Four contenders for Premier League crown

THE season is over in Norway, Sweden and the US, while Russia is on a three-month break.

THE season is over in Norway, Sweden and the US, while Russia is on a three-month break. They might as well close down the 2013-14 Bundesliga, too: Bayern Munich are on course to win it by 25 points.

Juventus are well ahead in Italy. France and Spain are interesting but in those two countries tight title races feature two and three teams respectively.

 In the Premier League four pretenders fight for the crown and the team in fifth place, Tottenham, cannot be ruled out. One quarter of the league still in contention with 11 weeks left and Manchester United not even in it - this is a better ruse for keeping the torrents of revenue flowing than any 39th game.

"It's the most open Premier League in years," said the Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere. "Usually, by this point, there are just two teams fighting for the title, for the last few years it's been Manchester United and Manchester City."

Wilshere reckons his team will win "if we have the kind of run we had from this time last season". He's right.

In a contest so poised, anyone who puts together a sequence like Arsenal did in the 2012-13 run-in - played 10, won eight, lost none - will prevail. "I can't think of any season that has been as open as this. For the players involved it has made the season really exciting and from the point of view of supporters I'm sure it has been a season to remember," said Liverpool's Joe Allen.

But does variety equate to quality? Is this the best title race ever? Not for me. Not when the teams involved in it are good but some way short of great. Indeed it's their deficiencies that make it interesting.

Chelsea? Virtuoso manager, great organisation, flaky strikers.

Manchester City? Unbelievable scoring power but not so good at keeping goals out.

Arsenal? Consistency against the smaller sides, suspect versus rivals.

Liverpool? Some marvellous players, some prone to mistakes. As Neil Atkinson, writer and broadcaster from The Anfield Wrap, put it: "Imperfect but battling other flawed teams." 2001-02 was closer. Then, at this stage, the top four teams were within four points of one another and with a fortnight to go, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool were still just four points apart. And Arsenal, the eventual winners, fired by Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires, were on their way to greatness and the "Invincibles" campaign of 2003-4.

Season 1998-99 was even better. Manchester United and Arsenal were already great teams. They pushed one another to standards that would see United finish the season as European champions and treble winners. Arsenal won 12 of their last 17 Premier League matches, suffering just one defeat, but this wasn't enough to pip United who, after losing to Middlesbrough on December 19, played out the rest of the campaign unbeaten.

"This is a brilliant season," says Peter Schmeichel, United's goalkeeper in 1998-9. "Manchester City are a quality team, Chelsea are a quality team. So are Arsenal, and Liverpool are growing. But you don't look at them and see a world-class player in every position as you did with our side and Arsenal's in 1998-9.

"We went neck and neck, week after week, and something had to give -- which it only did when we beat them in that FA Cup semi-final replay, after Bergkamp's missed penalty, extra-time and Ryan Giggs' amazing goal. I think both teams knew whoever won that cup tie would go on and be league champions. You're talking about the very smallest margins and a run-in that'll be remembered forever. I don't think that's the case this time."

Let's enjoy it, though. So much makes for intrigue. Liverpool and City, with Luis Suarez and Sergio Aguero, boast two of the world's top forwards and are chasing modern-day scoring records. Arsenal have nine years without a trophy to weigh them down and the worries of a pound stg. 42.5 million player (Mesut Ozil) with ebbing confidence and form, but they have their lovely football, their best defence for a decade, and Aaron Ramsey. Chelsea have the X factors: Eden Hazard on the pitch, Jose Mourinho off it. Mourinho, making a movie scene out of every press conference, ensures the drama continues pulsating away from match days.

That used to be Sir Alex Ferguson's role. "I think Sir Alex retiring is the reason for this season (being so open)," says Schmeichel. "Everyone has said 'this is the time to catch up. It'll be difficult for United and if we invest we have a chance'. Arsenal buying Ozil, such an un-Wenger-like transfer, is one example. Liverpool dug deep to keep Suarez and City, Chelsea and Tottenham spent big."

When wages and transfer fees are taken into account, the squads of the top four teams combined cost in the region of pound stg. 1.7 billion. United, who pay their forward line about pound stg. 700,000 a week, and Tottenham, after a pound stg. 100m transfer influx, are outside the elite. Everton, as if on the deck of a super-yacht, in flat cap, with pockets full of shillings and farthings, have come from another era -- when development was king -- to somehow mingle with the spenders.

The title could hinge on one huge eight-day spell at the end of next month.

On March 22, Chelsea host Arsenal. Three days later there's a Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Manchester City then go to the Emirates to meet Arsenal on March 29 and the following day Liverpool host Spurs.

There are two more big games at Anfield, in April, when City and Chelsea visit.

THE SUNDAY TIMES