REACHING
FOR THE
POT OF
GOLD The race for the Premier League is entering the finishing straight
T
he English Premier League is, on the surface, the land of milk and honey, a footballing Utopia where the streets are paved with 24-carat gold bricks and the super-rich chatter idly of multi million-pound contracts and eyewatering sponsorship deals. But, as with most elitist societies, there are fat cats lounging at the top table with the wannabes scrambling around, snapping up the hand-me-downs and dining off scraps. And then there are those huddled outside, noses firmly pressed against the window, waiting for their membership of this lucrative club to be rubber-stamped so they too can bask in the limelight of being one of the chosen few. Unfortunately, for those outsiders, the path from the threshold to the cosiness of the inner sanctum is littered with broken dreams and, more often than not, severely-depleted bank accounts. Norwich City know this more than most. In the 29 seasons of the Premier League, they have had five separate spells in the top flight, none lasting more than three
seasons. And yet, once again, they are perched among the front-runners trying to escape the Sky Bet Championship for the Promised Land of the Premier League.
As the season enters the final quarter, it’s all about momentum and consistency
Their last attempt at gaining a toehold on football’s Everest came with a longanticipated relegation in May last year, but crucially, unlike many of their doomed predecessors, they managed to keep hold of the majority of their highlyrated younger players.
quarter, it’s all about momentum and consistency – and most of their rivals have shown anything but. Watford and Bournemouth squandered points around the middle of the campaign and lost ground, with Swansea, who squeezed into the playoffs last season, emerging as contenders from a rather congested pack. However, it is Brentford, another of last season’s bridesmaids, who continue to take the eye in a leading group otherwise dominated by clubs who have previously reached for the Holy Grail and been found wanting.
And with the arrival of the well-regarded Oliver Skipp on a season-long loan from Tottenham, they have regrouped, shown great resilience and now look a solid bet to bounce straight back, if not as champions then in the other automatic promotion spot.
The Bees, cruelly denied in the playoffs last season, continued to thrive despite subsequently losing key players Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma, and their run to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup hinted at greater things, thanks to the arrival of Ivan Toney from Peterborough and the continued potency of Sergi Canos and Bryan Mbeumo.
Who accompanies them, though, is not so obvious. As the season enters the final
Perhaps there will be no sting in the tale this year.
LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
15
