Champions League hopefuls Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have all entered the international break with a whimper.
Man Utd set the tone on Friday night, twice surrendering leads at Bournemouth in a frustrating draw, after which Liverpool and Chelsea one-upped their rivals with embarrassing away defeats at Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton respectively.
Those blunders have kept the race for a top-five finish—almost certainly enough for Champions League qualification—alive heading into April, with all three competitors simply refusing to take advantage of one another’s slip-ups.
With the race to qualify for Europe’s Premier competition heating up, here are how the next five Premier League matches look for Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea’s Next Five Premier League Games
|
Man Utd |
Liverpool |
Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
|
Leeds (H) – April 13 |
Fulham (H) – April 11 |
Man City (H) – April 12 |
|
Chelsea (A) – April 18 |
Everton (A) – April 19 |
Man Utd (H) – April 18 |
|
Brentford (H) – April 27 |
Crystal Palace (H) – April 25 |
Brighton (A) – April 26 |
|
Liverpool (H) – May 2 |
Man Utd (A) – May 2 |
Nott’m Forest (H) – May 2 |
|
Sunderland (A) – May 9 |
Chelsea (H) – May 9 |
Liverpool (A) – May 9 |
With just seven matches remaining, time is running out for the Champions League chasers. For Man Utd, that’s relatively good news given they’re currently perched in third place and well clear of Chelsea and Liverpool behind them. Aston Villa, who are also in the race and currently in the top five, must be respected by the Red Devils, too.
The international break’s arrival means United have a period of rest before their next Premier League fixture, which sees them host historic rivals Leeds United on April 13. On paper, it’s the simplest of their next five, which include battles with rivals Chelsea and Liverpool—the former at Stamford Bridge and latter on home turf.
Victories in those fixtures could prove decisive to their European bid, as will a home meeting with Brentford at the end of April and the trip to Sunderland in early May. The Londoners beat United earlier this season, but times have changed since Michael Carrick’s transformative appointment as interim head coach.
Chelsea also find themselves competing with fellow top five rivals over the next six weeks. The clash with Man Utd comes shortly after an even tougher test at home to Premier League title hopefuls Manchester City, with major pressure on Liam Rosenior’s side to perform in crucial clashes—especially after their humbling Champions League exit.
After facing Manchester opponents, Chelsea then journey to the other end of the country. An awkward away day at Brighton & Hove Albion, who beat the Blues earlier this term, awaits at the end of April, after which they kick off May by hosting relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
With United in a commanding position in the race for the top five, Chelsea know the significance of their clash with Liverpool on May 9. A last-gasp winner won them the fixture at Stamford Bridge back in early October, but the trip to Anfield promises to be much tougher.
Having said that, Liverpool have proven entirely unpredictable in the league this season. The defeat to Brighton was their 10th in the competition—six more than last campaign—and confidence won’t be high for their home clash with Fulham on April 11. The game comes after critical matches against Man City in the FA Cup and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
What follows is their first-ever Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Reds having notoriously struggled away at neighbors Everton over the past decade. A home tie with Crystal Palace, who have beaten Liverpool three times already this term, finishes off an arduous April.
May begins with two pivotal encounters at home to Chelsea and away at Man Utd, with Liverpool desperately needing to secure points against their direct competitors. Based on their record against the ‘Big Six’ this season, they will enter those games with caution.
