champions league come August this year.

For that reason, on Saturday, the Kop will put its full force behind United and will be tempted to risk the injured Fernando Torres replacing the troubled and misfiring Wayne Rooney in the United attack, if only for this match. So in love are Liverpool’s followers with the European Cup that they must be willing to help United go one better than them in terms of league titles.

A Spurs win on the other hand, will imply victory at at least two fronts: the decimation of United’s title challenge to the joy of The Blues of London, and a guarantee for Champions league football for Redknap and co, to the obvious chagrin of Liverpool and City. Whichever way it goes, it will not be just the winners of the tie who will be popping champagne.

Suppose United scratch Liverpool/City’s backs and dethrone Spurs on Saturday, the tables will turn 2 weeks later, when Liverpool host Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues at Anfield. It is many a pundit’s verdict that the penultimate clash at Anfield will be the decider, not just of the Championship, but the English representation in the 2010/11 Champions League. The Reds of Manchester and Liverpool will once more be forming an alliance to defeat the Blues of London and Manchester’s cause. The Citizens will find themselves switching allegiance and routing for a Chelsea win, just as Spurs will also be expecting a huge favour from the Roman Abramovich owned side. If they would have succeeded in beating or even holding United at Old Trafford, Spurs will certainly be demanding nothing less than their pound of Liverpool’s flesh from Chelsea.

Talk of Unholy Alliances...