When August comes, the online rivalries between the fans of different football clubs will come into play. After a silence of almost two months, between the end of the previous and start of new sessions, WhatsApp groups will be flooded again with predictions, thrashings, and glorification for their club. Every football lover waits in excitement for the new session to kick-start and watch his/her favourite team play.
In the Premier League, English football’s top flight competition, the awaited 2018-19 session started with the usual excitement. Many people had kept an eye for great teams like Chelsea FC (who won 5 times in the decade), Manchester City FC (who won 3 times in the decade) and Manchester United FC (who won 2 times in the decade). Eventual strong teams like Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, and Arsenal FC were not ignored either. By the end of December, on boxing day, Liverpool was on the top of the table but all the Top-5 teams still contended and had the chance to pounce for the title.
Weeks later, Liverpool and Manchester City (who were up to defend their previous title) became the only two clear title contenders. Goosebumps after goosebumps, after playing the entire session, the winner couldn’t be decided till the last match. It’s a rare happening in a league competition where each team has to play 38 matches and wait for the final game to decide the title. In fact, this has become a history in the Premier League.
Liverpool stood with 94 points and Manchester City with 95 points on the final showdown of the most entertaining session ever in the Premier League. But, being a league competition, they weren’t facing each other; that’s a little disappointment. For Liverpool to lift the title, they had to win their last game, plus Manchester City had to either lose or draw the game that was being played at the same time in a different stadium. For Manchester City, they had to win their last match without any grace from the team Liverpool were playing against and they will lift the trophy.
With all these looming uncertainties on who would lift the title, it is wonderful and truly entertaining to imagine the Premier League making two sets of trophies, medals, down to the podiums for a single session! The entertainment didn’t stop there, the unused podium was available for auction at Liverpool. Laughs.
