Premier League top-four race for Champions League qualification analysed by form, fixtures and Sky Sports pundits | Football News

With Manchester City and Liverpool fighting for the title and Chelsea on course to finish third, Man Utd, West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham look set to battle it out for a top-four finish.

As it stands, there are atill only seven points dividing fourth-placed Manchester United and eighth-placed Wolves, setting up what looks to be an intriguing race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Here, we assess the runners and riders in the battle for fourth, their form and their fixtures until the end of the season…

The table…

The fixtures…

Manchester United

Position: 4th
Games played: 27
Points: 47
Top-four Sky Bet odds: 9/4
Active cup competitions: Champions League

Consecutive league wins at the start of Ralf Rangnick’s interim tenure were followed by three wins in six to put Manchester United firmly back in the race for the top four.

After a disappointing loss to Wolves and a draw with Aston Villa, United bounced back with successive victories over Brentford and top-four rivals West Ham, however, dropped points at Burnley and at home to Southampton saw United wobble in their charge for a Champions League spot.

However, Man Utd picked up a vital 2-0 win at home to Brighton in what was a rearranged fixture from before Christmas. Cristiano Ronaldo broke a worrying scoring drought with Bruno Fernandes adding a second to fire United back into fourth spot.

United followed the win over Brighton with a thrilling 4-2 victory at rivals Leeds, but they stuttered once again with a 0-0 draw with Watford at Old Trafford.

They now enter a tricky second part of the season, with clashes against fellow top-four contenders in March and April. Having reduced the size of their squad with the departures of Anthony Martial, Amad Diallo and Donny van de Beek (all on loan) in January, United face a huge test of their Champions League credentials.

Key fixtures: Man City (A) – Sunday Mar 6; kick-off 4.30pm (live on Sky Sports), Tottenham (H) – Saturday Mar 12; kick-off 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports), Liverpool (A) – Sunday Mar 20; kick-off 4.30pm (live on Sky Sports), Leicester (H) – Saturday Apr 2; kick-off 3pm, Arsenal (A) – Saturday Apr 23; kick-off 3pm, Chelsea (H) – Sunday May 15; kick-off 3pm.

West Ham

Position: 5th
Games played: 27
Points: 45
Top-four Sky Bet odds: 16/1
Active cup competitions: Europa League and FA Cup

West Ham had a fantastic start to the season. Under David Moyes, the Hammers were flying high and looked real contenders for the top four. Despite wins at home against Liverpool and Chelsea though, they suffered a bit of a blip with back-to-back defeats to Wolves and Man City in November before successive defeats to Arsenal and Southampton in December.

They responded well, though, and wins against Watford, Crystal Palace and Norwich put them firmly back in the race for Champions League qualification. But defeat to Manchester United on January 22 saw them concede fourth place on a weekend in which Arsenal dropped points and Tottenham lost to Chelsea.

A narrow win over Watford got them back on track, but subsequent draws against Leicester and Newcastle saw their top-four bid stutter before they rounded off February with an important three points at home to fellow European challengers Wolves.

West Ham’s run-in to the season looks tricky, with trips to Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Brighton to come. They also face Arsenal and Man City at home.

If they are going to reach the top four, West Ham will have to do it the hard way.

Key fixtures: Liverpool (A) – Saturday Mar 5; kick-off 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports), Tottenham (A) – Sunday Mar 20; kick-off 2pm (live on Sky Sports), Chelsea (A) – Saturday Apr 23; kick-off 3pm, Arsenal (H) – Saturday Apr 30; kick-off 3pm, Man City (H) – Sunday May 15; kick-off 3pm, Brighton (A) – Sunday May 22, kick-off 4pm.

Arsenal

Position: 6th
Games played: 24
Points: 45
Top-four Sky Bet odds: 1/1
Active cup competitions: None

Arsenal endured a torrid opening to the campaign, losing their first three matches to suffer their worst start to a season in 67 years. They were rock bottom of the Premier League with Mikel Arteta under pressure, but the Spaniard has overseen a remarkable recovery at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners currently sit in sixth and have three games in hand on Manchester United. Their contentious New Year’s Day defeat to Man City brought to an end a run of four successive – and impressive – wins.

Their draw against Burnley prevented them from making further ground on the top four, but a gutsy win at Wolves – achieved despite another red card – and two 2-1 home wins over Brentford and again over Wolves have kept them to within two points of fourth-placed Man Utd.

Arsenal are no longer competing in any cup competitions and will be dedicating their efforts solely on achieving a coveted spot in the Champions League.

