Photo Credit: Nick Gentile[/caption]So far in the English Premier League, there have been many upsets and surprises. Chelsea currently leads the league with nine wins this season, with Southampton in close second with eight wins. Manchester City is the heavy favorite this season, in third place, and needs three more wins to tie with Chelsea. Chelsea’s Diego Costa has had nine goals this season, helping Chelsea to stay in the lead.
Chelsea has been in the lead a lot because of Diego Costa, the Spanish striker, and Oscar, the 23-year-old midfielder. The team lineup works well together, and their teamwork has foiled many teams' plans. Diego Costa has been the leading scorer on Chelsea, widening their lead in the league.
Burnley FC is in last place in the league. Being the smallest town in England to have its own Premier League team, it has had trouble recruiting players to combat the upper ranked teams. Obviously, size matters, as larger clubs have more fans, which generates more income, which leads to more players being recruited. Media also plays a role in recruiting, though not as much as leagues here in the United States. Soccer cannot have timeouts like football, so it cannot have as many commercial breaks, as you can miss things during a commercial break.
Fans in Fulham, London are definitely enjoying themselves while their team completely dominates the league. Stamford Bridge stadium is a sea of blue as Chelsea beats teams like Liverpool (2-1) and ties good teams like Manchester United (1-1). Fans are also waiting for the number one and number two teams to play--Chelsea being number one, and Southampton being number two as of November.
Chelsea is also awaiting their new goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who says, “It felt [like] the right moment to go to Chelsea. I was ready.” In the eleven games that he has played in so far this season, he has 25 saves. Two of those games were what soccer fans call clean sheets, meaning he had no shots to save in the games.
The Premier League is always changing though, and players will be traded, kicked, celebrated, and revered. Teams will rise and fall, and Chelsea’s reign may end in a heartbeat. In soccer, there is never a definite score or lead, and the excitement will hopefully continue this season.
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