Stop Watching Useless NBA and NHL Games, the Real Action is Across the Pond

The most entertaining form of weekly sports television this spring is something that ends in the middle of the afternoon and starts at the crack of dawn. It is not any of the meaningless NBA and NHL regular season games that take place in the next six weeks, the games do not even take place in this country. Besides the ending of the college basketball season, the English Premier League will provide the most entertainment and drama on a weekly basis, until the middle of May. 

Unlike the meaningless NBA and NHL games going on right now, each of the 38 matches in the Premier League this season means an awful lot. The ones that are played in the final months of the season, mean a bit more. The title race, top four battle, and the fight to stay up are all full of drama, never more so than at the top of the table. When the Premier League has a legit title race, it offers the most drama sports can present. Sergio Aguero’s 93rd minute winner against Queens Park Rangers to win the 2010-2011 Premier League is the greatest sporting moment of the millennium.  

This year, Liverpool and Manchester City are locked in a title race that began with an exhilarating 2-1 win for Manchester City over Liverpool on January 3rd. The result cut Liverpool’s advantage at the top from 7 points to just 4. Two matches later, the Reds found themselves down 1-0 to Crystal Palace at Anfield after 45 minutes. An incredibly dramatic and controversial final 45 minutes gave the hosts a 4-3 win, and they collected all three points. This was certainly not the most dramatic moment of the season so far at Anfield though. Liverpool’s Daniel Origi’s 96th minute winner to beat Everton 1-0 in the Merseyside Derby was astonishing. Even, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez’s penalty miss in the 85th minute of the first City-Liverpool match in early October has massive implications on the title race. Liverpool’s charismatic manager, Jürgen Klopp, and the recent signings of Mo Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, and Alison Becker have this storied club’s supporters believing they can win the English top flight for the first time in 29 years and win the Premier League for the first time ever. 

Meanwhile, a few miles to the east, Manchester City are aiming for a historic season of their own. After winning the 2017/18 Premier League by gaining an unbelievable 100 points, they set out to win an astounding four trophies this season. As of February 1, they were in the FA Cup’s last 16, UEFA Champions League last 16, League Cup final, and in the title race.  Arguably the world’s best manager Pep Guardiola, and one of the most expensive sides in history, were not expected to be in this position in August. They were expected to cruise to another league title. But Liverpool emerged as a challenger in October, and after City lost back to back matches to Crystal Palace and Leicester City during the Festive Period, the Reds led the table by 7 points on New Year’s Day. With just 13 matches left, Manchester City had cut Liverpool’s lead to just 3 points. 

Speaking of Manchester Clubs, Manchester United, began 2019 on a remarkable run. After falling to as low as tenth in the Premier League, losing to the likes of Brighton Hove Albian, and West Ham, drawing to the likes of Southampton, Crystal Palace, and Wolverhampton, as well as loosing 3-1 to both Manchester United, and Liverpool, the owners of the club has seen enough, and they sacked manager Jose Mourinho. Mourinho also was guilty of not playing one of the best players on the planet in Paul Pogba. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was named the interim manager and he proceeded to win his first eight games at the helm, including winning away at both Tottenham in the league, and Arsenal in the FA Cup. Solskjaer has also played Pogba, and he was on a goal scoring binge in the month of January. It seems that the interim tag will be removed once the season ends. When Mourinho got ousted, it seemed like a joke that United would be in the top four at seasons end, as they were double digits behind the final Champions League qualifying spot. They were closer to the bottom of the table than the top of the table in terms of points. Over the last six weeks, Arsenal and Chelsea became incredibly inconsistent, dropping points left and right, and United were somehow only 2 points behind fourth with 13 games left. It will certainly be fascinating to watch how long this season ends, especially with the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford on March 16, and Liverpool-United at Old Trafford on February 24. These games could go a long way to determining who wins the title. 

The battle to stay up is heating up as well. Huddersfield Town and Fulham seem to be destined for the Championship, but only three points separated places 14-18 with 15 matches left. The battle for avoid being in the bottom three, and making the drop, should be highly dramatic and go down to the final day. 

While we get treated to meaningless NBA and NHL games, the real entertainment, drama, and tension resides in the Premier League.