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The big freeze and the dismal failure of England’s 2018 World Cup bid will not stop the Premier League from rolling on. Its game week 16, time to forget the disappointment, put the heating on and enjoy another weekend of Football.
Spurs enjoyed a much needed rest midweek and will be hoping to capitalise on any signs of a Birmingham hangover following their Carling Cup exploits. Both sides are on a good run and Harry Redknapp will be desperate to keep the pressure on the teams above them. The Blues have a fantastic home record but I have a feeling Tottenham are going to leave with all three points.
Birmingham will be relieved to see that Rafael Van der Vaart is once again doubtful, but Jermain Defoe(8.6), Aaron Lennon(7.5) and Luka Modric(7.2) are looking good, and they will need to be on their game if they are to breach a Birmingham back line that boasts some impressive points tallies. Ben Foster(5.0) 71 points, Liam Ridgewell(5.8) 65 points and Roger Johnson(5.2) 56 points, are in the top five points scorers so far this season in their positions. “If you score two we will score three” seems to be Spurs attitude, so there will be chances at the other end too. Cameron Jerome(5.7) and Nikola Zigic(5.3) are the cheaper alternatives in a match that promises goals.

Man Utd have been on the receiving end of a fair amount of criticism this season, yet they are undefeated and top of the Premier League table. United are off to the seaside Saturday evening and a certain Wane Rooney(11.5) will be desperate to get back in the goals after failing to get on the score sheet during the massacre of Blackburn Rovers last week. A special mention this week for Rooney’s team mate Nani(9.3) for reaching the 100 points mark this season.
Game week 16 concludes with a slightly rejuvenated Liverpool hosting a Villa side that are on the slide. The Reds are still missing inspirational Captain Steven Gerrard but the usually ineffective Lucas has added some steel to Liverpools midfield. The Brazilian is available for a mere 4.5 million and could be a shrewd acquisition in Gerrards absence. Jamie Carragher is facing three months on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder against Tottenham. It could mean a recall for Sotirios Kyrgiakos(5.1) and the Greek will be hoping to recapture his early season form.
Villa rallied well in the second half against Arsenal but they are struggling without Marc Albrighton, skipper Stiliyan Petrov and punch-line Emile Heskey. Robert Pires(5.0) who has a wealth of experience and young Ciaran Clark(4.5) could prove to be important players for Gerard Houllier in the run up to Christmas.
That’s your lot for this week. If you feel like joining in the fun then join the EPL League by visiting: http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ the code you need to join is 13413-5300

Fantasy League Tips &#8211; Gameweek 16

Fantasy League Tips - Gameweek 16 - World Soccer Talk

Fantasy League Tips – Gameweek 16

<div id="attachment_3335" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/05/Filipe-Luis.jpg"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3335" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3335" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/05/Filipe-Luis.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333"></figure></div></a>Filipe Luís Kasmirski returned on Saturday as one of the inspirational moments of the season.</div>
The Race for the La Liga Crown
If there were a match on which Barcelona would stumble in their path to a second consecutive La Liga title, Villarreal would stand in their way.
All involved with FC Barcelona said the right statements after Inter Milan eliminated the Catalans from the UEFA Champions League.&nbsp; Barça president Joan Laporta wanted to focus on the league to give the Culés some joy.&nbsp; Barcelona entrenador Pep Guardiola mentioned how his players needed to get up from the floor in the three days prior to their league match against Villarreal.&nbsp; Various players, including Gerard Piqué, Pedro Rodríguez, and Sergio Busquets, mentioned how their whole attention is now on securing La Liga for the second consecutive year.&nbsp; These are all nice statements, but after a gutting semifinal loss with a chance of competing the final at the Santiago Bernabéu, no one would be surprised if they delivered these quotes with a shade of hollowness.
Barcelona left their European disappointments behind with a 1-4 drubbing of Villarreal at El Madrigal, a fortress for the Yellow Submarine all season long.
If Villarreal would not be the Barça stopper, Sevilla must be the answer.

