Man Utd & Aston Villa ahead of Chelsea & Liverpool in top four stakes

Arsenal are on the verge of halting a two-decade wait for the Premier League title, but there could still be a late twist in this two-way race with Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta’s men sit seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table, although the Cityzens still have a game in hand, and they’ll keep trying until the end.

However, it’s difficult to envisage the Gunners wasting this opportunity despite their reputation as ‘serious bottlers’, but they would be well-advised not to take anything for granted down the final stretch.

Not since Arsene Wenger’s famous ‘Invincibles’ have they tasted glory in the Premier League, and a potential home win against Everton this weekend would bring them a step closer towards achieving that goal.

Meanwhile, Man City’s hopes of leapfrogging Arteta’s side right at the death took a huge blow last time out as they dropped two precious points in a frustrating 2-2 home draw against Nottingham Forest.

The top two places are sealed

Sitting nine points clear of third-placed Manchester United, the Cityzens have already secured their eighth top-two finish in the last nine seasons.

However, that’s unlikely to quench Pep Guardiola’s endless thirst for trophies, especially now that his team is on the brink of an embarrassing Champions League elimination.

Despite admitting in the post-match presser that Man City ‘will try’ to reach the quarter-finals after a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Real Madrid on Wednesday, their European season is all but over.  

Guardiola’s side can still salvage the campaign by mounting a late push in the Premier League and attempting to apply pressure on Arsenal until the very end.

As for Arsenal, this is a chance they cannot afford to flush down the sink, with a historic domestic treble potentially waiting in the wings.

With Arsenal and Man City waltzing away with the top two spots, a race for the remaining two Champions League qualifying places promises to be far more exciting.

Four teams – two spots

Man Utd’s incredible form resurgence under interim boss Michael Carrick came to an abrupt end in the last round, as 10-man Newcastle United claimed a last-gasp 2-1 victory at St James’ Park.

That defeat snapped United’s near-flawless league run after parting ways with Ruben Amorim (W6, D1), leaving them level on points with fourth-placed Aston Villa and only three clear of fifth-placed Chelsea.

Despite that setback, Opta’s supercomputer still backs the Red Devils to secure a coveted return to the Champions League, giving them a 28.5 percent chance of clinching a third-place finish.

However, that’s still a bit behind Villa’s 32.16%, but their dramatic downfall in recent games cannot inspire much confidence around the club.

In addition to picking up just two wins in their last six league outings (D2, L3), Villa have lost back-to-back matches in the league ahead of a high-stakes trip to Old Trafford to face Man Utd this weekend.

The win against Lille on Thursday will bolster morale but also add to the fatigue, with Villa having little time to recover and train before facing a well-rested United who haven’t played for 10 days.

This showdown is likely to play a pivotal role in shaping the race for the top four, with both sides desperate to gain a crucial edge and find redemption for recent slumps.

High-profile lurkers

Chelsea have set one foot outside the Champions League knockout stage after a dismal 5-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Whether Liam Rosenior will have another chance to coach the Blues at Europe’s top table now solely hinges on his ability to steer his side back to winning ways amid a rough patch in the Premier League.

Chelsea stemmed the bleeding last time out, at least partially, pulling off a stunning first-half comeback to beat Villa 4-1 in Birmingham and arrest a three-game winless league run (D2, L1).

Rosenior’s charges must build on that success, but Newcastle’s upcoming visit to Stamford Bridge could further complicate their top-four push and potentially hand Liverpool a decisive boost.

Little did Arne Slot know that his side would be fighting tooth and nail to lock down a Champions League berth less than 12 months after lifting a long-awaited 20th top-flight title.

However, that’s the Reds’ reality, as they trail Villa by four points after a calamitous 2-1 defeat at basement boys Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With that in mind, it’s unsurprising that they’ve been given a 21.42% chance of finishing in the top four.