The gulf in quality between the top six sides and the rest of the league has been evident for all to see throughout the season. With Manchester City having all but sealed the Premier League crown for the season there still remains a dogfight for the remaining Top 4 spots. With only 2 points currently separating the sides in the Top 4 spots, and Chelsea 5 points behind 4th place Tottenham; Arsenal currently faces the biggest task 13 points away from 4th and currently losing 2-1 away to Brighton as I write this. This has certainly proven to be the most interesting race for Champions League spots in recent years.
Liverpool
Position: 2nd
Prediction:3rd
Liverpool continued their impressive purple patch dispatching Newcastle at Anfield 2-0 courtesy of goals by in-form Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. They currently boast a record of only one defeat in 19 games and are hitting top form at the perfect time as the season enters the final stretch. Their next Premier League match against Manchester United will surely decide who finishes runner-up to Manchester City. Given Mourinho's record against The Reds, I expect it to be a relatively tame fixture ending in a draw and with a showdown against Chelsea in the penultimate game of the season. The fixture list certainly doesn't favour Klopp's side. Whilst I expect them to leave Stamford Bridge with at least a point, I predict that they will just miss out on that second place finish but claim comfortable entry into next season's Champions League.
Manchester United
Position: 3rd
Prediction: 2nd
Given what was just said regarding Liverpool there isn't too much more to add about Manchester United. Despite a Manchester derby and a face-off with Arsenal between now and the end of the season I still fancy Mourinho to bag that 2nd place finish. Despite their incredible offensive ability, I have a hunch that Mourinho will be able to tactically navigate a point against Guardiola's soon-to-be champions and easily brush past an out of sorts Arsenal side.
Despite an unflattering record against the top 6 sides, I still feel that United will be able to just about finish above rivals Liverpool.
Tottenham Hotspur
Position: 4th
Prediction: 5th
This is where it gets tricky, there isn't much between Tottenham and Chelsea but I feel that Conte may just nick it at the last. As pointed out by various plaudits they do heavily rely on Harry Kane and if not for his incredible ability they walk away from Selhurst Park with a point last weekend.
The core of Pochettino's side is strong and last season's 13/14 wins in the climax of the season they are the current favourites to grab that final Champions League spot. But last season's champions have a squad of too much quality to miss out on Europe's elite competition, the same can be said for Tottenham but there is a difference between a side who has not won a trophy in 10 years and a side that has consistently delivered silverware for a number of years. Their exclusion could prove costly long-term for the club with European clubs snooping around their prized assets and I feel that this will be the year that they begin to test Levy's resolve.
Chelsea
Position: 5th
Prediction: 4th
Carrying on from what I mentioned about Tottenham, I feel the squad at Antonio Conte's disposal possesses too much talent to not bag that last Top 4 spot.
Their current sporadic form works to their advantage in my opinion, in the sense that it is only a matter of time before they re-discover their form and string together consistent performances. However the match between the two sides at Stamford Bridge could be the decider of the final place, but with a fixture against Manchester City, today and hosting Liverpool in their last home game of the season Chelsea are against the odds. But I just can't envision Chelsea finishing outside the Top 4 spots this season and feel that Tottenham will be the team to miss out.
Arsenal
Position: 6th
Prediction: 6th
The Carabao Cup final represented the current state of Arsenal Football Club. The fans turning, the players not turning up and the manager failing.
Dare I say that Arsenal is undergoing their own 'Hodgson Era' that befell Liverpool at the beginning of the decade. The tenure of Arsene Wenger has been under question and intense scrutiny for the number of years now but if Arsenal Fan TV is anything to go by, even some of his most loyal supporters are turning. The signings of Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan represented hope but they too are unable to turn around Arsenal's fortunes and unless a miracle can be performed between now and the end of the season, I fully expect the club to miss out on Champions League football for a second consecutive season; given that they fail to win the Europa League.
