The English Premier League is winding down with only three matches to go and so you’d expect the scramble to finish in the top 4 to be intense.

However, based on the last few matches, it seems as though the top flight teams are passing on the opportunity to play Champions League football to their competitors. Let me explain. Tottenham Hotspurs failed to collect three points against Manchester City, blanking 1-0 on Saturday. Manchester United, who is truly having a roller-coaster of a season, were demolished by Everton 4-0 on Sunday. On that same day Arsenal was beaten by Crystal Palace 3-2.  Chelsea FC, upon seeing their opponents drop points on the weekend, still managed to relinquish the opportunity to secure top 4 by drawing 2-2 with Burnley on Monday. Spurs managed to get a positive result versus Brighton yesterday with a 1-0. Manchester United on the other hand did not have the same luck, as they lost to Manchester City 2-0 today. Arsenal also followed suit and was left embarrassed by the Wolves 3-1.  

So who will secure the top 4 spots?  Naturally, Liverpool and Manchester City will occupy the first two spots (more on that later in another article). Therefore the other teams are playing for the 3rd and 4th spot if they want to play Champions League football next season. Arsenal, who are currently 5th, one point behind Chelsea, has had a disastrous away record. Their next matches are Leicester City away,  Brighton at home and Burnley away. This lineup favours the Gunners playing Europa League football for the third consecutive year.Their best bet may be winning the Europa League, and even that comes with its own unique challenges.  Manchester United have been on a downward spiral lately, losing 3 of their last 5 matches. Their next opponents are: Chelsea at home, Huddersfield away and Cardiff City at home. Manchester United is currently sitting 6th on the table and are three points off 4th place. If this was a traditional Manchester United team, then I’d say of course they will finish top 4, but due to their recent form and performances, they might not be so lucky. The match they have against Chelsea will be very decisive for the top 4 race, and since both teams have shaky defenses, it’s anybody’s game. Chelsea are currently in 4th place but their recent problems with their defense means their place isn’t secure. They face Manchester United (away) followed by Watford (at home) and Leicester City (away). Chelsea have beaten both Watford and Leicester this season already, and will have to find back that formula to stay in the top 4. Chelsea are also still in Europa League, and a win there could be their ticket to Champions League. Spurs are in a better position that the other teams vying for the top four because they are currently 3rd with three points ahead of Chelsea. Their next matches are West Ham (at home), Bournemouth (away) and Everton (at home). Despite Spurs’ history of bottling things, they seem poised to finish top 4. They are also still in Champions League and so a win their will give them a spot for next season.  There is a unique situation this year where the team that finishes fourth may miss out on Champions League. There is a possibility that an English team may win both Champions League and Europa League. If none of the winners qualified for Champions League based on their position on the table, teams in the qualifying spot may miss out. This is unlikely but think back to 2012 when a 6th place Chelsea won Champions League and so even though Spurs finished top 4 (4th to be exact) they were ushered into Europa League. It is unlikely but it’s something to bear in mind.  I predict that Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea will round off the top 4. Who do you think will make the cut? let us know in the comments below or on

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