Race for Premier League Top Four
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It appears as though Manchester City are going to race away with the Premier League title this season. Having played 26 games, they are 12 points clear of second placed Manchester United and could extend that advantage if they manage to beat the Red Devils at the Etihad Stadium in their upcoming meeting.
However, that does not mean the excitement is over in the Premier League this season and the race to finish inside the top four could be the most thrilling we have seen for many years.
Following their 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, Manchester United are 6 points clear of 5th place and should have enough to finish inside the top four this season.
A gap of 6 points is not great and can be eliminated in two games but there are three spots up for grabs to qualify for the Champions League next season and Manchester United must be the favourites to claim one of those positions.
Moving into third place and at the time of writing Leicester City occupy that position. A week ago, they looked like promising contenders to finish inside the top four.
However, despite being 5 points clear of 5th place, the defeat at home against Arsenal on the weekend followed elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Slavia Prague.
Perhaps the most concerning factor for Leicester City fans are the number of injuries at the club. Harry Barnes has joined Jonny Evans, James Maddison, Ayoze Perez, James Justin, Wesley Fofana, Wes Morgan, and Dennis Praet on the treatment table.
Leicester City missed out on the Champions League places after losing to Manchester United on the final day last season and the pressure will be on towards the end of this campaign.
Perhaps surprisingly, West Ham United currently occupy the final Champions League qualifying position. They did enough to give Manchester City a scare on the weekend and that will give them the belief they can go on and finish in the top four this season.
Looking at their remaining fixtures, the Hammers play Manchester United away followed by Arsenal at home in March and that could be a significant double header. Even 3 points from those two games would be a decent return but with Chelsea and Liverpool breathing down their necks, any dropped points could prove costly.
Chelsea are the one team all those in the top four will be looking at over the next couple of months. The Blues have proven extremely difficult to beat under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel.
The game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday night could go some way to determining whether Chelsea will finish in the top four this season. A defeat would see Liverpool move above them in the table and that would be a blow to their confidence and belief ahead of the remainder of the campaign.
Liverpool defeated Sheffield United on Sunday night to end a run of 4 successive defeats in the Premier League.
However, that result alone is not enough to suggest Liverpool have enough to finish in the top four this season. Their fate could be determined more by others dropping points than going on a good run themselves.
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