How Arsenal sold the title to Manchester United, great games and big letdowns at Liverpool, plus Fulham's curate's egg
Arsenal
Bernard Azulay, GoonersDiary.blogspot.com
Happy with season so far? No. Three successive clean sheets at the start were encouraging, but it was downhill from there. The sale of Van Persie was unpardonable, gifting United the title for £24m. None of Wenger's bargain replacements proved fit to clean the Dutchman's boots. But it was our premature cup exits that proved most depressing.
Stars/flops Arteta, Wilshere, Jenkinson, Koscielny and Cazorla have done well. Vermaelen, Sagna, Podolski and Szczesny less so.
Predicted finish: 4th Momentum is everything. If we can count on the wheels coming off at Spurs, Arsène might just pull the rabbit out of the hat again.
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and us.
Going down: Sunderland, Reading and QPR.
THE RUN-IN
30 March Reading H 6 April West Brom A 13 April Norwich H 16 April Everton H 20 April Fulham A 28 April Manchester United H 4 May QPR A 12 May Wigan H 19 May Newcastle A
Aston Villa
Jonathan Pritchard, Observer reader
We've had a few terrific highs (Liverpool, Norwich) and lots of terrible lows – too many to list. That said, we've bounced back quite well from the club's darkest point in many years (Bradford), and the manager has now, possibly accidentally, stumbled upon a passable first XI. But there's still plenty to do to stay up and our inability to keep a clean sheet could haunt us.
Stars/flops Benteke is the hero: I'm hoping his poor first touch will put off the monied clubs (it won't). Guzan has been superb, and Weimann has developed quickly. As for flops – now's not the time for negativity…
Predicted finish: I'm praying for 17th
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Spurs.
Going down: Sunderland, Reading and QPR.
THE RUN-IN
31 March Liverpool H 6 April Stoke A 13 April Fulham H 22 April Manchester United A 29 April Sunderland H 4 May Norwich A 12 May Chelsea H 19 May Wigan A
Chelsea
Trizia Fiorellino, Chelsea Supporters' Group
I'll be glad to see the back of this season. We would have been no worse off if we had kept Di Matteo. Instead the board chose to cause a rift between club and fans by bringing in an unpopular figure, and letting the gap between ourselves and United increase. The stubborn refusal to give Lampard an extension on his contract has also marred this season for me.
Stars/flops Oscar, Hazard and Mata have been outstanding – we just need a manager who knows how to harness them consistently. A special manager perhaps… As for letdowns: luck has totally deserted Torres, as has self-belief.
Predicted finish: 3rd Rafa brainstorms aside.
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Going down: QPR, Reading and Villa.
THE RUN-IN
30 March Southampton A 7 April Sunderland H 14 April Tottenham H 17 April Fulham A 21 April Liverpool A 27 April Swansea H 4 May Manchester United A 12 May Aston Villa A 19 May Everton H
Everton
Steve Jones, bluekipper.com
In the league we started like a house on fire with some of the best football I've seen an Everton team play. The performances dropped off after Christmas, though, with the lack of action in the transfer window a big factor, but still to be in with a chance of Europe at this stage is good. The cup defeats were hard to take, though – especially the loss to Wigan with Wembley beckoning.
Stars/flops Leighton Baines has been world class all season. Steven Pienaar has excelled, and Fellaini as top scorer is something few predicted. Seamus Coleman has a great future, too.
Predicted finish: 5th But with us, you never know.
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Going down: Aston Villa, Reading and QPR.
THE RUN-IN
30 March Stoke H 7 April Tottenham A 13 April QPR H 16 April Arsenal A 20 April Sunderland A 27 April Fulham H 4 May Liverpool A 12 May West Ham H 19 May Chelsea A
Fulham
David Lloyd, Toofif.co.uk
Am I happy? No, not really – and that's not the response of an ungrateful brat. We just should have done better, that's all. Some abject, not merely poor, showings, such as QPR away, have been insulting. And yet we're set fair to extend our top-flight status thanks to other solid showings. So it's a curate's egg: good in parts. In fact, very good in parts – and that's what frustrates.
Stars/flops Berbatov's brilliant on the ball, and does a mean scowl too. Old man Karagounis belies his years, Sidwell has worked hard, and loanee Riether is our top man. Richardson has struggled to make his mark, except in the physio's room.
Predicted finish: 9th
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Spurs.
Going down: Sunderland, Reading and QPR.
