That certainly wasn't the case in the past two years when Chelsea had a vicelike grip on proceedings at the midpoint.

It's not that Manchester United have improved out of all recognition, because as Michael Carrick struggles to impose himself at midfield, it's clear they are some way from the finished article. It's more that Chelsea are simply not as convincing as they have been in their previous championship winning seasons.

I believe the problem . . .

admittedly all problems at Chelsea are relative . . . has stemmed from the introduction of Michael Ballack (right), Andriy Shevchenko and to a lesser extent, Michael Essien. You would have thought the addition of three topclass players would automatically strengthen the side, but for my money, that hasn't happened.

In fact, the new signings have affected the balance of Jose Mourinho's team.

While Essien has been impressive, neither Ballack nor Shevchenko can be deemed to be a success at this stage. I am surprised that Ballack hasn't been more effective because it was evident from the World Cup that he is in his prime.

It could be that the hustle and bustle of the Premiership don't really suit him, and it could be that unlike when he was at Bayern Munich, he's not thriving because he is not regarded as the main man. Whatever the reason, I had expected him to be much more of an influence.

Against that, there was evidence both from the World Cup and from his performances with AC Milan last season, that Shevchenko had lost a yard or two of pace and was on the way down, and recently Mourinho indicated that his form wasn't up to requirements. That looks like a sign that Roman Abramovic was the prime mover behind the transfer because if Mourinho had made all the running on the deal, I don't think you would be hearing any criticism. Remember when Didier Drogba, who this season has looked like the complete centre forward, was struggling to find his best form, there was no negative comment from Mourinho.

So, with Ballack subdued and with Shevchenko turning out to be a disappointment, Chelsea are not quite the irresistible force of previous years. To compound that, they have been hit by injuries to key players such as John Terry, Joe Cole and Petr Cech. I don't think anyone could say now that a third title in succession is out of reach given their strength in depth, but for the first time since he took over, Mourinho is in a real battle for domestic supremacy.

I don't see Liverpool being a factor in that battle, and while Arsenal have an outside chance, it's likely that the best they can do is close the gap. Of the leading sides in England, Arsenal could emerge in the next two years as the biggest threat to Chelsea as players like Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie come into their own, but in the short term, they need Thierry Henry and William Gallas back to peak fitness.

The problem for the pretenders to the Premiership throne is that Chelsea's cheque book is permanently available to Mourinho. In the new year, it's not inconceivable that he could go out and buy Manchester City's Micah Richards who looks to be a fine prospect. I don't think Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool could spend £15m on a defender at the moment.

As for United, they fully deserve to be leading the way. They have a confident air about them, and they look more comfortable at the top rather than trying to play catch-up.

In the recent past, they were making the cardinal error of losing to teams they should be capable of beating, but with exception of a defeat against West Ham, that hasn't been happening this season.

Even though Carrick hasn't proved to be the missing ingredient since Roy Keane's departure, Paul Scholes continues to produce quality performances in midfield, while Nemanja Vidic has strengthened the defence, and Patrice Evra has also come through.

Cristiano Ronaldo is still infuriating because he could develop into the complete player if only he was more aware of his teammates, but he has been much more effective so far this season. If he still has to prove himself by being consistently good against the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, and if he also has to do it against the big guns in the Champions League, there are signs that he is improving.

Considering that United are where they are without Wayne Rooney playing to his full potential, they have reason to be optimistic about wresting the title away from Chelsea.

There were times last season when Rooney's form suggested that he would go on to be unstoppable, but so far, he hasn't been the club's outstanding performer.

Playing him in a wide position against lesser Premiership teams hasn't been counter-productive, however, United are definitely at their best when they opt for a 4-4-2 formation with Rooney deployed as a second striker behind Louis Saha. My instinct tells me that moving him to the wing has more to do with Carlos Quieroz than Alex Ferguson, but whoever is to blame is certainly doing one of the world's best young players no favours at all.

On the home front, Steve Staunton has managed to ride out the storm to a degree and there are games coming up against San Marino, Wales and Slovakia which he should win. If there isn't much of a chance that he can rescue the situation in terms of qualification for the European Championships, he now has an opportunity to get to grips with the job.

There has been speculation that he will be given time to prove himself, and that he will be in charge for the next World Cup qualifying campaign, but I'm not so sure. If there is a repeat of the terrible performance against Cyprus, of if we fail to get three points from the away game against San Marino, I could see the FAI losing patience.

While these may be lean times at international level, at least the emergence of Kevin Doyle has been a positive development. If he has performed better for Reading than for Ireland, there is every chance that he and Robbie Keane will develop into a top-class partnership.

Apart from Arsenal winning the Champions League, my one wish for 2007 would be the eradication of diving, and of players feigning injury. If there has to be a will on the part of officials to get to grips with the problem, managers are better placed than anyone in the governing bodies to rid the game of this sort of cheating.

Finally, predictions. I might be letting the heart rule the head here, but I'm going for Manchester United to win the Premiership and to put an end to Chelsea's dominance. In Europe, Barcelona have the class to retain the Champions League with Bayern Munich my dark horse.