The Andalusian club became one of the few teams to defeat Barcelona this season when they went to the Camp Nou and won 1-2 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 16.&nbsp; Sevilla had something for which to play, as they stood only one point ahead of Mallorca for the final Champions League berth.&nbsp; Frédéric Kanouté and Luís Fabiano, whom Sevilla relies on so heavily, started together up front, an all-too-rare occurrence this season.
Barcelona handled them with ease for the first hour, building a 0-3 lead and benefiting from a man-advantage after Abdoulay Konko received his second yellow card for pulling down Bojan Krkic as he sped past him.&nbsp; Even the Catalans can fall into a lull with such a significant ascendancy, and who else but Kanouté and Fabiano to score two quick goals in succession to make the final twenty minutes a nervy experience for the Blaugrana.&nbsp; They refocused, and Barcelona saw out the rest of the match with relative ease.
With one match remaining, Barcelona needs to win at home against Real Valladolid to assure themselves of their twentieth Spanish title.
Real Madrid is akin to that little Chihuahua that incessantly nips at the heels and tries to protect its territory.&nbsp; Los Blancos have riposted every Barcelona tally with a win of their own, although the methods in which Real Madrid continue to notch their victories provide more of those “heart in mouth” moments for their fans.
Late goals against Almería, Real Zaragoza, and Osasuna within the past month kept the title race alive, and facing an obstinate Athletic Bilbao team that defeated them at the San Mamés in the first half of the campaign, Real could not afford to put on a mediocre performance.
When referee César Muñiz Fernández sent off Fernando Amorebieta in the 20th minute for what he perceived to be an intentional handball in the penalty area, he gave Real Madrid the gift they needed to relieve some of the stress and nerves that could clearly be seen by those in the Santiago Bernabéu.&nbsp; Cristiano Ronaldo coolly sent the penalty kick into the back of the net, and Los Merengues looked to be on their way to securing the three points early in the match.
Similar to Barcelona, Real went on cruise control for the rest of the half when Athletic went down to ten men, and Fran Yeste burned them with an impressive solo effort, as he took on four defenders who inexplicably did not close him down at any point while he made his lateral run across the top of the box.
1-1 with seventeen minutes remaining and with Barcelona winning at the Camp Nou, twenty minutes stood from Barcelona retaining La Liga for another season.&nbsp; As Real are wont to do, they scored late, and Athletic Bilbao simply could not maintain their energy with one less man for 70+ minutes.&nbsp; The 5-1 final flattered the men from the Spanish capital, but they did their job, and they have extended the title race to the final matchday for the first time since the 2006/07 season, when both Barcelona and Real Madrid were tied on 73 points heading into the final day.&nbsp; Barcelona won at Gimnàstic de Tarragona 1-5, but Real Madrid against Mallorca 3-1, and Real held the head-to-head tiebreaker over Barça, so Real Madrid won their 30th crown.
The Race for the Final Champions League Place 

