Premier League Top Five: Champions League Qualification Battle Heats Up
The battle for Champions League qualification in the Premier League has reached a boiling point, with just three rounds of matches left to play. The top five teams are separated by a mere four points, making for a thrilling conclusion to the season. According to TNT Sports, the competition is set to be fierce, with several head-to-head clashes remaining between the Champions League hopefuls.
Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Chelsea are currently occupying the top three spots, but their positions are far from secure. Manchester City, in particular, have returned to form with five wins from their last six Premier League matches, including a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday. TNT Sports reports that City will be fancied to win this weekend as they face bottom-of-the-table Southampton, before finishing against Bournemouth and Fulham.
Newcastle United and Chelsea are just a point behind Manchester City, and their upcoming clash on Sunday, May 11, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, could prove decisive in the battle for Champions League qualification. Newcastle then travel to Arsenal, who have won just one of their last five league games, before finishing at home to Everton. Chelsea, on the other hand, have the return leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final against Djurgarden on Thursday, May 8, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The Opta supercomputer is predicting that Manchester City, Newcastle, and Chelsea will finish in the top five, with City finishing third and Newcastle just pipping Chelsea to fourth spot. However, TNT Sports expert Glenn Hoddle believes that Chelsea may miss out on a top-five finish due to their difficult fixtures. “Chelsea have the hardest fixtures and they are the question mark for me,” says Hoddle. “They have two big games, Newcastle away and Forest away, and in some ways they are good games to have because if they win they take the points away from those two teams, but their results have not been good away from home.”
Aston Villa kept their top-five bid going with a victory over Fulham last time out, and TNT Sports reports that Unai Emery’s side next play Bournemouth and then finish against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Hoddle thinks that Villa could be the ones to squeeze into the top five, helped by their FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace. “I think the fact that Aston Villa lost in the semi-final is a big key to them getting into the top five,” says Hoddle.
Nottingham Forest’s hopes of playing in the Champions League/European Cup for the first time since 1980 look in jeopardy after their recent run of results. However, they still control their own fate as they know three wins from their last three games will see them finish in the top five. TNT Sports reports that manager Nuno is urging his team to show character and belief in their bid for a top-five finish. “We are going to need a lot of character and a lot of belief,” said Nuno. “We are pushing the players, not only physically but mentally in this big fight we are involved in – and we are proud to be in it.”
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