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Two Horse race
Didier Drogba scored twice as Chelsea leapfroggedArsenal to move within five points of Man Utd.Here wasthe Premier League season in miniature for theseclubs, with Chelsea doggedly clambering upwards andArsenal taking a tumble just when it looked as if theyhad a secure footing with the opening goal. Thedeparture from normality lay in the radical effectthat Avram Grant had. If his substitutions had to bedeplored when Chelsea slithered to a 4-4 draw atTottenham then the changes he made yesterday must beapplauded. Only time will tell if Newcastle United's crisis hasbeen averted or merely postponed but at least KevinKeegan provided those who dismiss him as a tacticalilliterate with food for thought.The first win of Keegan's second managerial coming onTyneside was distinguished by his perceptivedeployment of Michael Owen in an unfamiliar, deeplying, role featuring the England goal poacher as alink player joining up midfield and attack. Psychological help has been on offer at the Stadium ofLight in recent weeks but it is difficult to believeRoy Keane needs any advice on how to affect afootballer's mind. Having taken Michael Chopra, KieranRichardson and Daryl Murphy out of their comfort zoneseven days earlier, the Sunderland manager recalledthe trio here and was rewarded with a result that wascelebrated with such elation that it felt as thoughPremier League survival had been secured. There is always one moment in every season when, forthe team that are going to finish as champions,everything clicks, the worrying stops, all the hardwork comes together and everyone knows it is going tobe a year to remember. For Manchester United, this wasquite conceivably that moment, another potentiallydecisive day to go with Steve Bruce's header againstSheffield Wednesday, Eric Cantona's volley atNewcastle, Andy Cole's lob against Tottenham and allthe seminal moments in the portfolio of Sir AlexFerguson's favourite Premier League wins. Bensala
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