Premier League / Tareq Quiroz / 18 May 2009 / 1 Comments

As Cristiano Ronaldo and Nicolas Anelka share honours in the topscorer charts, TQ is full of praise for the Portuguese star and fellow midfielder Steven Gerrard for their goalscoring contributions from midfield. But who will win it this year in the end?

In one mammoth weekend of top class football we now know the winners of the Premier League and the first team to be relegated. However, if the truth be known, they have been the most predictable outcomes for most of the season. With nobody really caring who finishes second or third it is fair to say that all eyes will be on the drop zone on Sunday.

Whilst the North East scraps it out to avoid the drop to the Championship there is also a side battle still raging for the top goalscorer accolade. Nicolas Anelka and Cristiano Ronaldo currently top the charts with eighteen goals each and they are still being hotly pursued by Steven Gerrard with sixteen goals. This battle may not have the dire consequences that being relegated does but in its own way is no less intriguing.

Ronaldo has traded as low as an unbelievable [1.1] in the Top Goalscorer market but now it is Anelka who has taken over the favourite's mantle. The amazing thing about Ronaldo's presence at the top of the chart is that he is not a centre forward. You can go back down the history of the Premier League and as good as players we have had, nobody but an out and out striker had won this award until Ronaldo did last season.

This is a league that has some of the best and most expensive strikers in the world yet many of them are languishing behind in the league scoring charts. The likes of Robinho, Rooney, Torres and Adebayor are amongst the world's elite in their field yet they are being beaten by a winger. Not only that but they are also being beaten by a central midfielder in Steven Gerrard. People can argue all they like that Ronaldo and Gerrard play in very advanced roles but so what?
Certain players have always done that but none of them with the results these two have shown.

Both Gerrard and Ronaldo have a talismanic effect on their teams but to score goals on such a consistent basis is fantastic. They may not mention it in public but you can be sure that the guys at the top are only too well aware of what is required to finish top goalscorer. Anelka was very close to the crown ten years ago with Arsenal but just missed out by a single goal. He will be going all out to ensure the same fate doesn't befall him again.

With just one match remaining this season, I would love to see them all out on the park next Sunday fighting it out but I would be astonished if Ronaldo played any part in United's game at Hull. As we saw when he had a major sulk after being taken off against Man City, he is a footballer who just wants to play all the time.

Fergie is the boss however and he will have his eyes firmly on the glittering prize of Champions League success. We are not talking about playing a mid-table side in a nice season-ending kick around. This is possibly the worst game United could have drawn in hindsight.

The Hull players will be flying into every tackle, chasing everything down and the atmosphere will be red hot. Short of arranging a friendly at Galatasaray, this is the last thing you need before a Champions League final. Ronaldo is currently trading at [2.7] and I think it is fair to say the best he can hope for is a share of the Top Goalscorer crown.

Chelsea on the other hand will want to end the season in style and if possible nick second place off Liverpool. Will Anelka play? I can't see any good reason why not. He played the full ninety on Sunday and with no real options on the bench there is every chance he will do the same again at Sunderland on Sunday. You have to believe that one goal will do it so there has to be a decent amount of temptation to take the [1.71] currently on offer.

The only other realistic possibility is for Steven Gerrard to bang in a few at home to Spurs. The more you think about it the more likely it sounds. A Spurs side that concede plenty away from home against the only team unbeaten at home this season. You can be sure all of his team mates will be teeing him up wherever possible. A little nibble at odds of [21.0] has to be on the cards when you consider the last day drama that we are all now accustomed to.

With two teams still for the dreaded drop and three players vying for the Golden Boot an action packed final day is what every football fan will be tuned into this weekend. One thing is for sure and that is that there will be tears of both joy and despair come 6pm on Sunday.