When the English Premier League resumes next week after the interlull, it promises to be a roller coaster ride till the end of the season. There will be roughly five teams competing for the third and fourth position who are separated by seven points. And given the nature of the season that has been so far, seventh-placed Everton have a realistic chance of landing the fourth place.
However, that can be too far-fetched a possibility and the main competitors to go for the last Champions League spot are likely to be Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal. Given the opponents they are to face, we try to estimate who are likely to squeeze in by the time the season ends.
Liverpool- Despite sitting in the fourth position, Liverpool have the trickiest of fixtures left in the remaining nine games. They have played two games more than Arsenal and Manchester United, who can get level with the Reds in no time.
Liverpool have a balanced home and away record. The Reds are the fourth best team in the league in both the away as well as home table, but their record against midtable and lower table teams will be Klopp’s biggest concern. Liverpool will be facing the likes of Everton, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth at home, and Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Watford and West Ham United away. Away trips to Stoke and West Brom have been tough for many and Liverpool’s dismal defence against such teams could prove costly.
Arsenal- The Gunners are in the worst form of their life losing four of their last five games. And they resume their Premier League campaign against Manchester City; who are not the most likeable opponents Arsene Wenger would like to restart against.
Arsenal are currently in the sixth position, six points adrift of the fourth spot with two games in hand. And among the eleven fixtures they have in hand include the likes of home to Everton, Manchester United, Manchester City and away at Tottenham Hotspur. If their form is to be considered, they are likely to lose even to Middlesbrough; but given that they are against four of the five sides that are competing for the fourth place, their fate is pretty much in their hands.
Manchester United- Ideally, Manchester United shouldn’t be in the fifth position at this stage of the season, but given the immense inconsistency the Red Devils have shown this season, it is very difficult to predict how they will end up.
And one of the biggest reason for this is United’s European commitments. Unlike Arsenal and Liverpool, who will have only one fixture a week, expect of course the FA Cup semis late in April for Arsenal, United have to deal with midweek fixtures that increase the chance of injuries and fatigue among the players. Regardless of that, United have some really tough fixtures remaining that include away trips to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, and home fixtures against Chelsea and Everton among the others.
We predict the main battle for the top four to be between Arsenal and Liverpool.
