Assessing the battle for fourth in the Premier League

With the Premier League season reaching its conclusion in the coming weeks, there are still so many narratives that will be interesting to see reach their conclusion. The title race is going right down to the wire, and the relegation dogfight is taking new turns with each passing week, as Everton look to avoid an embarrassing drop to the Championship and Norwich City try and pull off a great escape. But perhaps the most interesting of all stories is the battle for Champions League football.

With Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all but guaranteed to take the top three spots, it leaves just one place up for grabs in Europe’s premier club competition, and with it comes the prize money and chance to take on some of the biggest sides in the world.

While there are still several teams in contention, none are proving a clear frontrunner with the Premier League betting odds and the race is proving redolent to the 2018-19 season where it looked at times like no team really wanted it. Read on, as we look at each of the team’s chances of finishing fourth that are still in contention heading into the last few weeks of the season.

Arsenal

If anyone has the best chance of finishing fourth it’s Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, after their recent winning run skyrocketed them to the periphery of the Champions League places, something not many would have expected after their torrid start to the season. Winless and 18^th in September, the Spaniard has managed to get the best out of his group of exciting and youthful side, but with a few wayward results in recent weeks, you wonder if they have the mentality to see it out and play in Europe’s top competition for the first time since Arsène Wenger was in charge at the Emirates.

Tottenham Hotspur

This season has been a strange one as far as Tottenham Hotspur are concerned. Things looked to be heading for disaster when Harry Kane was unsettled and failed to move to City whilst Nuno Espírito Santo was relieved of his duties after just a few months in charge. Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was appointed to steady the ship and while things have been far from perfect under the Italian, Spurs could still snatch fourth in his first season. They need to win the majority of their remaining games though, and with a North London Derby and trip to Anfield still to come, it certainly won’t be an easy feat.

West Ham United

Certainly, the underdog in this battle for fourth in the Premier League predictions, West Ham United could still find themselves playing Champions League football next season, but may require winning the Europa League to do so. In terms of the domestic campaign, David Moyes’ side were on a relentless run until Christmas, but since the busy festive schedule they’ve lacked the consistency required to really establish themselves as a genuine contender for the top four.

Capable of brilliant performances on their day, the Irons have been on hand to cause their fair share of upsets this season, and should either of the north London sides slip up, the cockneys will have a chance to capitalise, that is if Michail Antonio can rediscover that goalscoring form that made him one of the most potent strikers in the league in the first half of the season.