Liverpool’s run-in versus rivals as top-four chances are fuelled by Leeds’ battering

Although Manchester United and Newcastle are currently in third and fourth position, a number of other teams are still hoping to qualify for the Champions League next season.

The remaining two positions are still completely up for grabs, with the top two all but guaranteed a Champions League journey in the next campaign.

Newcastle and Manchester United are currently in control of their own fate as they round out the top four with a game remaining against Tottenham and the hot Aston Villa, who are three and six points behind the Magpies in the standings.

Brighton is now in seventh place with two games remaining against both Spurs and Villa, but if they can take use of their extra games, they might pass both teams. Liverpool can also close the gap by playing more games, but despite their 6-1 hammering of Leeds on Monday night, the Reds will face a difficult task with the nine points they must catch up to Newcastle.

However, given the nature of the on-going chase and the teams’ limitations, it is not completely impossible.

On Saturday, Villa put on a masterful performance against Newcastle, defeating the Magpies 3-0 and significantly advancing their own European chances. Spurs were denied what may have been a critical point later that day before their trip to St. James Park on Sunday thanks to Dango Outtara’s late winner for Bournemouth.

Here is a closer examination of the struggle for the coveted top four berth with each team having less than 10 games remaining.

Erik Ten Hag’s team has competed on all fronts this season and is in prime position to claim one of the final two slots. The Red Devils already have the Carabao Cup, are in the FA Cup semifinals, and, with a victory over Sevilla in the quarterfinal second leg on Thursday, will advance to the same stage in the Europa League.

Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, an important center-back duo for United, are out injured just as their schedule is about to get thick and fast with games. Varane is anticipated to be sidelined for a few weeks, but ‘Licha’ won’t be appearing any more this year.

Varane might miss games against three of their top four competitors, all of which are scheduled to play within the next week. Next Thursday, the team will go to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Then, they will travel to Old Trafford to face Aston Villa, and finally, they will travel to the south on Thursday to face Brighton.

If United were to win all three of their games and deny their opponents a point, it would very certainly guarantee their place in the top four. In addition to those, they play Wolves and Fulham at home, and West Ham and Bournemouth on the road.

On the last day, the Cottagers will play at Old Trafford in an effort to exact retribution for their FA Cup elimination, with Aleksandar Mitrovic’s eight-game suspension finally being over.

“It was a disappointing day, and while we must analyze it, we also need to move on fairly quickly at this point in the season with so few games remaining,” said the coach.

Eddie Howe uttered those remarks after his Newcastle team’s five-game winning streak was abruptly ended by Aston Villa last weekend. And there isn’t time to let their sorrows fester before another crucial match in the competition for a top-four spot.

This time, the big game’s hosts, the Geordies, will host Tottenham in a match that could have significant effects on the outcome of the season. There are still four home games left for Newcastle, with the league’s top team, Arsenal, as well as Leicester and Southampton, yet to go.

Teams from the bottom half of the league are the destinations of their final three away games. Leeds and Everton, two teams that are fighting for their playoff lives at the wrong end of the table, will put up a fight. A trip to the capital is called for on the final day of the season, where Chelsea, who is in the middle of the pack, will be hoping to forget this forgettable season.

In their next five games, Tottenham will play four teams who will be vying for the top four spots, three of which will be played within a seven-day span beginning on Sunday with a trip to Newcastle.

With a trip to Manchester United on Thursday night and a trip to Anfield on Sunday, things don’t get any simpler for Cristian Stellini’s team. On May 13, they host Crystal Palace and Brentford, two close neighbors, before traveling to Villa Park.

Since Elland Road will host the final day of the season, the Brentford encounter will be Spurs’ penultimate home game. As Leeds fights to stay in the Premier League, it can be all or nothing for both teams.

Without a doubt, this would be the season’s leading tale. Under Steven Gerrard, Aston Villa was set for an ordinary season. Unai Emery has done wonders to turn that team into a legitimate danger to the elite.

After their convincing victory against Newcastle, Emery acknowledged it would be “very difficult” to place in the top four, and their upcoming schedule only serves to support his assertion.

They have games against Brighton and Spurs on the last day, as well as travels to Old Trafford and Anfield. A team hoping to extend their eight-game unbeaten streak will have more confidence heading into these matches knowing that the Villans have previously demonstrated their ability to decisively finish off opponents.

Along with a trip to Molineux to play Wolves on May 6, they also have to play Brentford and Fulham in the upcoming weeks, both of whom are focused on moving up the table and finishing in the top seven.

Despite losing three important players in Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, and Leandro Trossard, the Seagulls are flying (no pun intended) and playing fantastic football under manager Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi stated that his Brighton team will have “belief for the run-in” following their victory against Chelsea over the weekend, which includes their FA Cup semifinal matchup against Manchester United on Sunday.

Additionally, they have yet to travel to the Emirates or host the Red Devils in a league match. Both of those events are planned to take place during the first two weeks of May. Brighton has yet to learn the new date for their match against Manchester City, which was originally scheduled for this weekend but had to be postponed due to both teams’ cup commitments.

With nine games still to play, Brighton has played the fewest games in the league. They still have five home games left, with the remaining three coming against Wolves, Everton, and Southampton. The final game of the season will be played at Villa Park after the month is through.

Liverpool is still in with a chance of making the slots that would guarantee them a place in the competition they have won six times, but it won’t be simple.

The ‘easiest’ remaining schedule of all the teams on this list belongs to Liverpool, who is hosting Spurs and Villa in addition to the other two top-four contenders.

Liverpool’s comeback victory over Arsenal ended in a 2-2 tie, and they still have three home games left to play against Forest, Fulham, and Brentford. They still have three away games left, traveling to West Ham, Leicester, and Southampton to finish the season.