The Heat of Rivalry and Title Chase

Writer: Amos Joseph

Ask Manchester United and City rivals Manchester City or Real Madrid and the Catalan giants (Barcelona) or AC Milan and Juventus or PSG and Montpellier, better still find out from Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich may be you will understand that you necessarily do not have to sweat to feel heat.

Considering the stage at which some leagues are at the moment, with just few matches to see off the 2011/2012 season. It is a worthy and natural for every team to be mindful of close rival's form and results. Stakeholders are not finding it funny owing to number of points their teams have garnered which is a major determinant of how they finish on the log at the end of the season.

Obviously, some teams are relegation threatened or bound, some others are seeking consolidation while for some teams, securing UEFA Champions or Europa league spot would do for the season while a few are chasing the title with all desperation.

Arsenal ace defender Thomas Vermaelen told newsmen how it is better to forget rivals and focus on results. He made the statement just after helping his side secure the needed three points against Everton which catapulted the Gunners to third spot on the league table.

Easier said than done some will say. It could be recalled how Real Madrid failed to beat Villareal in a highly emotional game to keep up the gap between them and the Catalans who are chasing ruthlessly and narrowing the difference match after match. Similarly, Chelsea also failed to maintain the lead when they confronted Manchester City who cannot afford to drop a point as it would affect their title contest.

Consequently, some managers will be sacked, some are gone already while other are dead men walking; in other quarters, ego will be tampered with either positively or negatively; for some it is the history book that matter.

However, whatever the case may be pressure is mounting as the clock goes tick tock, the odds are high at the same time low. Simply put, the heat is on.