Key fixtures: Leicester (H) – Sunday Mar 13; kick-off 4.30pm (live on Sky Sports), Liverpool (H), Wednesday Mar 16; kick-off 8.15pm (live on Sky Sports), Brighton (H), Saturday April 9; kick-off 3pm, Manchester United (H), Saturday April 23; kick-off 3pm, West Ham (A) – Saturday April 30; kick-off 3pm, Chelsea (A) – TBC, Tottenham (A) – TBC

Tottenham

Position: 7th
Games played: 25
Points: 42
Top-four Sky Bet odds: 3/1
Active cup competitions: FA Cup

The wheels looked like they had come off Tottenham’s top-four challenge under Antonio Conte following three straight league defeats, but a stunning 3-2 win at Manchester City had got Spurs dreaming again of returning to the Champions League.

Defeat at Burnley in last week put another significant dent in Spurs’ bid for a top-four finish as Conte called into question his own future at the club.

Spurs do have two games in hand on United and West Ham, after their fixture list was complicated by postponements since Conte’s arrival, and a 4-0 win over Leeds in their last outing has given them a glimmer of hope once again.

There are some pivotal matches coming up too as they face top-four rivals United at Old Trafford and host West Ham in March, while a date is still to be confirmed for the rearranged north London derby against Arsenal.

The games in hand still gives Spurs, who are still battling in the FA Cup as they look for their first silverware since 2008, a glimmer of hope, but there is much work to be done, especially when it comes to consistency following those consecutive damaging defeats against Chelsea, Southampton and Wolves, and then the defeat at Burnley.

Key fixtures: Manchester United (A) – Saturday Mar 12; kick-off 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports), West Ham (H) – Sunday Mar 20; kick-off 2pm (live on Sky Sports), Brighton (H) – Saturday Apr 16; kick-off 3pm, Leicester (H) – Saturday Apr 30; kick-off 3pm, Liverpool (A) – Saturday May 7; kick-off 3pm, Arsenal (H) – TBC

Wolves

Position: 8th
Games played: 26
Points: 40
Top-four Sky Bet odds: 33/1
Active cup competitions: None

Wolves had a rocky opening to the season with three successive 1-0 losses under new manager Bruno Lage that left them 18th in the league. One of those losses came against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham, who had left last season to take charge of the north London club.

However, Lage has since overseen an improvement in his side’s form with impressive victories against Aston Villa, West Ham and Brighton. Though they are the third-lowest scoring team in the division with 24 Premier League goals, their defensive nous has been a key component of their rise up the table. They have conceded just 21 times this season, a record that is bettered only by Man City Liverpool and Chelsea.

Their start to 2022 was impressive, with successive victories over Manchester United, Southampton and Brentford.

Home and away defeats to Arsenal are setbacks, but they did immediately respond to the loss at Molineux to the Gunners with key victories over Tottenham and Leicester that keeps Wolves firmly in the hunt for European qualification – although it seems unlikely that will be in next season’s Champions League after Sunday’s 1-0 loss at West Ham.

Key fixtures: Man City (H) – Saturday Apr 16; kick-off 3pm; Brighton (H) – Saturday Apr 30; kick-off 3pm; Chelsea (A) – Saturday May 7; kick-off 3pm; Liverpool (A) – Sunday May 22; kick-off 4pm

What are the pundits saying?

Sky Sports’ Sue Smith

“West Ham had a little stutter, so I think it was important to get that three points [against Wolves on Sunday] and get themselves back on track.

“Wolves will be disappointed with two narrow defeats to the teams in and around them. I still they can put a really good run of results and keep themselves in and around [it to remain in the mix for a top-four place] but they will be very disappointed by the performance and the result.”

Sky Sports’ Stephen Warnock

“More often than not, what we’ve seen from Manchester United when they haven’t played well this year is that there has been a lack of concentration at the other end and they have switched off and conceded goals.

“The positive [from the goalless draw with Watford] was at least they didn’t concede, and they came out with a point. I think the big thing to look at is the points-per-game since Rangnick has come in and it is a good return.

“I think when you think of the players they have at their disposal, you would say they are definitely capable. I think they will get the top four place.

“I’ve ebbed and flowed about who will do it, and I look at it and just think what they have got is a better squad. They have got more depth within their squad and I think Rangnick has done a decent job since he has come into the club.

“So I will put my neck on the line and say they will make it in the top four.”

Watch the race for Champions League qualification unfold live on Sky Sports.