Race For Top 4

The race for the top 4 has certainly become increasingly exciting in the past few weeks, especially now that Chelsea have dropped out. Four teams are fighting for three places and with big matches still to be played, there will surely be movement amongst the teams. Unfortunately for Chelsea, their first half performance wasn't enough to stop Man Utd gaining the victory and some much needed confidence. With Man City away next, and favourable fixtures for Man Utd, Liverpool and Spurs, Chelsea could see themselves 5 points off fourth place. It isn't uncommon to see Chelsea struggle the year after they win the league, but they have the players and manager to certainly reach top 4. Finishing outside could possibly lead to a few star players leaving, most notably Hazard with Real Madrid sniffing around. Spurs must give a lot of thanks to Harry Kane after the star striker scored a late goal to secure victory away at Crystal Palace. Spurs have struggled at times away from home but are currently on great form having not lost in 15 games. Spurs' next top 4 match isn't until April where they play away at Chelsea. By that time Spurs could be quite a bit ahead of last seasons champions. The only distraction Tottenham face is the Champions League, but with the acquisition of Lucas Moura, and return of Lamela, Wanyama and hopefully soon Alderweireld, I feel their squad is strong enough to gain a top 4 place. Liverpool have arguably the best attack in the league and one of the best in Europe. They are a great team to watch and seem to be slowly improving defensively with Van Djik settling in well. In Mo Salah they have a goal-scoring machine and one of the best players in the league. He has a wand of a left foot and dazzles every game. He is a game changer and has created something out of nothing in various matches this season. The fluidity and constant changing of positions between Salah, Firmino and Mane has made them such a dangerous force that can almost certainly out-score any team they play. Liverpool's next big match in the league is in early March away at Man Utd and don't play another top 4 side until early May. By this point Liverpool could have wrapped up a top 4 place and be looking forward to the draw next season. Manchester United's win over Chelsea could be a defining game in the race for top 4. It gives Mourinho, the players and the fans confidence that they have what it takes to put in a good performance against their rival clubs, even when they are slightly out of form. Big matches left include Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal. Thankfully for Man Utd fans Liverpool and Arsenal are home games and after seeing what happened against Chelsea, they will be confident in gaining 6 points and 4 at a minimum. Two of the deciding factors when it comes down to which teams will make the top 4 is match winners and a goal scorer. This is why I fear for Chelsea may miss out this season as although they have a match winner in Eden Hazard, they don't really have a Premier League proven goal scorer. I don't doubt Morata's ability and quality, and do rate him as a player, but he hasn't adapted well enough to the league and hasn't showed any signs of turning his form around. Depending on how well Tottenham do in the Champions League is the deciding factor in their season for me and I think it is between these two clubs for a fourth placed finish.