da heads bet： Liverpool’s trip to Selhurst Park has been as fragmented as many of their previous visits, though far less entertaining.
da realbet： A drab first-half stalemate would suggest that perhaps both sides have improved on their solidity since the infamous 3-3 thriller that derailed the Reds’ title challenge in 2014. Right?
Wrong. In fact, both sides are as fragile at key areas in the team as ever, there just simply is a dearth in top quality.
To be fair, that’s been one of the major themes of the season on a much wider scale.
Clearly, this season in the Premier League is one for the romantics.
Leicester City have captured the imagination of the footballing community by romping their way to within touching distance of the most unlikely of title wins.
It’s a fairytale.
However, while we as fans of the game naturally wish to celebrate such a story, the fact they are sitting five points clear at the summit is indicative of the problems within the top order of English football.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City boast more talented squads than the Foxes. That is almost without question.
Still, the expensively assembled pair are unable to keep the pace with Claudio Ranieri’s men. A lack of top quality is painfully evident within key areas of their teams, despite the vast sums of money spent by both Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini.
This is not to say Leicester are a bad team and their continued success is merely a freak. Absolutely not, they are a well drilled outfit who give their all.
Riyad Mahrez is clearly an exceptional talent, but the brand of football largely deployed by ‘The Tinkerman’ at the King Power Stadium is a basic one.
It’s nothing fancy, just hard work and quality in key areas.
The fact that both the Gunners and City cannot catch them is borderline comical. In fact it is laughable.
Serious questions should be asked of Manuel Pellegrini and Arsene Wenger, who are fortunate the footballing world is far too engrossed within the Foxes’ fairytale to truly dissect their poor performances.
The buck doesn’t stop at those two particular individuals, however. The inconsistency that has made this season such thrilling viewing is actually it’s biggest detriment.
It is one of the major problems dogging English sides in the Champions League. Such a thrilling brand to watch, though the madness surrounding Premier League football is not an environment in which to create strong tactical plans to take into continental competition.
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