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Premier League: Millions left to play for on final day
As Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City fight for the Champions League, other teams will battle for the prize money
Premier League top four: Can Liverpool hold off Man Utd?
28 April
The battle for a top four finish in the Premier League table looks set to go down to the wire with only four weeks of the season remaining and four teams fighting it out for two spots.
Chelsea and Spurs are guaranteed Champions League football, barring a mathematical miracle that would make Leicester City's triumph last season look pedestrian, so the question boils down to which two teams from Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Arsenal will join them.
The Week
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Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
At present Liverpool are third with 66 points and four games remaining, City are fourth with 65 points and five more games, United have 64 points and five games to go. The outsiders are Arsenal with only 60 points, but six games left to play.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0
Games
Pts
Chelsea
33
78
Spurs
33
74
Liverpool
34
66
Man City
33
65
Man United
33
64
Arsenal
32
60
Liverpool
The Reds may be third in the table but they are vulnerable as both Manchester clubs are within three points and have played a game less. By the time Liverpool face Watford on Monday they could be down to fifth if their two pursuers win at the weekend.
In their favour they have points on the board and a relatively favourable run-in – although Middlesbrough may need something on the final day of the season:
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1 May: Watford (A)
7 May: Southampton (H)
14 May: West Ham (A)
21 May: Middlesbrough (H)
Prediction: Ten points – fourth
Man City
The 0-0 draw against Man United was not the end of the world for Pep Guardiola's team, who are already in the top four and could be up to third if they win at the weekend against Middlesbrough.
With Gabriel Jesus fit once again City should rediscover their scoring touch in the final weeks of the season and secure a top four berth:
30 April: Middlesbrough (A)
6 May: Crystal Palace (H)
13 May: Leicester (H)
16 May: West Brom (H)
21 May: Watford (A)
Prediction: 13 points – third
Man United
Jose Mourinho's team are unbeaten in 24 Premier League games and will set a new record if they avoid defeat against Swansea on Saturday. The problem is that United have become adept at avoiding defeat rather than winning. "United's 24-game run is the eighth-best undefeated top-flight streak within a single season in history and stretches back to a 4-0 loss to Chelsea on October 23. Since then they've won 13 and drawn 11," says Sky Sports.
Winning, not drawing, must be the priority for United in the final weeks of the season, but without Zlatan Ibrahimovic that may be easier said than done during a tough run-in. The silver lining is that United are still in the Europa League and could get into the Champions League via that route.
30 April: Swansea (H)
7 May: Arsenal (A)
14 May: Tottenham (A)
17 May: Southampton (A)
21 May: Crystal Palace (H)
Prediction: 11 points – fifth
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger has never finished outside the top four, but this increasingly looks like the year in which it will happen. The Gunners have endured a miserable 2017 so far with confusion over the future of their manager and several key players, and disquiet in the stands. The Gunners have recorded three wins in a row and booked a place in the FA Cup final, but the side is a long way from being able to intimidate any of their opponents.
To make matters worse the Gunners face a tough run-in with four of their six games against top ten sides.
