Premier League top-four race still wide open

 

Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday has injected more interest into the Premier League’s top-four race, as only Manchester City and Manchester United have clinched Champions League qualification for next season.

Leicester City are currently in third position on 66 points, followed by Chelsea (64), West Ham (58), Liverpool (57) and Tottenham Hotspur (56), all of whom have a chance to secure a top-four spot in the remaining games.

Let’s take a look at the top-four contenders’ run-ins in this final stretch of the campaign.

Leicester

Brendan Rodgers’ side have not mathematically secured their place in next season’s Champions League, but they could do so if they grab a win against Chelsea next Tuesday. Their final game of the season sees them host Tottenham on May 23.

Chelsea

After losing to Arsenal, the Blues need to win both of their last two games – at home to Leicester and away at Aston Villa – to mathematically secure a top-four spot and not depend on the other contenders’ results.

West Ham

David Moyes’ side have produced some extraordinary performances this season, but Champions League qualification is not in their hands. West Ham actually need both Leicester and Chelsea to fail to win all their remaining games and Liverpool to lose at least one in order to cause an upset and finish in the top four. In addition, they would need to win all of their final three games against Brighton, West Brom and Southampton.

Liverpool

The Reds are nine points behind third-placed Leicester but have two games in hand. To finish in the top four, they need to win all of their remaining matches against Manchester United, West Brom, Burnley and Crystal Palace, while they will need to hope that Chelsea drop points in one of their last two matches.

Tottenham

Spurs are the clear underdogs in the top-four race and need a combination of results to go their way in order to secure qualification for next season’s Champions League group stage. Tottenham need to beat Wolves, Aston Villa and Leicester and pray that all of the teams above them drop points in their remaining fixtures.

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