EPL

I realize that there are many fantastic leagues in the world. I also realize that there are fantastic players playing in all of those leagues and that most of the recent Champions League winners are not from the the EPL. I also realize that some people may have different tastes and that their preference may lead them to follow a league outside of England and they may even believe that the English top-tier league is a bit of a step-down. However, no matter what type of thinking you prescribe to, after the past few weeks you have to realize that the EPL is AWESOME!

The top teams are always beatable.

In the EPL, so far this season, every big name club has found themselves on the wrong side of the score this season. Arsenal got smashed early, Liverpool got beaten by Southampton, Manchester United have been beaten frequently, City lost to Aston Villa in a thriller this past weekend, and Chelsea fell prey to Everton’s rebirth. Although Madrid have already stumbled in La Liga and PSG have been beaten in Ligue 1, those teams seem unlikely to drop too many more points and teams like Barcelona exist to prove that the smaller teams should possibly look into the pros and cons of forfeiting some fixtures. You can guarantee that the big EPL teams will drop more teams to smaller clubs before the end of the season and the some of these small teams will probably decide the title…the EPL is AWESOME!

The title will be heading to a new team.

Although I may anger the entirety of the United fan-base by saying this, they already look like distant favorites to retain the EPL title this season. I do not believe Arsenal can continue to ride Ramsey for the top spot and I also think Liverpool are a top-four club at best, meaning that probably Chelsea or Manchester City will probably be fighting for honors once the season comes to a close. However, no matter which of these clubs is actually celebrating at the end, the title is going somewhere else. Factor in the mish-mash of clubs that will make up the rest of the table, and the EPL easily has the biggest amount of club shifting from one season to another…the EPL is AWESOME!

The EPL still allows some physicality.

After enjoying a wide variety of games over the weekend, it has been easy to come to a conclusion that the EPL allows more physical play than any of the other elite European leagues. Serie A, Ligue 1, and La Liga refs and players respond to the slightest of touches and the Bundesliga seems to be moving away from the physical nature of the game as well (I blame Arjen Robben). Sure, there are times when EPL players make a meal out of a small challenge, but the EPL is one of the few leagues where there are full clubs that are considered “bruisers.” My case in point came during the fixture between Liverpool/Sunderland at the weekend. Kolo Toure got position on a player and powered him out of bounds perfectly but it was a definite show of strength. In another league, a penalty is called and the attacker is pleading with the ref. In the EPL, it was perfect defending and the attacker knew it immediately…the EPL is AWESOME!

If you do not have a favorite club in the EPL- get one. If you are not watching the EPL- do so. If you do not enjoy European football at all- why are you reading this? Make sure that you have a comfy spot on the couch this weekend and make sure that you are tuned in for some fantastic football taking place within the realm of the EPL…it…is…AWESOME!