The top four teams in the Premiership rely on the performances of certain players over the course of the season to bring them glory. When these players are missing because of injuries, suspensions or just plain starting off the bench, the team falls short. Some are no brainers, others are quite obscure and some are pure controversial.
So this article focuses on those players that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United will need to survive (improve their top four ranking, remain the same or fall out of the top four) this season. Here’s my list per teams so far this season. Feel free to add yours.
Arsenal:
No brainers: Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin, Eduardo, Thomas Vermaelen (this season so far), William Gallas, Alexandre Song.
Need to stay fit: Robin Van Persie, Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner, Barcary Sagna, Gael Clichy (only because his form this season is questionable), Samir Nasri.
Controversial: Denilson, Emmanuel Eboue & Abou Diaby. Some love, some hate but these players add a different dimension to Arsenal’s play and that’s the truth!
I don’t have a goalie on this list because Vito Manonne has been good recently but not sure about him just yet. He needs more game saving saves (forgive my pun) and man of the match performances before he can be branded him No.1 over Almunia.
Chelsea:
No brainers: Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, John Mikel Obi, Michael Ballack.
Need to stay fit: Ricardo Carvalho, Petr Cech, Deco, Joe Cole, Paulo Ferreira, Florent Malouda.
Liverpool:
No brainers: Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun (so far this season).
Need to stay fit: Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard (frankly, I don’t know where Liverpool would finish if Gerrard and Torres got injured), Daniel Agger.
Controversial: Jamie Carragher, Albert Riera, Fabio Aurelio, Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel.
Manchester Utd:
No brainers: Ryan Giggs (absolutely invaluable), Darren Fletcher, Ji-Sung Park, Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra
Need to stay fit: Edwin Van der Sar (ASAP), Michael Owen.
Controversial: Dimitar Berbatov (personally I like his style of play and he is one who changes the way Man Utd looks upfront), Paul Scholes (clumsy but another golden oldie), Nani, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea, Antonio Valencia (yet to flourish).
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PassesOctober 1st, 2009 at 9:56 am
interesting choices “Coach.” Here is who I would put into each category for the top 4 teams (this season)
Arsenal:
No-brainers: Fabregas, Sagna, Arshavin, Eduardo, Van Persie, Song (only because there is no one else to play the holding MF role as effectively) Vermaelen, Gallas
Need to stay fit: Rosicky, Walcott, Nasri
Questionable: Clichy, Bendtner, Eboue, Diaby, Denilson, Almunia
Chelsea:
No-brainers: Cech, Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Drogba, Essien, Anelka
Need to stay fit: Joe Cole, Carvalho
Questionable: Bosingwa, Ballack, Deco, Obi-Mikel, Malouda
Liverpool:
No-brainers: Gerrard, Torres, Reina, Kuyt (the right wing dog…literally!), Mascherano, Glen Johnson
Need to stay fit: Gerrard & Torres (either one of them goes, Liverpool fade), Agger, Aurelio, Skrtel
Questionable: Carragher, Benayoun (hot so far this season, but hasn’t proved it over the course of an entire season…YET), Riera, Babel, Aquilani (hasn’t played yet), Lucas, N’Gog, Voronin
Man Utd:
No-brainer: Rooney, Vidic, Van Der Sar, Evra, Fletcher, Giggs, Park, Carrick, Scholes, O’Shea
Need to stay fit: Ferdinand, Hargreaves, Owen,
Questionable: Berbatov, Nani, Valencia, Neville, Anderson