Mallorca started Jornada 37 one point behind Sevilla for that Champions League qualifying spot, and on paper, Los Barralets had the easier match, as they traveled to A Coruña and faced a weary and beaten down Deportivo La Coruña squad who wanted the campaign to end as quickly as possible, whereas Sevilla hosted league leaders FC Barcelona who has only one trophy for which to play.
A typical Galician night with a steady rain pouring on El Riazor, the Depor fans hardly showed up because of both the weather and their team’s atrocious string of results in the second half of the season.&nbsp; The first sixty-five minutes of the match was not much better.&nbsp; The crowd started to rise when they saw that Filipe Luís Kasmirski donned his substitute’s bib and started to warm up on the sidelines.
One of the indelible images and scenes of the 2009/10 La Liga season was Filipe Luís’ foot hanging nearly ninety degrees after his ankle was crushed underneath the weight of a diving Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.&nbsp; Constant rehabilitation and sheer perseverance and will brought Filipe Luís to this moment, and less than four months after that horrific incident, Filipe Luís miraculously played for Depor as a substitute in the 66th minute.
Of the supporters who did show up at El Riazor, they created as much clamor and noise as if the stadium were full when Filipe Luís ran onto the pitch.&nbsp; To complete this Hollywood story, Filipe Luís contributed to the only goal of the match when his run down the left flank brought a couple a defenders with him.&nbsp; His pass into the center led to Juan Carlos Valerón’s pinpoint through ball to Riki in the box, and Riki placed his shot past Dudu Aouate at the left near post.
Although Mallorca lost 1-0 at Depor, Sevilla could not come back from a three-goal deficit against Barcelona, falling short 2-3 despite playing with ten men for the final half-hour.&nbsp; Sevilla’s lead remains at one point, and with Mallorca losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Sevilla, Mallorca has to win against Espanyol and hope that Almería can prevent Sevilla from winning in order for the debt-ridden team from the Balearic Islands to complete their unexpected journey with a shot at the Champions League group stage.
The Race for the Potential Final Europa League Spot
Depending on the result of the Copa del Rey between Sevilla and Atlético Madrid on May 19, seventh place could earn a berth into the UEFA Europa League, but Villarreal and Getafe cannot rely on that, so they continue to fight for sixth place and a certain spot into the third qualifying round of the 2010/11 Europa League.
Usually an entertaining and enthralling encounter, the Valencian derby between Villarreal and Valencia had none of those characteristics.&nbsp; Valencia ensured themselves of third place and direct qualification into the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage last weekend, so their motivation was near nil.&nbsp; Unai Emery, whose contract was extended this past week, sent out the B squad against Villarreal, and Villarreal took advantage of their near neighbors with a professional performance that hardly extended any of their resources.
Villarreal manager Juan Carlos Garrido gave Javi Venta his final appearance for Villarreal at El Madrigal, and the fans greeted Venta with the reverence and respect he deserved for being involved with the team from its La Liga infancy eleven years ago to its esteemed status as a European force in 2010.&nbsp; Robert Pirès, also likely to be gone in the summer, received his final farewell, and the latter stages of the match became more of a testimonial as Valencia obliged to the situation.
Getafe, however, also won on Saturday against Málaga, and while Getafe and Villarreal are equal on points, Getafe holds the head-to-head edge on Villarreal, so Getafe remains in sixth place with one round remaining.
The Race to Avoid Relegation
Whereas the other three races in La Liga each involve only two teams, five teams have a chance by 9:00 PM CEST next Sunday to fall to the Segunda División for next season.&nbsp; All five teams were involved in matches that included late drama this weekend, and as the results stood at the end of Saturday night, the relegation picture is more muddled than ever.
Sprightly and plucky Xerez continues to linger around, and after their thrilling 3-2 victory over Real Zaragoza, they have a legitimate chance to stay in La Liga for the first time all season.&nbsp; Their destiny is not in their own hands, but surprisingly, Xerez holds many of the tiebreakers against the other four teams in the relegation scrap, and if they somehow extend their journey in La Liga for another season after they have occupied the foot of the table since Round 12 and mired in the relegation zone since Round 2, that would be one of the top three stories of La Liga this season.
Until Málaga’s loss to Getafe on Saturday, they had been unbeaten in their previous five matches.&nbsp; An impressive statement on its own until delved deeper, and it is realized that all five of those matches were drawn.&nbsp; Málaga deserved to win none of those matches, and save for their battling performance against Mallorca at the ONO Estadi, Málaga failed to progress forward when their other relegation rivals earned victories.
Unfortunately for Málaga, La Liga is one of the few leagues in Europe to employ head-to-head results as the first tiebreaker as opposed to goal difference, or else they would stand at 16th in the table, but hosting Real Madrid on the final day, Málaga has little chance of achieving a result, and they wrote their own writings on the wall with substandard play in the past five rounds.
Racing de Santander and Real Valladolid arguably played the most significant match of the weekend, and it was a typical Javier Clemente match: slug it out and see what happens.&nbsp; A disputed penalty and player unrest in the final fifteen minutes led to overtime work for referee Carlos Velasco Carballo, but at the end of the ninety minutes, Valladolid stole the three points that were absolutely necessary, as their final match is on the road against Barcelona.
Javier Clemente is on the brink of another successful late-season revival, and he has become the quick-fix doctor for Spanish teams whose season teeters between La Liga salvation and relegation ignominy.&nbsp; No one will ever confuse Clemente’s football philosophies with Pep Guardiola or Arséne Wenger, but a team that usually wants his services does not care about style; they just want to stay in the top flight.
With Nino’s equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time to poach a vital point against Almería, Tenerife is on thirty-six points, tied with Valladolid, Racing, and Málaga and Xerez just three points behind.&nbsp; The numerous permutations&nbsp;with these five teams will sort itself out next Sunday, and Round 38 of the 2009/10 season shapes up to be one of the most unpredictable final days for the whole table in recent memory.&nbsp; Who says La Liga is boring?

