After a chaotic weekend at the top of the Premier League, the race to qualify for the Champions League is heating up.
Liverpool joined Manchester City as the only sides currently in the top eight to actually pick up three points, seeing off Fulham one day before Pep Guardiola’s side delivered a hammer blow to Chelsea’s European dreams.
What would usually be a battle for the top four is actually a fight for the top five this season after the performance of English clubs in Europe this season earned them an extra place in the Champions League.
Chelsea are the unlucky ones looking up at the rest in the current standings, but some massive fixtures over the next six weeks will go a long way to deciding how things end up.
Man Utd, Aston Villa, Liverpool & Chelsea’s Fixtures Compared
|
Man Utd (55 points) |
Aston Villa (55 points) |
Liverpool (52 points) |
Chelsea (48 points) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chelsea (A) – April 18 |
Sunderland (H) – April 19 |
Everton (A) – April 19 |
Man Utd (H) – April 18 |
|
Brentford (H) – April 27 |
Fulham (A) – April 25 |
Crystal Palace (H) – April 25 |
Brighton (A) – April 21 |
|
Liverpool (H) – May 3 |
Tottenham (H) – May 2 |
Man Utd (A) – May 3 |
Nott’m Forest – May 4 |
|
Sunderland (A) – May 9 |
Burnley (A) – May 9 |
Chelsea (H) – May 9 |
Liverpool (A) – May 9 |
|
Nott’m Forest (H) – May 17 |
Liverpool (H) – May 17 |
Aston Villa (A) – May 17 |
Tottenham (H) – May 17 |
|
Brighton (A) – May 24 |
Man City (A) – May 24 |
Brentford (H) – May 24 |
Sunderland (A) – May 25 |
Fascinatingly, there are multiple meetings between these four sides over the remaining weeks of the season, meaning none can be counted out of the race at this point.
That is particularly good news for Chelsea, who will view Saturday’s visit from United as an absolute must-win.
Even if the Blues fall to United next time out, there is an intriguing trip to Anfield to face Liverpool booked in for May 9. Just four points separate the two sides at this point and you would not back either to enjoy a perfect run of form up to that meeting, opening the door for Chelsea with a victory.
May will be a decisive month for Liverpool, who start off away at United and, after facing Chelsea, also have a trip to Aston Villa to worry about. Three victories would likely seal a spot in the Champions League for Arne Slot’s side, but three defeats could easily have the opposite effect.
For Aston Villa, the fixture list is comparatively kind over the next four games. Unai Emery’s side will back themselves against Sunderland, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, hoping to build up a cushion before the fixture difficulty ramps up.
Not only do Villa have to host Liverpool on the penultimate weekend, but they end the season away to Manchester City in a game that is incredibly tough to predict. Given the current state of the title race, it might be a must-win for the Cityzens, but if their hopes of catching Arsenal are already dead by that point, heads may already be on beaches by the time Villa come to town.
United, meanwhile, will know their European aspirations likely hinge on the next three games. The Red Devils are already in a strong position and victory over Chelsea would effectively seal a spot in the Champions League, given the gap down to the Blues would be a whopping 10 points.
A visit from Brentford promises to be tricky on April 27, one week before Liverpool come to town. Any repeats of the performance that cost United against Leeds on Monday could be fatal at this late stage of the season.
The reality is that all of United, Villa and Liverpool are in control of their own destinies. Chelsea are the only team still in need of outside assistance, but given they have the chance to make up three points to Liverpool in May, any Reds slip-up before or after could throw the race wide open.
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