A small gap behind the league leaders but in a healthy second place: this situation may seem familiar for Manchester City fans.
After 21 league games Manchester City sit second on 47 points, two points behind leaders Chelsea. 12 months ago Manuel Pellegrini’s mob had the same number of points and were one point and one place behind pacesetters Arsenal.
In the remaining seventeen games, Arsenal slumped to finish fourth, Jose Mourinho’s little horse couldn’t keep pace and the title slipped out of Liverpool’s grasp to end up at the Etihad.
Now, Manuel Pellegrini’s side face a crucial two games in this year’s title race: they entertain Arsene Wenger’s Gunners on Sunday before a crunch game at Stamford Bridge on February 3.
Win both of these games and City will return to the top of the table outright for the first time since lifting the Premier League trophy in May.
Lose both and a potential eight-point gap to Chelsea may prove decisive in the defence of their crown.
It is too early to say that defeat will end their title race as Chelsea were eight points clear of Manchester City 12 games into this season before being reeled in.
However, as we approach the business end of the season, City can ill afford to give the London club a second advantage of that kind.
When Arsenal arrived at the Etihad last season they were six points clear of the chasing pack but succumbed to a 6-3 defeat.
This was the first of three capitulations to their title rivals as first Liverpool and then Chelsea beat them 5-1 and 6-0 respectively.
Pellegrini won’t expect a repeat on Sunday but knows that, after dropping points from winning positions in two of their last three league games, his side need to return to winning ways.
Unlike Arsenal, who in the past decade have made a habit of collapsing come February, Mourinho, John Terry and co. have plenty of experience of winning titles.
And in Diego Costa they hold the killer touch that was, at times, so glaringly missing with Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto’o leading the line.
For this reason it is important that they go to Stamford Bridge just two points behind Chelsea.
Like Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, Chelsea are primed to punish opponents and in Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard they have the league’s most inventive midfielders.
Mourinho’s side have slipped up in recent weeks and were outplayed in defeat at Tottenham, but have coasted through the majority of the season with a degree of comfort that will worry Pellegrini.
Yes, City have done well to stay in touch despite not playing their best football but Mourinho has a way of winning the games that matter.
He did it last year when he completed league doubles over both Liverpool and Man City and this year was only denied victory at the Etihad by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.
And with the imperious and often inspirational Yaya Toure likely to miss both fixtures due to the African Cup of Nations, Lampard might have a role to play once more.
However the proficiency of Chelsea’s home performances this season point towards an unhappy return to the bridge for the former England international.
Pellegrini’s attacking style plays into the hands of Chelsea’s lightning-fast forward line and without Toure a midfield of Nemanja Matic and Fabregas is likely to dominate proceedings.
Add to this one of the league’s meanest defensive lines and it is easy to see why Mourinho’s men are leading the way.
This season City’s challengers are the complete package and it will require a mammoth effort from Pellegrini’s star-studded team to take anything from their trip to London.
Even so, the Blues, with fit again Sergio Aguero, enter the second half of the campaign with hope the hope that a third Premier League title is there for the taking.
Main image courtesy of Man City Fan Talk via YouTube, with thanks.
