Business End of the Season

The 2013-2014 season has been one of the most tightly contested in a number of years, and with only 11 games left to play in the English Premier League, the pressure for the top contenders will be fierce.

There is just 10 points separating 1st and 5th place, and it could go all the way down to the last game in May to see who takes home the title. Despite the close fight at the top, it is one of the first seasons in the EPL that does not see Manchester United take part in the run. Under new manager David Moyes, the Red Devils have had a hard first season without father figure Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm.

Even without the red side of Manchester competing this season, the run up to the end of the season couldn’t look any more exciting. With Chelsea leading the way under returning manager Jose Mourinho, the title could return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2009-2010. He will be hoping to secure one more title under his belt in order to live up to his nickname of 'The Special One'.

Sitting only a point below Chelsea is another London team - Arsenal. Arsene Wenger has not tasted Premiership glory in ten years and it has been a very empty silverware cabinet at the Emirates Stadium since they moved in. However, with money to spend, the Arsenal faithful feel that this must be their year to bring back some glory to the London club.

The blue half of Manchester sit three points below the leaders but Manchester City find themselves with a game in hand over all of their title contenders which would put them back on par with Chelsea with a win. City last won the title in 2011-2012 for the first time in their history and are back with their new manager, Manuel Pellegrini, as well as their never ending pockets of cash. They are looking to take hold of the premiership crown and wave it under the noses of their arch enemies, Manchester United.

Liverpool have not won the Premier League title since it's inauguration but have won many league titles before that - eighteen to be precise. They are four points behind leaders Chelsea and still in with a fine chance of taking a league title since 1989-1990. With 'The SAS' (Sturridge and Saurez) leading the attack, it would be daft not to see them within grasp come the end of May.

Filling the top five positions and sitting six points behind that last and vital Champions League spot is Tottenham Hotspur. The Spurs are ten points adrift but cannot be written off just yet. It maybe a large gap, but leagues have been won before in the past by closing similar point gaps.

With all that said, there is some crucial matches yet to be played this season which could drastically alter the positions of all five teams. In three weeks time the rankings of the top five teams plus Manchester United could see teams move in and out of the Champions league spots and possibly see a team separate themselves from the chasing pack.

The following run down of the top five teams shows why or why not they could be lifting the trophy in eleven games time.

Chelsea

Played: 27; Points 60 

Sitting top of the table at the end of February is a nice place to be for Jose Mourinho - his confidence is contagious through the club. This is a team that knows how to win the league from this position and with stalwarts such as Cech, Terry and Lampard it is difficult to see how they would lose concentration this late in the season. Chelsea does have an upcoming match against Arsenal which could see the teams swap positions in the hunt for the title.

After being knocked out of the FA Cup last week, they find themselves searching for silverware on the continent too, with ties against Turkish side Galatasaray coming up in March. A problem for Chelsea is the current lack of goals coming from their strike force, as Torres and Demba Ba have only found the net 11 times between them this season.

Arsenal

Played 27; Points 59

Arsenal are desperate for some silverware. Period. This is the closest they have been to winning the title in a number of years but it will have to be seen whether a team without a title win in a decade can handle the pressure that comes with a tight run in. It is a young team that, no doubt, has the desire to win, and may vindicate the decision to keep manager Arsene Wenger at the helm for so long without title or cup glory. With Olivier Giroud coming up with some fine goal scoring and Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wishere holding the midfield, this team have a great base to go on to win the title.

Manchester City

Played 26; Points 57

This team won the title two seasons ago with a superb run-in to snatch it from Manchester United's golden hands. They know all about how to perform at the end of the season. With such a huge goal difference that has come from big wins including two 5-0 wins, two 6-0 wins and a 7-0 thrashing of Norwich, it doesn't look like the goals will halt any time soon. Being beaten at home 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League may end their hunt for European glory, which will turn even more attention to the EPL; also having a game in hand over their rivals will be a huge benefit to them.

Liverpool

Played 27; Points 56

How Merseyside would love to see the Premiership trophy being held aloft from an open top bus. Like Arsenal, this is the opportunity to regain some confidence in how to be a title challenger again. With the strike force of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez, both in a rich vein of form only a cruel bout of injuries or suspension would stop these players from finding the back of the net. With no European commitments this season, Liverpool have been able to concentrate on the league and manager Brendan Rogers will look at qualification for next seasons Champions League as the minimal award for his team’s effort this season.

