Some fans have an abundance to chant about, others are simply content with the progress their teams have made and then there are the unfortunate fans. The one’s who will be watching their football on the ‘extra’ channels next season. The one’s who’ll be wearing jackets over their replica strip, avoiding heated debates and group banter in fear of being ridiculed for their now subdued support.

As the English Premier League season reaches 2 games till end and all the focus is on the top of the league table and what has looked like the position changing of a MotoGP, I thought I’d pay some attention to the table’s ‘Red Zone’. The last men standing.

Blackpool

Every season it seems that there is one team who climbs up out of the Championship gravel pit and comes slashing their way through the Premiership with immense vigor and bloodthirsty determination. Every season, that respective team also seems to come up a little short when the pressure of the league intensifies.

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Manchester United and Manchester City drew their derby match 0 – 0 last night and Michael Essien scored for the Blues to beat Fulham 1 – 0.

Derided by United manager Alex Ferguson as “noisy neighbours”, mega-rich City failed to rattle the 18-times champions but were spared the agony of last season when they lost both league meetings to last-gasp goals.

While City and United huffed and puffed to little effect, champions Chelsea stole a march in the title race as Essien’s first-half goal proved enough to beat Fulham, although the Ghanaian blotted his copybook when he was sent off late on for a two-footed lunge at Clint Dempsey.

Essien was unmarked on the half hour to head in Salomon Kalou’s cross but Chelsea, beaten 2-0 at Liverpool on Sunday, were slapdash in front of goal and failed to kill off their west London rivals who have not won at Stamford Bridge since 1964.

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Wigan got smashed for the second week in a row by a rampant, free-scoring Chelsea who heaped on six goals at the DWB Stadium.

The hosts, who were embarrassingly beaten 4-0 at home by newcomers Blackpool in their opening game, made an encouraging start but still found themselves behind at half time.

Goalkeeper Chris Kirkland made a fine save from Frank Lampard but Florent Malouda was on hand to tap in the rebound in the 34th minute.

Nicolas Anelka, in the week his France career was effectively ended by an 18-match ban, made it 2-0 with a clinical finish in the 48th and he put the game to bed four minutes later with a close-range header, despite Wigan’s claims of offside.

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Liverpool suffered a shock 0 – 1 defeat against Wigan Athletic on Monday night to deal their quest for finishing fourth in the Premier League a mighty blow.

Hugo Rodallega bagged the only goal for the game for the Latics in the 35^thminute when the Colombian forward steered Emmerson Boyce’s cross home from close range after Liverpool had conceded possession deep inside their own half.

The return of Glen Johnson as a second-half substitute was the only positive on a night to forget for the Reds at the DW Stadium.

The result leaves Liverpool sixth in the Barclays Premier League, a point behind top four rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, though both sides have games in hand on the Reds, as do seventh-placed Aston Villa.

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Didier Drogba have declared Chelsea‘s 3 – 1 defeat to Wigan the worst game his played in 5 years.

Drogba scored the Blues’ only goal in a 3-1 loss at the DW Stadium in which they were outplayed and outfought.

Captain John Terry said: “The least we expect from every player is that we work hard and fight – and we did not do that.”

And to underline the point, Drogba told the Evening Standard: “We didn’t play very well. We lost all the battles, all the duels. We didn’t win anything. We were poor.

“This is the worst game I have played in since I have been at Chelsea. We need to think about it, correct what was wrong and try to go again.

“We equalised just after half-time and we were trying to improve our game, but then there was the penalty and a red card, which I think was a bit harsh.

“Still with 10 players we had the chance to make it 2-2, but we didn’t do it. There was a lot of space and they used the pitch very well, they deserved to win.”

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A new hero emerged at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Until now, Thomas Vermaelen had been viewed as just a solid summer signing by Wenger. A solid, no-nonsense defender who had formed a good-looking partnership with William Gallas and seemed capable of contributing the odd goal too.

However, against Wigan this weekend, the 23-year-old made a giant step up; winning the game for Arsenal with two great goals and firmly establishing his reputation.

Just before kick-off, he accepted the Arsenal.com Player of the Month award for August. Little more than an hour later, he had bagged a brace.

The first was a powerful header after 25 and the second, a net-rippling screamer into the top corner. A goal worthy of any decent striker that has graced the pitch for the Gunners. That made it four goals in his first eight games for Arsenal. Incredibly, he is the Club’s leading scorer so far this season, one ahead of fellow defender Gallas! True Story!!

Emmanuel Eboue added a third by diverting in a shot from Eduardo. On the whistle, Fabregas turned home a cross from Bendtner. Who I am now warming up to more and more everyday.

However the day belonged to Vermaelen. After the travails of the last three games, it was great for Arsenal to combine a decent display with a simple, straightforward win. Uncovering a new star was highly satisfying as well.

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