La Liga Jornada 37 Review: No Clarity in All of La Liga's Four Races

La Liga Jornada 37 Review: No Clarity in All of La Liga's Four Races - World Soccer Talk

Being a fan of Major League Soccer means throwing a grain of salt at each rumor of incoming talent. There are a number of prominent European players who like the idea of MLS, living in the States – players who aren’t afraid to share their feelings with the media. However, the rules of our domestic league are only starting to become flexible enough to meet that demand (while the debate surrounding whether that’s a good thing continues). With the ratio of rumor to available slots beguilingly high, the talk of Henrys and Raúls tends to aggregate into white noise, with very little truth rising above the din.
One of the names that’s surprisingly moved from rumor to defined target is Villarreal’s Robert Pirès. In our States, most know him as “former Arsenal man Robert Pirès” and Villareal as “that team that didn’t give Jozy a chance.” Thanks to <a href="http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20100423_Union_Meeting__Euro_star_Pires_could_be_headed_to_team.html">comments from Piotr Nowak</a>, people can now say “possible Union player Pirès” without sounding unduly speculative.
“There have been confirmation on both sides, I will go on record with that,” Nowak said, regarding the rumors of Pirès’s arrival. “I believe that a player like Pires with a great pedigree and a great background could be a role model for these young players. But I don’t like the name designated player, I think the term is artificial. Either you are a good player or a bad player.”
Whether Nowak endorses the term or not, a designated player is what Pirès will be. The former French international will not be coming to Major League Soccer without the money afforded a DP, and given the weight of that distinction on a team’s roster, the term is more than perfunctory. Taking on a designated player is a significant commitment for any team, both in terms of finance and roster management.
Pirès is best known for his years with Arsenal when the Gunners where winning Premier League titles, running through a season without a loss. After his move to Spain four years ago, Pirès was a crucial component of Yellow Submarine teamsMiguel Pellegrini took to unprecedented (for the club) heights – a Champions League semifinal, a second place finish in the Spanish Primera Division. Since Juan Roman Riquelme left the Madrigal, Pirès’s creativity has been essential.
But Pirès is 36-years-old, and while still possessing the skill to play at a top level, his playing time has decreased after Pellegrini moved to Real Madrid. Last season, Pirès made 32 appearances in La Liga, 24 of which were starts. This season, he’s made 26 appearances, starting only 13 times.
In the last year of his contract, Pirès seems intent on moving away from Villareal. While there has been speculation he may retire, Pirès has made pains this week to get the message out: He plays on playing, creating the perfect scenario for MLS.
As much has been confirmed by his agent, Memed Djemmal.
“The league is definitely interested, there is currently a large number of teams on board and Philadelphia is one of them,” Djemmal said. “We were first contacted by the team in February, and there has been back and forth since.”
Able to play on the wing or as an attacking midfielder (or, a number ten), Pirès would be an ideal signing for any MLS club. He would immediately enter any conversation discussing the most technically gifted, creative players in the league, and although he has lost a step from his prime, he still possesses enough pace to excel in Major League Soccer.
The natural comparison here is Guillermo Barros Schelotto, not only for their age (born five months apart) but also for their styles and where they prefer to be deployed on the pitch. It goes without saying that Schelotto has been a resounding success in Major League Soccer, and although Pirès is coming over at a later point in his career, Pirès was arguably the better player in their primes. Pirès at 36 may be what Schelotto was at 33. If Pirès does not meet that standard, he only needs to come close to justify Philadelphia’s pursuit.
With Alejandro Moreno, Sébastein Le Toux, Fred, Roger Torres, and Danny Mwanga, Philadelphia has enough options to deploy around Pirès to take advantage of their target’s talents. The mix is actually a bit scary, considering this franchise has only been playing matches for a month. As if last year’s Sounders team didn’t do enough to undermine our expectations of expansion franchises, a Pirès-emboldened Union could quickly become formidable. Should Danny Califf, Shavar Thomas, Cristian Arrieta, Michael Orozco and Jordan Harvey gel, should Chris Seitz finds his bearings, Philadelphia could challenge a the third-place finish in the East.
If they can have some early, on-field sucess, Philadelphia will be able to quickly maintain many of the fans we’ve seen fill The Linc for the franchise’s start, because Robert Pirès’s acquisition alone will not capture imaginations. Some DPs – Beckham, Blanco, Ljundberg – can sell tickets, but Pirès is not one of them. Only the diehard soccer fans that will write articles about him on Major League Soccer talk are going to have their eyes light-up at Pirès’s acquisition. He won’t be the same kind of draw as countryman Thierry Henry.
But perhaps that’s a good thing. Perhaps its better, much better, if Philadelphia gets a winner on the pitch as soon as possible. Not that Henry wouldn’t do that, but Pirès looks to be available soon – very soon, considering he won’t be with France in South Africa.
As much as any city, Philadelphia loves a winner, and if Pirès makes the Union immediately competitive, expect Philly to show MLS some brotherly love.
Quotes from this piece were ripped from the aforelinked (my word, not yours) Philadelphia Daily News article.

