Chelsea's the team to beat; so's Barca

Despite the most fervent prayers from Man United fans, Chelsea remain firmly in control of the Premier League - for once some ManU fans may have egged on Arsenal, given that Arsenal were realistically out of contention even before the game last Sunday. Arsenal have had a poor record away from Highbury and they looked downright dreadful when Henry was out injured. Their defence still looks brittle - Pascal Cygan has been weak, and even Philipe Senderos looked vulnerable time and time again against the pace and skill of Drogba and Robben. Admittedly, Arsenal have had their share of injuries; compounding that is their bench strength, which isn't nearly as good as that of Chelsea. Can Chelsea repeat last season's feat by laying low the Ronaldinho-inspired Barcelona once again? Barcelona are themselves on a high in Spain and Ronaldinho has been sublime, and though he remains the talismanic figure for Barcelona, they are hardly a one-man show. Among others, they have one of the best young attacking talents in the world in the precocious Messi. No prizes for guessing who I'll be rooting for - the longer Ronaldinho plays in the Champions League, the better. Plus, it'll be fun to hear what the abrasive Mourinho has to say if Chelsea bite the dust ;) But Chelsea aren't at the top of the Premier League for nothing. They are a very tough side to break down on any given day and have the quality at the back and up front to sustain their run. This one should be fun. - NK