‘Concerning’ Auckland habit opens the door for Premiership twist as two contenders loom

Are Western United a genuine threat to Auckland FC’s title pursuit? An A-Leagues legend certainly thinks so as another “serious contender” emerges.

For most of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season, newcomers Auckland have cemented themselves as the team to beat as the history-making Black Knights sit atop the summit.

But Steve Corica’s side have seen their lead whittled down to just four points after 23 rounds and hot on their tail are John Aloisi’s red-hot Western amid Auckland’s run of three consecutive draws.

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Against two-time reigning champions Central Coast Mariners last week, Auckland conceded a 90th-minute equaliser and in their game prior to that, the New Zealanders conceded in the 98th minute to draw 4-4 with Adelaide United in a “concerning” trend for the club.

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“This equaliser here is not the first time it’s happened in recent weeks where they cop a late goal,” A-Leagues great and former Sydney FC striker Alex Brosque said on this week’s episode of Total A-Leagues.

“That’s something they were doing to teams for so many games earlier in the season. So it is concerning. Heading into the finals, you want to take form, all of a sudden they’re looking over their shoulder.

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“Western United with a massive win, are starting to gain confidence and really creep up on them.

“If they don’t see out this Premiership, and come first, I think that will play a huge psychological blow going into the finals for them.”

Auckland’s stumble, although they have a game in hand on Western United, has given the Green and Black hope in the Premiership race.

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Champions in 2022, Western have not reached the Finals Series since their triumphant season three years ago but the exciting and youthful Tarneit-based outfit have emerged as a genuine title contender this term.

Having scored three or more goals in three consecutive games for the first time in their history, Western followed that up with a 6-2 rout of in-form Newcastle Jets to make it four wins on the bounce.

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Led by Golden Boot leader Noah Botic and a talented crop of players at Ironbark Fields, Western have scored the second-most goals in the competition this season – only one goal behind the Wanderers – to equal their regular-season goalscoring record with five games still to play.

“They’ve got genuine threats all across that attack and in the way they went about it against Newcastle, who was going into this game with some real form,” said Brosque.

“I think Aloisi has done a great job, and they’re really peaking at the right time of the season as well, nipping at the heels of Auckland.

“Their, title challenge isn’t done yet, and they looked great defensively as well, against the jet side, who’s been in good form and scoring a lot of goals.

“They did concede a couple, but in attack, that’s where it is at the moment for Western and they look a force.”

The other team emerging in the race and earning plenty of plaudits are Western Sydney Wanderers.

Western Sydney are a team in red-hot form, winning four straight games to surge up to third in the table. In that period, the Wanderers have scored four goals in three of those games after last week’s stunning 4-2 comeback against rivals Melbourne Victory.

It is their best winning streak since reeling off seven successive victories between November-December 2015.

On this week’s Total A-Leagues episode, host and Sydney Morning Herald reporter Vince Rugari pondered if the Wanderers could finish second.

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“If they get games on their terms, on these transitional terms, and they go forward with this firepower they got in the front third, they can beat any team in the competition, for me,” Rugari said.

“So are you now convinced? I don’t know if I’m wholly convinced, but I think they can be serious contender for titles.

“I think the only, funnily enough, the only two teams that convince me, Auckland FC, who are slightly less convincing, and the other one is Sydney FC.”

Brosque added: “Scoring four goals for multiple games in a row. They’ve won five out of the last six.

“They’re doing a very good job. Even me, I thought earlier on in the season, for all the firepower that they’ve got, they didn’t have that consistency. All those big players just weren’t showing up on a week-to-week basis together. And now they are, and they’re rolling into the finals with incredible form.”