EPL 2014 proved a graveyard for mighty and wealthy Manchester United

A little more than midway through the football season, a giant churn has happened in at least two of the biggest leagues of European football. In England, whose league is one of the most competitive in the world, great or terrible things have happened, depending on whose side you’re on. Manchester United, its most glamorous team, has slipped to No. 7 on the table, a full 10 points behind the leader. The team on top is Arsenal, which last finished first a full 10 years ago. Two extremely wealthy teams, which means they have the cash to mop up top talent from anywhere in the world, Manchester City and Chelsea, are second and third. If Arsenal finish first by the time the league ends, it would have proved that skills and tactics matter more than splurging big.

In Spain, mighty Barcelona, with its galaxy of stars, has slipped to second place just ahead of its legendary rival Real Madrid. The team on top is the other team from the capital, Atlético Madrid. Atlético has played brilliant, competitive football the entire season, staying neck and neck with Barça, till an advantage opened up when the Catalans lost at home.

Here too, as in England, do we see glamorous teams being overtaken by their harder-working, hungrier rivals? Is the race to the swift and the battle to the strong, at last, or is it just time and chance having their perverse way, yet again?