On the face of it there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the 2008-2009 Premier League season. Manchester United are top and on course for their third consecutive title, the remaining Champions League spots are occupied by the usual suspects and West Brom are rooted to the foot of the table.
But with four games remaining almost every team still has something to play for. Does this make it one of the best Premier League seasons ever?
Tottenham are a point in case of a topsy-turvy campaign. Their characteristically terrible start saw them firmly rooted to the foot of the table with ten games gone. Out went Juande Ramos and in came ‘Arry Redknapp and his bottle of ketchup, and they are now vying for European qualification.
In fact, along with Tottenham, any one of Fulham, Manchester City, West Ham and Wigan are in with a shout of snatching seventh spot and the seemingly unwelcome reward of playing in Europe’s second-string competition, the Europa League, next season.
From there on down the remaining nine teams in the bottom-half of the table are all still, more or less, fighting relegation. And the teams the currently occupy the relegation places are a likely bunch.
West Brom are a side with high-minded principles but no good players to execute them - and then there is Newcastle and Middlesbrough. Both have squads that should, if nothing else, see them clear of the drop, but instead they are both in big trouble. Adding to the characteristic gloom of the north-east, Sunderland’s expensively assembled squad has also been floundering.
Hull too are in free-fall but their flying start could be a saving grace. If they are, along with Stoke, to stay up it will be the first time in six years that two of the three promoted clubs have avoided relegation in their first season.
At the other end it seems as though the status-quo has been restored, although Manchester United have not been gifted a third straight crown. All of the Big 3 have conspired to cock things up, only Man U less so, and Liverpool are theoretically still in with a shout of nicking it.
Aston Villa also gave the floundering Arsenal a scare up until March. They looked like serious pretenders to fourth spot, before they capitulated in a manner surely more becoming to the Gunners’ French contingent.
All in all it’s been one of the most exciting campaigns for a while. Going into the last few games of the season it is rare that every team and their respective supporters still has reason to maintain interest.
Which Premier League season do you think is the best of all time?