Tottenham Hotspur

Played 27; Points 50

With a very poor goal difference compared to teams above, Tottenham would be a very hard pressed in the remaining weeks to move up from where they are now. After losing Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in the summer, the Spurs spent a lot of money - over £100 million on no fewer than seven players. These players have not performed at a considerable level according to the Tottenham board and that cost Andre Villas-Boas his job. Under new head coach Tim Sherwood, they have been able to steer the ship in a better direction and the race for the Champions League spot is on for Spurs. Although that might seem an appropriate finish for a team racked with changes, you feel that the demanding boardroom expected more this season.

Ten Days in February: The Making of Garry Monk

It has been a roller coaster of emotions for fans, board members and back-room staff of Swansea City Football Club recently. Even those not affiliated with the club have had their say on the matters that have gone on at the Liberty Stadium.

In particular, one person is gaining more respect from colleagues and followers -Garry Monk.

February 1: On a rare sunny winter afternoon in London, the type of football on display did not please the travelling crowd. The way Swansea City were moving the ball against their West Ham counterparts was not what their fans have come to expect.

Gone was the fast one touch passes. Gone was the quick flight of the wingers. Gone was any enjoyment. What came in its place was dire, and for 45 minutes, Swansea pounded the ball in to the opposition’s penalty area only for it to be spat right back by their commanding centre backs.

Beautiful passing had been thrown out the window, and during this entire episode, one man sat with a pained look upon his face - Michael Laudrup.

This was to become the last game in charge for the man and was applauded by the fans on numerous occasions. The Dane was the first to deliver a major trophy to the South Wales club with the League Cup and he guided them to a record high ninth in the English Premier League.

The cup win also ensured Swansea City would be playing in European competition for the first time in more than 30 years. Eighteen months ago, everything had gone to plan despite the drop in league form over the Christmas period. Fans became dismayed with the style of football played and could sense his lack of ambition growing steadily. This was fuelled by rumours Laudrup would leave in the summer regardless of what happened during the remainder of the season.

February 4: Huw Jenkins has been Swansea City chairman for more than a decade and the Swansea faithful backed his decisions like a letter of the law. The example today was that Michael Laudrup had been dismissed from his position along with assistant Martin Wieghorst. Jenkins has made some crucial decisions in the span of his boardroom control and these decisions are ones that now see the club operating with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. The Club is more familiar with their managers being poached than being asked to shut the door behind them, this being the first sacking in close to a decade. Once again, the fans stood by Huw Jenkins decision to cut ties with Laudrup, despite being slightly shocked of the decision’s timing.

Cardiff City is the pride of the capital of Wales and just 45 miles east of Swansea. Both clubs enjoy one football’s biggest rivalries in the United Kingdom. The game was scheduled to be played in Swansea in just four days and the sacking of the manager combined with the biggest game of the season for many in Wales added to the intrigue. Cardiff had won the season’s first encounter with a 1-0 win in the Capital, with a goal scored by former Swansea player Steven Caulker. It was a game that meant more than three points - it was a deep hatred against opposing fans but more importantly it included the ongoing relegation battle engulfing both teams. Their future EPL dreams were at stake.

Garry Monk, who recently handed over his team captain duties to fellow centre back Ashley Williams, has been at the club for a decade and is held in high regard by co-workers and fans, and it was assumed he would take Swansea’s manager’s role. It happened faster than expected. After assuming the reins, Monk prepared the team for the Cardiff grudge match, which was no easy feat. To the press, he mentioned how he used a BBC documentary on the club to inspire the players. It worked… actually, it worked wonders.

February 8: It’s a day no Swansea fan or Cardiff fan will forget in a hurry. The opening 45 minutes saw Swansea back to their original ways of possession football that made Cardiff look like a dog chasing its tail. There were no goals but the fans were relishing the encounter. Garry Monks halftime words must have put fire in the bellies of the Swansea players as they came out of the tunnel raring to go. The next 45 was a complete A-Z guide of how to play football. The 3-0 score highlights the complete annihilation of Cardiff, as Swansea yet again stand by their chairman’s decision and Monk. Following on from a result of those proportions is never easy but every manager knows once one game is over the attention turns to the next. The next game pits Swansea against fellow relegation battler Stoke City.

February 12: 'The Swans', as they are affectionately known, travelled north in search of another pleasing result. Against a team that is strong in height and in harsh wintery conditions, the Swans gain a point rather than lose two. It is enough to see them sit in the middle of the table and ease the thoughts of relegation in four months time.

Garry Monk has taken four points from a possible six but more importantly has restored pride. From his days battling it out in a Swansea shirt to his rise as a derby day winner in one of the world’s best leagues, Monk has shown his commitment to his club and the club have shown their commitment to him.