THE RUN-IN
1 April QPR H 7 April Newcastle A 13 April Aston Villa A 20 April Arsenal H 7 April Everton A 4 May Reading H 12 May Liverpool H 19 May Swansea A
Liverpool
Steph Jones, Observer reader
There've been some great games, great play, great goals but often followed by big letdowns. We've deserved better from some games, but there's only so many times you can say that – generally you win when you deserve it. We need to be more consistent. Yes, we're playing better than last year, but we're no higher in the league, and we've had no trips to Wembley and no trophies.
Stars/flops Suárez is brilliant, and not just when he's scoring. The other positives: Gerrard, as ever, Sturridge and Coutinho, and best of all is having Lucas back.
Predicted finish: 6th
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Going down: Sunderland, Reading and QPR.
THE RUN-IN
31 March Aston Villa A 7 April West Ham H 13 April Reading A 21 April Chelsea H 27 April Newcastle A 4 May Everton H 12 May Fulham A 19 May QPR H
Manchester City
Lloyd Scragg, @lloyd_scragg
This season just never really got going. We've shown flashes of last year's scintillating football, but they've been far too infrequent. Of course many fans will tell you that context is needed, that we've come a long way and the like, which we undoubtedly have. But falling 15 points behind United can only be classed as regression, and the Champions League was embarrassing. An FA Cup win, though, would be a great achievement, and possibly a necessary one for Mancini's future.
Stars/flops Pablo Zabaleta has stood out. Nastasic, Silva and Clichy have been consistent too, but many others have struggled.
Predicted finish: 2nd
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, us, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Going down: Aston Villa, QPR and Reading.
THE RUN-IN
30 March Newcastle H 8 April Manchester United A 17 April Wigan H 21 April Tottenham A 27 April West Ham H 4 May Swansea A 12 May Reading A 19 May Norwich H TBA West Brom H
Manchester United
Shaun O'Donnell, Observer reader
Fifteen points clear with nine games to go – so unless there is a Devon Loch collapse we will win the title. I won't be celebrating it, though, until the ribbons are on the trophy. In the cups, we would have beaten Madrid had Nani not been sent off – we seemed to be in disarray when we went down to 10 men – and while we let Chelsea back into the FA Cup tie I can see us beating them away if we rest players against Sunderland.
Stars/flops Van Persie signing for us and not for City has decided the title race. Rafael, Evans and Carrick have also been superb, but Valencia has struggled.
Predicted finish: Champions
Champions League qualifiers: Us, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Going down: Sunderland, Reading and QPR.
THE RUN-IN
30 March Sunderland A 8 April Manchester City H 14 April Stoke A 17 April West Ham A 22 April Aston Villa H 28 April Arsenal A 4 May Chelsea H 12 May Swansea H 19 May West Brom A
Newcastle United
Richard and David Holmes, Observer readers
It's been disappointing to be still involved in a relegation scrap, primarily because of a failure to strengthen in the close season. The luck we had last season didn't hold out. Abysmal performances in the two domestic cups didn't help, but some see our Europa League progress as a positive. Others see it as a second-rate competition that has further weakened a depleted squad.
Stars/flops Cabaye has returned to last season's excellent form, and the belated French acquisitions have been impressive, particularly Sissoko. Nobody has really let us down – unless you count Nile Ranger…
Predicted finish: 12th
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Going down: Sunderland (!), Reading and QPR.
THE RUN-IN
30 March Manchester City A 7 April Fulham H 14 April Sunderland H 20 April West Brom A 27 April Newcastle H 4 May West Ham A 12 May QPR A 19 May Arsenal H
Norwich City
Gary Gowers, NorwichCity.MyFootballWriter.com
Despite a bleak mid-winter, when a run of nine games without a win threatened to undo much of the earlier good work, City look to have stabilised. Chris Hughton's realistic target was 17th or higher and, courtesy of his pragmatic approach, I'm optimistic he'll achieve this.
Stars/flops Sébastien Bassong and Michael Turner have been brilliant together, producing a strange phenomenon called clean sheets. The main disappointment has been Jacob Butterfield, but through little fault of his own. He arrived with a rising reputation, but also a badly injured knee.
Predicted finish: 14th.
Champions League qualifiers: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Going down: Sunderland, QPR and Reading.
THE RUN-IN
30 March Wigan A 6 April Swansea H 13 April Arsenal A 20 April Reading H 27 April Stoke A 4 May Aston Villa H 12 May West Brom H 19 May Manchester City A
Part two: QPR to Wigan Athletic
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