Liverpool are now confirmed as Premier League champion, as Jurgen Klopp’s team sealed the title with seven games to play, but the 2019-20 season is still on the way to a dramatic career in search of League qualification. of Champions.
Unless Manchester City succeeds in overturning a two-year ban on UEFA club competitions, a verdict on its recent appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is due in July, fifth place will be enough to guarantee a place in next season’s Champions League.
Entering midweek matches, six points separate Leicester City in third place from Manchester United in sixth place, with José Mourinho’s Tottenham four points from United in seventh place. The Champions League race now looks like it will come down to a battle between Leicester, Chelsea, Wolves and United for the remaining three qualifying spots, although the Spurs will still claim to have little hope of ruining the party.
So how will it shake off in the past few weeks, and which clubs are most likely to get a passport to Europe’s top club competition?
LEICESTER
RUN IN: Everton (a), C Palace (h), Arsenal (a), Bournemouth (h), Sheff Utd (h), Spurs (a), Man Utd (h).
Make no mistake: Leicester clings to his place in the top five, and his best hope of staying there can rest with the chase pack with no time to catch them.
On January 1, Brendan Rodgers ‘team was in second position, 15 points from Spurs’ sixth place and 14 points ahead of United’s fifth, but their form has evaporated and they have won only two of their last 10 league games. .
Leicester is now 14th in the Premier League table, and his fall has coincided with that of star striker Jamie Vardy’s. The 33-year-old had scored 17 Premier League goals before the end of December, but only scored twice in 2020, with both goals in a 4-0 victory against Aston Villa in March. Vardy has stopped scoring and Leicester’s results have dried up as a result.
Crucially, Leicester has points in the bag and remains third, but his last two games are starting to look huge. It may all come down to their last-day clash against United at King Power Stadium.
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CHELSEA
RUN IN: West Ham (a), Watford (h), C Palace (a), Sheff Utd (a), Norwich (h), Liverpool (a), Lobos (h).
Chelsea came out of the 100-day close with a fresh look and ready to rediscover their early-season form, which has been enough to keep them in the top four throughout the season.
Before the shutdown, when they suffered a potentially damaging home loss against Manchester United in February, Frank Lampard’s team appeared to be hitting a wall and the Champions League qualification was starting to slip out of their hands. But with Christian Pulisic producing some inspiring performances in post-restart victories against Aston Villa and Manchester City, Chelsea is now looking to move up to third position instead of trying to stay on top.
In current form, they should expect to rack up the maximum points in their next five games, but the crisis will come in their last two. They may have to beat champion Liverpool at Anfield to make sure that their final day showdown at home with Wolves doesn’t turn out to be decisive for the Champions League.
With Wolves and Manchester United having comfortable matches, Chelsea may need to win six of their last seven games to secure a place in the Champions League.
1:35
Frank Lebeouf believes Wolves will push Chelsea and Man Utd for the coveted spot in the Champions League.
WOLVES
RUN IN: Arsenal (h), Sheff Utd (a), Everton (h), Burnley (a), C Palace (h), Chelsea (a).
Only Liverpool have earned more points from their last 10 games than the Wolves, who won six and lost only once, against Liverpool, since January 1.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s team started their season on July 25 with a Europa League qualifier against the Crusaders, but the Portuguese coach has been able to keep his players on their way to the Champions League, despite the heavy workload. . Three consecutive victories against West Ham, Bournemouth and Villa have put Wolves firmly in the fight for a place in the Champions League, and have not conceded a goal in any of those victories.
Saturday’s clash with Arsenal at Molineux is an important test for both teams: the Gunners need to win to keep their hopes for the Europa League alive; The wolves need to maintain their winning career, and three points against Mikel Arteta’s men will give the wolves the belief that they can finish up to third place.
The goals of Raúl Jiménez, who has 15 in the league this season, are to keep the Wolves on the hunt. They could even secure qualification for the Champions League for the first time since 1959-60 before traveling to Chelsea on the last day.
0:47
Shaka Hislop watches Man United’s last game of the year against Leicester with both teams vying for a spot in the UCL.
UNITED MAN
RUN IN: Brighton (a), Bournemouth (h), Aston Villa (a), Southampton (h), C Palace (a), West Ham (h), Leicester (a).
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team is undefeated in 14 games in all competitions. They travel to Brighton on Tuesday knowing that a victory will lead them to just three points from Leicester’s third place.
United has momentum and the shutdown worked in its favor, with Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba able to overcome long-term injuries to rejoin the battle for Champions League qualification. The contribution of January signings Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo has also given United a boost, and they will believe they win all of their remaining matches.
However, inconsistency has been United’s problem throughout the season, and any points dropped against the wrestlers or mid-table teams in the coming games could derail their burden for the top five, especially with Chelsea and Wolves. in such an impressive way. But if United wins their next six games (and that’s doable), they can travel to Leicester on the last day with the qualification already secure.
THE EXTERIORS: Tottenham, Sheffield United, Arsenal
The best hope for Spurs, Sheffield United and Arsenal is a place in the Europa League, but a winning run between now and the end of the season might be enough for one of them to slip into the top five if teams ahead they fail.
However, it seems to be a difficult task for all of them. Thursday’s clash between the Blades and Spurs at Bramall Lane is a must-win for both sides, while the North London derby between the Spurs and Arsenal on July 12 could be crucial or, for that stage, just one battle for local pride.
Arsenal simply have to win at Wolves this weekend to have any hope, but with Leicester, Spurs and Liverpool still to play, Mikel Arteta’s side is looking to have a mountain to climb.
Final predicted ranking
3rd – Chelsea
4th – Wolves
5th – Manchester Utd
6th – City of Leicester
7th – Tottenham
8th – Arsenal
9th – Sheffield United
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