Why Manchester United Could Be Out Of The Top Four Race And Who Will Clinch The Last UCL Spot?

The 32nd season of the English Premier League and the 125th edition of top-flight English football overall has brought a plethora of shocking and surprising outcomes to the table. Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal have established themselves as the top title contenders in this campaign.

If Liverpool win the title, they will equal Manchester United’s tally of 20 league titles. If Manchester City are crowned champions, they will clinch their tenth Premier League title and become the first team in the Premier League era to win four consecutive top-flight titles. If Arsenal win the league, they will end their 20-year title drought.

The title is in sight for all three clubs, but the ones behind them are chasing prestigious UEFA Champions League spots. Assuming that Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal secure one spot each, it will leave just one more vacant Champions League spot, for which there will be multiple contenders.

The battle for fourth spot will be between the current fourth-placed side, Aston Villa, and the two teams directly behind them – Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Eleven points divide these three teams. Tottenham are five points behind Aston Villa, while Manchester United are six points off Tottenham.

Liverpool have asserted their dominance in the Premier League by collecting 63 points from 27 games. The Reds have lost just two games so far, winning 18 and drawing six. The news of Jurgen Klopp stepping down as manager at the end of the season saddened the Anfield faithful, but it has not disrupted the club’s momentum in any competition.

Klopp’s men have already added a trophy to their cabinet this season after they recently beat Chelsea 1-0 in the final of the EFL Cup. Shortly after that victory, Liverpool beat Southampton to reach the semifinals of the FA Cup. The club will now face Sparta Prague in the UEFA Europa League and try to breeze past them to reach the quarterfinals.

The Reds will be desperate to win the league title this season to pull themselves level on terms with rivals Manchester United and give Klopp the ideal farewell gift. Eyes will be on the trophy in every competition Liverpool are playing in. At this stage, the chances of the Reds falling out of the top four in the Premier League are extremely low.

Manchester City will be Liverpool's main title rivals this season. The defending champions suffered a few hiccups recently but bounced back and are just a point behind the Reds. Pep Guardiola’s men have won 19, drawn five, and lost three of their 26 games so far. They are unbeaten in the last 19 games across all competitions.

Erling Haaland has scored 18 goals and nabbed five assists in 22 appearances for City this season in the league. The Norwegian slotted five past Luton City’s goalkeeper recently in the FA Cup to end a poor run during which the striker scored just three goals in nine appearances across all competitions.

The goalscoring average of City is 2.3, and it is very difficult for the opposition’s defenses to keep Guardiola’s men at bay. The barrage of attacks has penetrated the strongest of defenses, and riding on this prolific attack, City are expected to contest for the title and are almost sure to secure a Champions League spot.

Arsenal were left frustrated at the end of last season after the club sat at the summit for a long time before they eventually fluffed their lines towards the end, allowing Manchester City to sneak past them and clinch a third consecutive Premier League title. This season, Mikel Arteta is looking for revenge and has set his eyes on the grand prize to end Arsenal’s drought.

After 27 games, the Gunners have won 19 matches, drawn four, and lost as many, bringing their tally to 61 points. The club is just two points behind Liverpool and a single point behind City. Arteta’s men are waiting eagerly for Liverpool and City to stutter once, and that will be enough for the Gunners to instate themselves as league leaders again.

The attack has drastically improved, as Arsenal have scored 21 goals in the last four Premier League encounters. The defense has been on top, keeping three cleansheets and conceding just one goal during this prolific run of four games. The club did suffer a narrow defeat against FC Porto in the Champions League but have the second leg coming up to bounce back.

Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery will try to secure a Champions League spot for Aston Villa this season. The club has not played in Europe’s elite club competition since 1982. They are sitting in fourth place, six points behind Arsenal and five points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand.

Manchester United were on a fine run recently before Fulham ended their seven-game unbeaten run in domestic competitions. The 20-time Premier League champions are also alive in the FA Cup and recently advanced to the semifinals after edging past Nottingham Forest. In the league.

Erik Ten Hag’s men were eight points off the final Champions League spot when they recently faced Manchester City in the derby. The loss has put them 11 points off Aston Villa, and they are yet to play Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Newcastle United. Hence, the Red Devils might not make it to the Champions League this season.

Aston Villa and Tottenham will be the primary contenders for fourth place. Manchester United can reenter this race if they can pull off a string of positive results, with Villa and Spurs fumbling in a few games. The Premier League is one of the most unpredictable leagues in the world, and because of that, it will be tough to predict who will clinch the fourth spot.

As things stand, Tottenham have the best chance to achieve this feat. They cut the gap to Villa down to just two points if they win their game in hand. Ange Postecoglou’s men must stay within striking distance of the final Champions League spot and maintain their momentum before snatching it away from Aston Villa at the end of the season.