Liverpool’s record-breaking Premier League campaign has left hopes of a title race in the gutter, but there’s a fascinating battle developing in behind as the race for the top four hots up.
Champions League football, of course, is the prize up for grabs. It’s a carrot that is becoming increasingly important for clubs in terms of their financial goals and ability to attract the best players from around the world. It’s the most lucrative chase in football.
- Watford vs Leicester – March
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea – February
- Chelsea vs Everton – March 8
- Aston Villa vs Chelsea – March
- Sheffield United vs Tottenham – April 4
The top two, Liverpool and Manchester City, looked nailed on to finish there, so that leaves seven teams jostling for position in behind with just six points separating Chelsea in fourth and Wolves in ninth.
Leicester City and Chelsea are odds-on to join Liverpool and City, but it’s been a season of strange results so there is still big hope for Manchester United, Tottenham, Sheffield United, Wolves and Everton to stage a late-season rally.
- Top four teams in the PL qualify for CL group stage.
Fifth-p laced team and FA Cup winners qualify for EL group stage; Carabao Cup winners qualify for second qualifying round.
- If FA Cup winners finish in PL top five, their EL group stage place goes to next-highest ranked team not yet qualified.
If the EFL Cup winners finish in PL top five, the top five (or top six if FA Cup winners in top five), EL second qualifying round place goes to the next-highest ranked team not yet qualified.
3. Leicester City ( Leicester City) points from games Sky Bet odds to make top four: (1 /)
Harvey Barnes celebrates. his goal with Ricardo Pereira in a season to remember for Leicester
It’s Leicester’s to throw away, that’s for sure. It’s easy to forget that we’re dealing with a surprise package here – not many saw this coming.
Brendan Rodgers’ team took charge of this race with a sensational mid-season surge of wins that has given them a – point cushion between themselves and Sheffield United in fifth place. They also have a game in hand and have already faced Liverpool twice this season. However, is the pressure of expectation affecting the Foxes? Despite their front-foot performance levels still catching the eye, they have lost four of their last nine Premier League games. The goals have dried up for Jamie Vardy, too. The Premier League’s top goalscorer with 20 goals hasn’t found the net in his last five matches and has only registered four shots on target during that period, which is down on his usual average.
- Charlie’s Premier League predictions
But four points from their last two matches including a 2-2 draw with Chelsea will have given Leicester, who have no European football to distract them in the run-in, belief of seeing the job through.
- Wolves vs Leicester – February Leicester vs Manchester City – February
- Norwich vs Leicester – February Leicester vs Aston Villa – March 9
4 4. Chelsea ( points from games
Jorginho celebrates with his Chelsea teammates – can they get over the line?
After looking nailed on at one point for a top -four finish, Chelsea have now opened the door to the chasing pack. Frank Lampard’s young side are full of talent but riddled with inconsistency. Since suffering a shock home defeat to West Ham in November, Chelsea have taken just points from a possible and have failed to put back-to-back wins together in that period.
A reliance on striker Tammy Abraham has been a key issue as Chelsea do create plenty of chances but fail to make them count, something Lampard has been tearing his hair out regarding. And a failure to act in the January window hasn’t exactly helped the mood at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea vs Man Utd
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The next two games for Chelsea, against Manchester United on Monday Night Football
and Tottenham, will go a long way to defining their season.
- Chelsea vs Manchester United – February 20 Chelsea vs Tottenham – February
5. Sheffield United ( points from games
- Sky Bet odds to make top four: 19 / 1
John Lundstram’s late winner against Bournemouth sent Sheffield United fifth in the Premier League
Chris Wilder says he doesn’t look at the Premier League table. If you believe that, you’d believe anything.
Survival was the simple pre-season aim for a side that carried little or no Premier League experience and, to many, were unfashionably stocked with players who have risen together from the lower leagues. Yet victory over Bournemouth on Sunday took them to within two points of Chelsea in the Champions League places. Not bad for the team widely tipped to be marooned at the bottom of the table.
As it stands, the ambitious Blades boss, who has been tipped for the Manager of the Year award, won’t be publicly declaring the opportunity that is on the horizon but he won’t be letting his team drop their levels just because the 192 – point mark has all-but been achieved.
How much further can they go?
- Sheffield United vs Brighton – February 25 Sheffield United vs Norwich – March 7
- Newcastle vs Sheffield United – March Manchester United vs Sheffield United – March