Top of Premier League table resumes familiar pattern; MLS 2011 expansion prediction

Things at the top of the Premier League table are starting to look awfully familiar.

After losing to the Tottenham "Redknapp effect" 2-1 Saturday, Liverpool now trail Chelsea (easy 5-0 winners against Sunderland) on goal difference, while Manchester United have shrugged off an indifferent start to their campaign, their latest scalp a tricky 4-3 win over Hull City. United lie in third, five points behind with a game in hand. Arsenal meanwhile, sit in fourth after their weekend debacle away to Stoke City.

Sound familiar? It's more than a little comical how it generally takes about 10 or so games, but the pretenders get shaken out sooner rather than later. There are questions to be asked of the Big Four (Can Liverpool do the business over the long term without Fernando Torres, will Arsenal suffer a total collapse due to injuries, will Man United get distracted by January transfer speculation?), but for all the talk of several teams "breaking in" to the Champions League positions, nothing seems to have really changed.

For all of the promise that Hull City have shown through the first quarter of the season, the Champions League will not be the next stop for the determined Tigers.

The only intriguing case for a shake-up at the top appears to be the pluck Aston Villa. Villa look to have mastered the task of navigating the lower-tier Premier League teams, and have already taken a point off Liverpool. Victory tonight at Newcastle would vault the Villains ahead of Man United into third. This at the same time that their chief rival to the Big Club, Arsenal, took a beating in more ways than one against Stoke.

The Gunners' best striker this term, Robin van Persie, got sent off and will miss the upcoming match against Manchester United. Emmanuel Adebayor, Theo Walcott and Bacary Sagna all suffered injuries. Yesterday, manager Arsene Wenger admitted his team may already be burnt out. Not a good sign at this point, is it?

Like Arsenal, Villa are talented, but the depth of Martin O'Neill's squad is questionable over the gruelling English season. With UEFA cup group stage games, FA and Carling cup ties along with the Christmas schedule on the horizon, Villa's credentials will be truly tested over the next two months.

As for the rest, relegation battles and cup dreams remain the only possible consolation.

MLS Expansion

Since straying from my little piece of the 'Net, Major League Soccer announced its list of suitors for two expansion slots for the 2011 season. Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Miami, Atlanta, St. Louis and Portland all confirmed their intentions to bid for what would be the 17th and 18th league franchises (after Seattle and Philadelphia are admitted in the interim).

From my corner of the world here in Ottawa, I see two possible results, bounded by two factors. Remember: 1) the league wants to promote rivalries, 2) the league is split geographically into East and West.

This makes for two scenarios: Montreal and Portland or Vancouver and Atlanta.

The first assumption that this prediction makes is that MLS is hot for Canada. Toronto FC is, at least commercially, the most successful club in the league. Some of this comes down to the city of Toronto and not having enough holes for people to drop their bottomless pit of entertainment dollars into; some of this is because there are many people in this country who crave professional football.

MLS, in my opinion, sees the opportunity to cash in on Canadian footballing dreams and will take one bid from the three northern cities.

Montreal, with solid ownership and a "soccer specific" stadium which can easily be expanded, seems the most likely candidate. The Impact's run in the CONCACAF Champions League couldn't come at a more opportune time either. Also working in Montreal's favour is the age-old rivalry with Toronto (George Gillett, owner of the Canadiens/Impact vs. MLSE, owner of the Maple Leafs/TFC).

This would make way for Portland and the Timbers, who could then re-kindle their rivalry with Seattle at the MLS level.

The alternative would be Vancouver, also in the west and a potential rival for Seattle, but with no stadium. In the East, Atlanta would be the second pick of the litter behind Montreal, only because it is backed by Falcons owner Arthur Blanks. Atlanta however is a professional sporting nightmare, with little in the way of consistent fan support for any of the current franchises (Falcons, Braves, Hawks, Thrashers).

Miami, backed by Barcelona, was tried once before by MLS, why go back now? As for St. Louis, a team there would serve as a rival for Kansas City, but why prop up the weakest market in the league with another dubious football market?

As for Ottawa: no professional team + no stadium + no clue = no team. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk should look into the soon-to-be-burgeoning market for a USL team and build from the ground up, unless Millwall co-owner and city sporting rival Bill Shenkman beats him to it.