English Premier League
By Andrew McCarten,
TheSportsStand.com
The EPL, or English Premier League to non-soccer fans, is ending its season soon and a lot of things are still up in the air. Manchester United is six points ahead of defending champ Chelsea, and they look to increase that gap against Fulham, with either a tie (one point), or a win (three points.) The battle for fourth place and a Champions League qualifying spot continues. Liverpool is in 3rd place with 50 points, and Arsenal are in fourth with. Just outside the top four, but certainly not done fighting are Bolton with 47, Reading with 43 and Portsmouth with 41.
Meanwhile, team
s dwelling at the bottom of
the table fight to avoid the dreaded relegation. The three teams with the
lowest record move down to the Football Championship level. Currently,
Watford, Charlton and West Ham are in this zone and are desperately fighting
to get out and catch fourth-to-last Wigan Athletic. Alan Pardew may be
considered the most unlucky man in the league, as he was fired from his West
Ham job, and then hired by Charlton. This could lead to him coaching two
relegated teams in the same season. He looks to get revenge against his old
club this weekend.
Thanks to loyal fans overseas the EPL has just signed a mammoth TV deal for matches to be broadcast in America. Americans seem to be slowly seeping influence into the EPL, shown by the increase in American players and owners. Liverpool was just recently bought by an American investing group.
The final four spots are vital for the clubs. Every team wants a chance to be in the competition, and the revenue generated isn’t bad either. A league like the EPL is so stacked that even a fourth place team like Arsenal has a legitimate chance to take the whole thing. Look for current Champions League updates soon.
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