The European Situation

After 4 months of football all over Europe, some things are becoming clear and I can evaluate the situation in the Champions League as well as the EPL and La Liga. We start with the Champions League and it's Spanish dominance.

Group A: Tottenham and Inter Milan are through in this group but what does the future hold for the duo? Well, the winner will most likely face a side they will be favored to defeat with the exception of a possible fixture against Arsenal. The runner-up will face a much sterner challenge against a club from Europe's elite such as Barcelona, Man U, Chelsea, or Real Madrid. However, first place is a toss up as the two sides are only separated by a goal difference of 3 in favour of Tottenham. Both sides are away, where neither have found a win. However, Inter faces last place Bremen, who they should beat. Spurs could draw at the Dutch champions, Twente. My prediction:

1. Inter-13 pts

2. Tottenham-11 pts

3. Twente-6 pts

4. Bremen-2 pts

Group B: Schalke and Lyon are in control of this group despite Benfica having a chance. The Portuguese outfit need a win while hosting 1-point leaders Schalke. However, my prediction is a draw. Now, this doesn't mean Lyon will win the group. Expect a resurgent Hapoel side to surprise the French at home while fighting for a Europa League berth. The Israelites have 4 points from their last two after losing their first 3. Meanwhile, Lyon have back-to-back losses (both away from home, though). My predictions call for a 2-0 Hapoel shocker in France:

1. Schalke-11 pts

2. Lyon-9 pts

3. Hapoel-7 pts (-1 GD)

4. Benfica-7 pts (-4 GD)

Group C: This group looks straight-forward, barring a Valencia upset at the Theatre of Dreams. These aren't even predictions, just stating the facts:

1. Man U-16 pts

2. Valencia-10 pts

3. Rangers-8 pts

4. Bursaspor-0 pts

Group D: BARCA! BARCA! BARCA! BARCA! BARCA! BARCA! BARCA! BARCA! That is the direction this group is headed, despite two away draws from the Catalans. Second place would be interesting but Rubin Kazan, who trail Copenhagen by one point have an assured death in a week in a half--a.k.a: a trip to the Camp Nou.

1. Barcelona-14 pts

2. Copenhagen-10 pts

3. Rubin Kazan-6 pts

4. Panathinaikos-2 pts

Group E: This group is the classic no-draw 12-9-6-3 group. 6-point Basel would be in with a chance to overtake 9-point Roma but they have a killer fixture at the Allianz while the Italians face Cluj-Napoca. My predicitions:

1. Bayern Munich-15 pts

2. Roma-12 pts

3. Basel-6 pts

4. Cluj-Napoca-3 pts

Group F: This group is over, nothing is left here. Because of this, though, expect some exciting football. With Chelsea's poor run of form and 4 points from a possible 15 in the EPL this month, Marseille could pull a shocker while hosting the English champions. Sorry, Zilina, no shocker for you. A drubbing at home is on the cards for the Slovaks.

1. Chelsea-15 pts

2. Marseille-12 pts

3. Spartak Moscow-9 pts

4. Zilina-0 pts

Group G: This is another case of "over". Madrid 1st, Milan 2nd, Ajax 3rd, and Auxerre 4th--because they're facing Madrid.

1. Madrid-13 pts

2. Milan-9 pts

3. Ajax-5 pts

4. Auxerre-3 pts

Group H: In Group H, we have competition. An epic collapse from Arsenal has cost the Gunners 1st place and maybe even a spot in the elimination stages. Their last 2 games, both away, have ended in 2-1 and 2-0 losses to Shaktar Donestk and Braga respectively. 3 points behind Shaktar, 1st place is nearly out of reach, but, due to goal difference, advancing is in the Gunners hands. Luckily for Arsene Wenger, his side will play at the Emirates, where they boast a 11-1 advantage in the UCL. Also, they host point-less Partizan Belgrade. Meanwhile, Braga would be out even with a victory if Arsenal win.

1. Shaktar-13 pts

2. Arsenal-12 pts

3. Braga-10 pts

4. Partizan Belgrade-0 pts

Now that we have looked through the Champions League, I will quickly review the situation in Spain after el Classico.