Pirès: Villareal, Former Arsenal Star Good On-Field Fit For Union, MLS

Pirès: Villareal, Former Arsenal Star Good On-Field Fit For Union, MLS - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-12454" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/4008085155_9ef4a82327.jpg" alt="4008085155_9ef4a82327" width="356" height="190"></figure></div>
February 2nd 2002 was a pretty non-descript day in the History of Football, or indeed the history of anything – Prince Willem -Alexander of Orange, heir to the Dutch throne got married, Euro-Monarchy Fans will tell you (and, er… wikipedia) – but that aside, Manchester United stayed atop of the Premier League with a 4-1 win against Sunderland, with Newcastle just behind after beating Bolton, and Arsenal dropped seemingly crucial points at home against Southampton, 1-1. Despite breaking the record for scoring in consecutive&nbsp;Premier League games, <a href="http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2001-2002/table/2002-02-02">they were now sat on 48 points</a>, 3 behind United and 1 behind Newcastle, with the title now in the Geordies’ hands.
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2002/feb/03/match.sport7">The press</a> were gnawing at the absence of a “real leader” at the back: three of The Back Four (Lee Dixon, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn) had left and the other (Tony Adams) was out injured, leaving Sol Campbell to hold together a backline that – Oleg Luzhny, Matthew Upson and Ashley Cole – looks better than decent now, but was raw and uncertain back then. Whilst all the big prizes were still ‘on’, they seemed to be slipping away. Jo Tessem’s 79th minute equaliser had summed up the situation –&nbsp; Arsenal’s away form had been sensational, but&nbsp;they had picked up just over half of the available points on offer at home (19/36), and&nbsp;had lost to title rivals (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76mvuZ7NwV8">Newcastle</a>, Leeds), as well as a Jason Euell inspired Charlton.
Despite the atrocious performances of late autumn 2001, a Manchester United side looking for 4 successive titles had stormed to pole position, and with Sir Bobby Robson’s Newcastle also flying high, Arsenal were in danger of falling away. Or so, it seemed, before one of the Greatest Title Charges in history.

