Seventeenth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Birmingham’s best of the best. The Second city of the United Kingdom can lay claim to two of the hottest teams in the land. Birmingham City lead the way with 6 wins and 2 ties from their last 8 matches including a home draw to leaders Chelsea and more recently a hard-fought one-nil scalp of Stoke at the Britannia. Cross-town rivals Aston Villa, although slightly less impressive with 5 wins, 2 ties and 1 loss in their last 8 fixtures, sit higher in the table in 5th place with the potential to go 4th pending the outcome of their game in hand on high-flying Tottenham.

Chelsea glad to see the back of December. Carlo Ancelotti will be as relieved as anyone to see 2009 come to an end. Chelsea have limped through the winter period securing three-points only twice in their last 7 fixtures. Thankfully their immediate rivals for the title Manchester  Utd have, on more than one occasion, failed to capitalize on the Londoners dismal form.  But watch out Carlo. With Chelsea struggling in front of goal, as demonstrated by their failure to convert at Birmingham in mid-week, and the African Cup of Nations depriving the Blues of their primary goal threat Didier Drogba for the next month, Ancelotti’s winter of discontent doesn’t look like blowing over any time soon.

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