Barca look simply unstoppable in La Liga. The Catalans have fended off every tough opposition until they face Valencia in March. Perfect in the league since early October, there is no doubt the Catalans will finish in the top 2. Also, as they proved with a stunning performance in a phenomenal 5-0 thrashing of Madrid, they will most likely see off the Whites for the 3rd year running. At this point, I wouldn't bet against the best team in the world.

In the EPL, we have an interesting race developing with the failure of Chelsea in November. 4 points from 15 while Man U were 11 from 15 in that stretch thanks to 5-goal Berba, who joined the likes of Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, and Jermain Defoe as EPL strikers who have found the net 5 times in one match. Arsenal stay in third (only behind Chelsea on goal difference) because they haven't taken advantage of the Blues the way United have. The Gunners have only taken 9 points from the last 15 due to being profligate at the Emirates. Luckily, Fulham should give them 3 points before they face Man U and Chelsea in December. Even Man City are in with a chance (5 points back) and Spurs (6 points back) have a shot, or at least according to Harry Redknapp.

Torres Rescues Arsenal

Fernando Torres has saved Liverpool and Arsenal, along with aiding Manchester United. The out-of-form striker scored two beautifully worked goals for the Reds as he single-handedly gave Chelsea it's second loss of the campaign. His 11th minute goal was courtesy of a delightful chip over the top from Dirk Kuyt. The Spaniard then brought the ball down to his feet as if his Adidas boots had magnets on them and volleyed on the bounce over Petr Cech. Torres' second was perhaps the more impressive as Raul Meireles took advantage of an Ashley Cole slip and played a ball through to the Liverpool number 9 on the edge of the penalty area. Torres then cut Branislav Ivanovic before curling a stunner off the far post, leaving Cech with no chance.

This result leaves an interesting situation in the EPL title race. Man U have been given a great boost thanks to Ji-Sung Park's heroics against Wolves while Arsenal and Chelsea find themselves just the same as they were 3 days ago. If Sir Alex Ferguson's men keep winning, they will be within a match come the holiday season. The Gunners, meanwhile, are still in the running, thanks to Chelsea being stopped by Fernando T. It is very likely that the North-Londoners won't drop points in the next month but they didn't look like title contenders today and they must improve their form if they want to win their first EPL at the Emirates.

Also, after Chelsea's loss coupled with Mario Balotelli's heroics, we can't count out Man City. After another week of football we all have Fernando Torres to thank for a wide open title race.

Can Chelsea be Caught?

We have 28 matchdays left to enjoy this campaign. However, a question soon arises when you think about this. Are we wasting our "TV time" or can Chelsea be stopped? The Blues next 6 games shouldn't trouble them as their toughest match looks to be at St. James' Park, where they face 7th placed Newcastle. 18 points there and the blues could have up to an 11 point lead over Man U and Arsenal as the Red Devils visit Villa Park and the City of Manchester while the Gunners also travel to Villa Park as well as hosting Spurs. As long has Chelsea hasn't run away from the pack, an important stretch of matches follows during the holiday season as the top 3 enjoy a round-robin-like fixture list. The trio matches are as follows:

Chelsea Arsenal Man U

Dec 11-12 @ Tottenham @ Man U vs Arsenal

Dec 18-19 vs Man U vs Stoke @ Chelsea

Dec 25-26 @ Arsenal vs Chelsea vs Sunderland

First let's look at week one. The Blues travel to the lane, clearly the hardest match not in the round-robin. While Arsenal and United have near-certain 3 points when hosting Stoke and Sunderland, respectively, Chelsea could easily drop points. Spurs haven't lost to the Blues at White Hart Lane since August 27, 2005. Arsenal's trip to the theatre of dreams is vital towards their title challenge. If Chelsea drop points at Spurs, the winning side in Manchester will be within a game of the Blues. Unfortunately for United, the next week could end their season as Chelsea's home form has been immaculate. Barring an upset at SW20, Arsene Wenger's men will face a must-win at the Emirates, a ground where the Gunners haven't beaten their rivals since 2007. Depending on the results during this holiday stretch, the title race could be on or off heading into the climax of the campaign.

However, the question is still the same: Can the Blues even lose?, because the truth is, they need to.