Thirteen games, thirteen wins. It started slowly, with a fortunate Sylvain Wiltord (back then Arsenal’s record signing at £13m) goal looping past Steve Simonsen at Goodison Park, before sparkling into life. A comfortable win over Fulham led to a crunch game at St James’s Park – Newcastle went into the game 2 points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, in the knowledge that victory in this and that game in hand would take them top of the table, Arsenal needed a win to keep pace with the Champions – enter Dennis Bergkamp and Sol Campbell. The latter was superb at the back, snuffing out the threat of Shearer, Laurent Robert and co before crowning an exceptionally mature display with a powerful header; whereas the dutchman silenced The Gallowgate <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niWVRSVzAzI">with a moment of either intricate, delicate genius, or remarkable fortune</a>. After taking a pass from Vieira, he slung it out wide to Pires with a lazy precision so typical of his style, before sprinting feverishly forward, seeing the chance for a counter. Pires, carrying the ball forward under little pressure from his marker, cut inside and passed it towards Bergkamp, now back to goal, given a half yard of space to work in, nothing more. With his back to the covering centre half, Nikos Dabizas, he glanced it beautifully, left footed around the right hand side of the greek with his first touch, before swivelling around the left side of Dabizas, holding him off and sliding the ball past Shay Given with a serene insouciance. Did he mean such a magnificent first touch? If he didn’t, who cares?
Following that 2-0 win Arsenal strode mercilessly on, squeaking past Derby County to go briefly top, and after wins at Villa Park, at home against Sunderland and away at Charlton, went top once and for all. On April 1st they went top, and on top they stayed. Monstrous efforts from United and a resurgent Liverpool side under Gerard Houllier (Liverpool won 13 of their last 15 games, United 17 out of 20 going into the final week), couldn’t stop Arsenal sweeping all before them, and even though United had a run of five very tough away games out of six (West Ham, Leeds, Chelsea as well as Leicester and Ipswich, scrapping for their lives), and won them all – 5-3 at Upton Park and 4-3 at Elland Road were both hum-dingers – it was not enough to even guarantee a place in the top 2, such was the amazing form of the other two. Whilst Arsenal kept on flying through their fixtures (Robert Pires, soon to be named FWA Footballer of the Year, was in astonishing form, along with Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg), with wins against Spurs, Ipswich, West Ham (late Ljungberg and Kanu strikes put the title two wins away) and Bolton (Ljungberg again, and Wiltord), three major results went in their favour:
The day after Campbell and Bergkamp thwarted Newcastle’s challenge, United dropped two crucial points at Derby to put Arsenal into The Driving Seat. <a href="http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2001-2002/table/2002-03-03">United could only move one point clear</a>, and they were lucky to get that after a Malcolm Christie goal was curiously ruled out in the last minute. The second was the Champions losing at home to Middlesbrough, an Alen Boksic sidefoot was created expertly by Juan Sebastian Veron… who was playing for United, and losing concentration on the edge of his own box. United couldn’t break Boro down, and Arsenal were given the perfect pick-me up after their Champions League exit. United were now one point ahead of Arsenal, but the gunners had two games in hand, and, as we know in hindsight, won them. <a href="http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2001-2002/table/2002-04-24">With United all but out of it </a>– a do-or-die game against Arsenal at Old Trafford was awaiting, but we’ll get to that later – Liverpool were left chasing down the to-be Champions. That was before Tottenham all but sealed the deal for Arsenal. Gus Poyet’s goal left a dent in&nbsp;the hopes of a&nbsp;Liverpool side hitherto flying under Gerard Houllier – the previous season’s treble (not The Treble, a treble) had raised hopes and a talented side including Michael Owen (before he got injured), a raw but exciting Steven Gerrard and Danny “Three Winners at Old Trafford” Murphy were pushing Arsenal hard. After this game, those hopes completely faded. Arsenal needed a point to be Champions, and they could do it at Old Trafford.
They did, and in style. Neutering the Champions’ threat completely, they kept up their record of scoring in every single game, ten minutes into the second half, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEB2lVaUNmI">with another goal from that man Wiltord</a>. After holding on comfortably, Arsenal’s joyous players celebrated with the travelling support, as this win secured Wenger’s second league title, and both had included 1-0 wins at Old Trafford, right at the end of the season. With thirteen straight wins after a last win over Everton, Arsenal celebrated the double, with having gone the whole season without losing a game away from home.
The Aftermath – Why is it half-forgotten?
As usual in football, subsequent events can tarnish, to a certain extent, glories of the past. The very next season, Arsenal went on to lose the title dramatically to United – another magnificent run (15 wins from 18 games) – and a rather strange collapse (they lost at home to Leeds in the penultimate game, who avoided relegation. Just.) has rather taken the glow off this particular title charge, as the season is often remembered as “United’s Veron Season” rather than “Arsenal’s Charge Season”, because United won the title the next year, and the three previous, making 2001-02 seem like simply a blip. A Veron/Laurent Blanc induced blip.&nbsp;Furthermore, as Arsenal then went on to go a season unbeaten, this charge – until last season the most consecutive wins by any Premier League team, ever – is almost a precede to that triumph, rather one in its own right. “The Curse Of The One In The Middle”, as anyone with older and younger siblings might argue, also comes into effect. The first title (1997-8, for Wenger’s Arsenal) is the sweetest, the most recent is the most memorable… and, oh yeah, there’s the other one.

Half-Forgotten Gems &#8211; Arsenal's Other Title Triumph

Half-Forgotten Gems - Arsenal's Other Title Triumph - World Soccer Talk

Half-Forgotten Gems – Arsenal's Other Title Triumph

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