Premier League Battle For Champions League Places Heats Up | Football News

Premier League champions Liverpool are the one membership sure of their place in subsequent season’s Champions League because the groups under them jostle for place and Manchester City await a courtroom ruling. Pep Guardiola’s City, who humbled Liverpool 4-0 on Thursday, ought to nonetheless comfortably end within the prime 4, with a 14-point lead over the fifth place and simply six video games to play. But the result of their enchantment to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, set to be introduced in mid-July, will determine whether or not a two-season ban from European competitions is upheld. Should City’s enchantment fail, fifth place could be ok for the riches of Champions League soccer subsequent season, and outcomes because the Premier League’s restart have tightened the race for a top-five end.

AFP Sport appears to be like on the contrasting fortunes of 4 of the contenders.

Leicester – 55 factors

Leicester have spent a lot of the marketing campaign in third and had been even Liverpool’s closest challengers for 2 months earlier within the season as they strung collectively an eight-game profitable run between October and December.

However, that good work has come undone throughout a run of two wins in 11 league video games, together with simply two factors from a potential 9 because the restart in opposition to Watford, Brighton and Everton.

Goals have dried up for Brendan Rodgers’s males, with Jamie Vardy discovering the web simply twice in 2020.

Leicester face a troublesome finish to the marketing campaign, with Arsenal, Tottenham and a final-day conflict with Manchester United to return.

They even have uncertainty hanging over their heads, with an area lockdown in place in Leicester resulting from a coronavirus spike.

Saturday’s go to of Crystal Palace remains to be resulting from go forward as scheduled however shifting matches away from the King Power Stadium could be a headache.

Chelsea – 54 factors

Frank Lampard’s males had been introduced again right down to earth with a bang in a 3-2 defeat at West Ham on Wednesday after tremendous kind following the restart had them eyeing third somewhat than wanting over their shoulders.

Failure to qualify for the Champions League could be an enormous blow to the Blues’ formidable plans for subsequent season after the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, who will add an additional dimension to the Chelsea assault.

However, conceding 3 times to goal-shy West Ham uncovered the defensive issues that Lampard has to resolve earlier than turning to the switch market.

Upcoming video games in opposition to Watford, Palace, Sheffield United and Norwich give Chelsea the possibility to get again on monitor and they are going to be hoping to have a top-four end wrapped up earlier than a visit to Liverpool and a house recreation in opposition to Wolves within the remaining week of the season.

Manchester United – 52 factors

United are a crew reborn because the January signing of Bruno Fernandes reworked a laboured midfield.

The Portuguese worldwide has since been joined in the course of the park by a fit-again Paul Pogba so as to add an additional dose of creativity because the Red Devils have taken seven factors from a potential 9 because the Premier League’s return.

At the again, United have saved 11 clear sheets throughout a 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions and there may be trigger for optimism up entrance too, with 18-year-old Mason Greenwood forming an exciting entrance three alongside Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

United even have the softest run-in to go together with their momentum, with Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Ham to return earlier than they face Leicester. 

Wolves – 52 factors

Nuno Espirito Santo’s males might be the largest winners after a three-month break within the season.

Wolves had performed 48 video games within the first eight months of the marketing campaign resulting from their early begin within the Europa League qualifiers however have come again refreshed.

Promoted

Victories over West Ham, Bournemouth and Villa have been achieved with the minimal of fuss and with out conceding a single objective.

Tougher exams lie forward however there are few sides higher ready for a excessive quantity of video games in a brief interval with out making many adjustments.