All over bar the shouting

Defiance is as good a word as any to describe Chelsea’s beleagured boss Avram Grant. The Israeli still maintains that his team can win the Premier League title, but last night’s damaging draw at home to Wigan Athletic looks to have gift wrapped the championship to Manchester United.

Grant stated before the match that the Blues required 5 wins from 5 to wrestle the crown away from Sir Alex Ferguson and Old Trafford. In part one, they failed as a last gasp Emile Heskey volley earned the Latics an invaluable point in their own quest to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Chelsea now go to Goodison Park to take on Everton where nothing less than a win will certainly end their title ambitions. Grant admitted in the wake of this latest setback that “it is more difficult now (to win the title) but we will still fight away.”

Though Chelsea did dominate proceedings and scored through Michael Essien, they, much like Arsenal at Manchester United, failed to find a second goal when on top which would’ve sealed the game. Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland denied Salomon Kalou and Nicholas Anelka while skipper John Terry hit the crossbar.

Wigan though never gave up and Heskey netted from a Jason Koumas cross to earn a point similar to Everton’s at Chelsea in November, as a late Tim Cahill goal denied Chelsea.

So why do I think its all over? Well, while Chelsea stutter and look totally unconvincing, as they have done for much of Grant’s reign, Manchester United have once again found that little bit extra to get them through games.

They didn’t dominate against Arsenal, but they had a determination that saw them haul victory from the jaws of defeat- the hallmark of champions. They have also been down this road so many times before and know the pressure is all on Chelsea. Although they have a home game with United to come, I can’t see United crumbling- indeed, in the big games this season that they’ve had to take points from in the league- Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea at Old Trafford- they have done.

With just 4 games to go and a 5 point gap, effectively 6 due to the massive goal difference in favour of Ferguson’s men, I think its now too much for United to throw away. The bookies seem to think so- United are now 14/1 on to retain the Premiership.

For Chelsea, the Champions League looks like being their only chance of a trophy this season, though I wouldn’t rule out Ferguson’s Reds to clinch a league and European Cup double. As defiant as Avram Grant can be, the title race is indeed pretty much done and dusted.