Premier League Update Near End of Season

By Mark Molz
Sports Reporter

With less than ten games left in the Premier League Season it seems as though nobody will catch Manchester City who are in top form at the moment, but the race for top four and a coveted spot in next year’s Champions League is still open.

Manchester City are the top team in the Prem and it looks as though they will go on to win their third season title in the last four years. City is currently 14 points ahead of town rivals Manchester United who are in second, and it would truly take a catastrophic ending to City’s season for them to lose their substantial lead. On their way to the top this year City has also scored the most goals this season with 64 and have the most clean sheets with 16. 

Although City appears to be running away with this year's title, it will be a tight race between Chelsea, West Ham United, Liverpool, Everton, and Tottenham as they fight for fourth place on the table. Only a mere six points separate Chelsea, who is fourth, and Tottenham, who is eighth, but with Chelsea hitting their stride at the right time it might be hard for the teams that are currently behind to catch up.

So, who will be in the top four at then end of the season? Let’s take a look at the teams who have a chance. 

Chelsea
Since former PSG manager Thomas Tuchel was appointed to Chelsea in January after the sacking of Frank Lampard, The Blues have gone on to win or draw their last ten games and have posted clean sheets in their last four. Although they are currently only three points ahead of West Ham United they appear to be in top form, and well on their way to finishing in the top four. 

It is hard not to see Chelsea taking one of the top four spots in this year’s premier league season as Tuchel seems to be the perfect fit for this young Chelsea squad. On top of their recent surge in the Premier League they recently just moved past Atletico Madrid in the current Champions League Season and are on their way to the quarterfinals.

West Ham United
West Ham has surprised most premier league fans this season by hanging around in the top half of the table this late into the season. Finishing sixteenth in the table last year, just a mere five points above the relegation zone, they have made a substantial jump from previous years. Instead of fighting to stay in England's top league, they are competing for a spot in one of the most difficult competitions in the soccer world. 

One of the Hammer’s most notable moments this year was the acquisition of Jesse Lingard on loan from top tier squad Manchester United. Since joining the Hammers Lingard has appeared in six games while finding the back of the net four times. But, although the signing of Lingard has helped the Hammers they have currently dropped points in two of their last three games and moved out of the top four. While the Hammers still have a very viable chance to make the top four and find themselves in the Champions League, it is hard to see them out playing Chelsea who are currently three points ahead. 

Liverpool
While the defending champs are only five points back from a top four spot, they have been struggling to stay afloat in this year's season. Dropping six out of their last eight games, with one of those losses handed to them by soon-to-be relegated Fulham, it does not seem as though The Reds will finish this year in Champions League contention. 

Through 29 games this season they only have 13 wins and have a total of nine loses. Through the same amount of games in the season prior they were well ahead of the rest of the league in points and had only accumulated one loss and one draw. While Liverpool has struggled to match their form from last season, it is important to point out that injuries have decimated their backline, including one of the top defenders in the world in Virgil Van Dijk. 

And as the Premier League continues, it seems they will put most of their energy in winning the current Champions League Season in which they recently advanced to the quarterfinals. 

Everton
Right in the thick of things with 46 points, Everton is making a push to make their first Champions League since 2005. While they are doing their best to make the top four they have recently dropped four out of their last seven games including a 2-0 defeat to Fulham, who also beat Liverpool in their recent struggle for success. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin currently is third in the league in goals scored with 14 and has the most on this Everton side. If Everton wants any chance at making the Champions League next season, they are going to need Calvert-Lewin to continue to perform at a top level in these final games.

Tottenham
Jose Mourhino’s Spurs are on the outside looking in as this season is coming down to the end. Sitting eighth in the table with ten games left for the Spurs squad, this is definitely not where they imagined themselves at the beginning of the season. With players such as Gareth Bale, Dele Ali, Son Heung-min, and Harry Kane, who has the second most goals scored in the Premier League this season, many would have expected Tottenham to find themselves in the top four for the most of the year. But, Mourhino has appeared to have his struggles managing this squad as the season has progressed.

While The Spurs still have a chance to make it into the top four, it doesn’t appear they will have what it takes to get them there.

Author’s Note
https://www.worldfootball.net/winner/eng-premier-league/
https://www.premierleague.com/stats
premier league table
https://www.premierleague.com/clubs/4/Chelsea/results
https://www.premierleague.com/players/4337/Jesse-Lingard/overview
https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4301278/manchester-uniteds-lingard-signs-for-west-ham-on-loan
https://www.premierleague.com/clubs/10/Liverpool/results?co=1&se=274
https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/when-was-the-last-time-everton-qualified-for-the-champions/10soy9vpiec361uc2pnjazqjrm
https://www.premierleague.com/clubs/21/Tottenham-Hotspur/squad
https://www.premierleague.com/stats