Home of football statistics and historyWith 14 to games to go in the Premier League there’s a big race to secure a top four spot and a place a next season’s Champions League.
Manchester City are long odds on to claim the title, while Manchester United show no signs of relinquishing their grip on second place.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal complete the top six, but only two of that quartet can join the Manchester duo in Europe’s top club competition.
Bookmakers rate Chelsea as 1/7 shots to finish in the top four, with Liverpool priced at 3/10. Spurs are available at 11/10, while Arsenal are on offer at 9/2, but don’t miss a quality betting offer before wagering on the outcome.
Spurs have a slightly harder run-in than Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, with five games to come against the current top six.
Chelsea and Liverpool are still to visit Old Trafford, while Arsenal appear to have the most favourable set of fixtures of the teams chasing a top four spot.
The Gunners face away games against Spurs and United, along with a home match against Manchester City, but their other 11 games all look winnable.
Liverpool’s thrilling 4-3 victory over City two weeks ago sparked talk that they could snatch second spot, but they came down to earth with a bump at Swansea last Monday.
The Reds will fancy their chances of beating Spurs at Anfield on February 4, and a win there would certainly give them valuable breathing space in the race to secure a Champions League spot.
The derby game against Everton at Goodison Park on April 7 is a potential banana skin, but Liverpool will hope to have secured third place by the time the face Brighton and Hove Albion on the final day of the Premier League season.
Chelsea had looked nailed on to secure a top four finish, but they’ve gone off the boil in recent weeks and could come under severe pressure from Spurs and Arsenal.
The Blues must visit both United and City during the run-in, although home fixtures against Spurs and Liverpool give them the opportunity to dent their rivals’ top four hopes.
Antonio Conte is eager to add to his squad and if he can strengthen a couple of areas during the rest of the January transfer window they should strongly challenge Liverpool for third.
Spurs still have to face United, Arsenal and City at Wembley, while trips to Liverpool and Chelsea will undoubtedly be tough games.
However, Spurs finish their season with fixtures against Brighton, Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City, so they could be a dangerous proposition over the final weeks if they are still within touching distance of the top four in the Premier League.
Top six prediction: City, United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal.
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