Liverpool on the verge

Liverpool are on the verge of doing what many at least, if not impossible, thought unlikely at the start of the season. They defeated Manchester City 3-2, and are now on first place, and it seems only Chelsea will be able to threaten them. But with their splendid form it seems, if not impossible, unlikely that Liverpool should mess it all up.

I have to add my own personal experience in this drama. On my way from Liberia to Turkey I passed through London, and went to see the aspiring champions of Liverpool play at West Ham. It was the first time I was ever at a Premier League match.

It was a fascinating experience. West Ham are a club full of traidtions, from their bubble song to their links with the legendary Bobby Moore. I enjoyed the atmosphere at the stadium, although I also found it extremely aggressive and negative. In football terms West Ham is hardly an impressive team, and plays quite primitive football. They started the match well, and it was not entirely just when Liverpool went ahead on a penalty kick by Stephen Gerrard. That said, at this time, Luis Suarez had already hit the bar. But West Ham equalized by Guy Demel in a situation where it seemed Andy Carroll fouled the goalkeeper. Andy Carroll was surely the one West Ham player who gave Liverpool trouble, but in the second half Liverpool played much better, and they fully deserved the victory. Luis Suarez hit the bar again, and they were in control. However, the winning goal was on a more controversial penalty kick, again by Stephen Gerrard, which made the home crowd much more aggressive against the away team.

In the end this was an important step for Liverpool, and I was happy I was there and may be able to say that I saw them play the first time they ever won a Premier League championship.

Millionaire transfers!

By the amounts some of the Premier League clubs have been spending in this transfer window one would never guess that there is an economic crisis going on! One year ago, the clubs spent 29 Mio pounds in the transfer window, something that couldn't even pay for what Chelsea paid for Fernando Torres! All in all, Premier League clubs have spent more than 200 Mio Pounds!
Chelsea, who seems to be living off Mr. Abramovich' billions to get out of its current slump, beat all Premier League record by the signing of Fernando Torres, who seemed to be in need of a transfer from Liverpool. Still, I personally do not think Mr. Torres is worth such amounts! Sunday's Chelsea-Liverpool match in the Premier League, where Torres is set to get his debut!
Liverpool has also been out spending money on two very interesting signings who will arrive at the struggling Anfield side with great expectations: Ajax' outstanding (and some places infamous) Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, and the hugely talented and controversial young Newcastle striker Andy Carroll. What Liverpool paid for Mr. Carrol makes him the most expensive English player ever, thus sealing another record.
Amid Liverpool's and Chelsea's spending, many people may have overlooked one of the most interesting transfers, namely Manchester City's signing of Wolfsburg's outstanding Bosnian player Edin Dzeko. Dzeko was surely one of the best players in the world during his time in Wolfsburg, perhaps overlooked by him being from a small country and in an overlooked cup. Still, he was part of one of the most goal-scoring teams in the Bundesliga and was instrumental in leading them to their first Bundesliga title in 2009. Dzeko will be hugely interesting to follow under Roberto Mancini in Manchester City!