The battle for fourth

The Premier League championship race may be nearly concluded this season, given Manchester City’s domination, much like in 2021, which was one of the greatest moments in sports last year. However, Liverpool may still make it enjoyable with a long winning streak. But the fight for fourth place, and the final Champions League slot, is heating up.

This season, United, Arsenal, and Tottenham have all struggled with inconsistency, bad form, and managerial change in the case of United and Spurs. In contrast, West Ham and Wolves have established themselves as genuine challengers to upset their larger and wealthier rivals. So, with two months left in the season, how will the contest for fourth unfold? Who will get the final Champions League berth?

Only seven points separate fourth-placed Manchester United and eighth-placed Wolves at the moment, setting up a thrilling race to qualify for next season’s Champions League. We take a look at the contenders to be fourth-place finishers, their form, and their plans for the rest of the season.

Manchester United – 9/4

United rebounded from a dismal loss to Wolves and a stalemate with Aston Villa with wins over Brentford and top-four opponents West Ham. After that, however, United’s charge for a Champions League spot slowed as they dropped points at Burnley and at home to Southampton. On the other hand, Man United won a crucial 2-0 home win over Brighton in a rescheduled match from before Christmas. United followed up their win over Brighton with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Leeds, but they stumbled again at Old Trafford, drawing 0-0 with Watford. They’re now in the midst of a challenging second half of the season, including matches against other top-four contenders in March and April.

West Ham – 16/1

West Ham’s chances are clouded by doubts about their squad’s depth and if Moyes has enough quality in his ranks to cope with a top-four drive while also competing in the Europa League and FA Cup. Despite consistently finishing in the top 10 in the Premier League, former Everton and Manchester United manager David Moyes has never won a trophy and has only one top-four finish in over 20 years as a top-flight manager.

So, can Moyes successfully rotate his team and overcome his customary cautious attitude to bring success in one of West Ham’s three remaining competitions? Of course, the fans will want a trophy, but Moyes will focus on finishing in the top four of the Premier League. Their opponents’ unreliability will aid them, but their continued participation in the cups will work against them.

Arsenal – 1/1

Arsenal had a disastrous start, losing their first three games and had their worst start in 67 years. They were anchored to the bottom of the Premier League with Mikel Arteta under fire, but the Spaniard has guided them to a spectacular comeback at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal has three games in hand over Manchester United. Arsenal will no longer participate in cup competitions, instead concentrating their efforts on securing a place in the coveted Champions League.

Tottenham – 3/1

Spurs have a challenging run of fixtures ahead of them, including away games against Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool, so their current dip in form could cost them at the end of the season. On the other hand, Conte is known for inspiring great performances from his players and can count on attackers Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min to score against even the best opponents.

Wolves – 33/1

Wolves had a difficult start to the season, dropping to 18th after losing three consecutive 1-0 games under new manager Bruno Lage. With victories over Aston Villa, West Ham, and Brighton, Lage has managed to turn around his team’s fortunes. They are the third-lowest scoring team in the Premier League, with 24 goals, but their defensive brilliance has been a key factor in their rise up the ladder. This season, only Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea have conceded fewer goals.

With victories over Manchester United, Southampton, and Brentford, they have had a solid start to 2022. However, home and away defeats to Arsenal are setbacks. Still, they did immediately respond to the loss at Molineux to the Gunners with crucial victories over Tottenham and Leicester that keeps Wolves firmly in the hunt for European qualification.

The battle for fourth