Following a weekend off for the FA Cup 5th round, the Premier League resumes this week with plenty to play for as the end of the season draws closer, none more so in the battle for a top four finish and a place in next season’s Champions League where Liverpool and Newcastle will both have their eyes set on taking advantage of the current wobbles that both Arsenal and Chelsea are suffering.
Arsenal and Chelsea currently sit 4th and 5th respectively in the Premier League, both on 43 points, they even have the same goal difference but Arsenal has the slight advantage by scoring four goals more than their London rivals. However, both have struggled to find consistent form all season and risk missing out on a lucrative place in the Champions League, for which they both qualified for the past nine seasons.
Newcastle’s challenge for a top four spot has been one of the surprises of the season after their excellent start to the campaign but a recent run of bad results has seen them slip to sixth but The Magpies are just a point adrift of Arsenal and Chelsea and three clear of Liverpool in seventh.
Newcastle manager, Alan Pardew, will know that their next game against managerless Wolves at home this weekend should yield three points and put his team back in the race for a top four finish and in the form when they play arch rivals, Sunderland, the following week.
Pardew will also be aware that Arsenal has two enormously difficult game against coming up as they play Spurs at the Emirates on Sunday and Liverpool the following week at Anfield. These are games that Arsene Wenger’s men simply cannot afford to lose in light of their Champions League performance against AC Milan and FA Cup exit at the hands of Sunderland last week. However, there are clearly problems afoot at the Emirates and the Gunners board could be left with huge decisions to make at the end of the season over Wenger’s future if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Chelsea’s next three Premier League fixtures against Bolton at home, West Brom away and Stoke City at home seem much easier than Arsenal’s. However, similar problems hanging over Stamford Bridge after a woeful run of results that has seen large elements of the Blues faithful calling for the head of manager, Andre Villas-Boas.
Following their poor performance in their 1-1 FA Cup 5th Round draw against Championship side, Birmingham City last weekend, there is every chance that “AVB” will not even be at the helm come these three league fixtures. Rumours persist that Vilas-Boas will be out of a job should Chelsea not get a decent result in their Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Napoli this week and defeat in Italy could even spell the end for the young Portuguese manager!
Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool meanwhile, already through to the League Cup final will be eyeing up the a late run to contend for a top four finish, knowing that a good run of results through March, which includes that crucial match against Arsenal, could put them back in the top four race. Their penultimate game of the season against Chelsea at Anfield could well be one of the most important games played in the Premier League this season but with four points to make up on fourth place, the Reds cannot afford many more slip ups this season if they are to return to European football’s top table for the first time in three seasons in 2012/2013.
As it stands, the battle for a top four finish should be a pulsating one for fans, as should the title race itself which looks set to be a two horse race between Man City and Man Utd and even the battle for relegation promises to go to the death so with just 13 games remaining, the conclusion to the Premier League season is not to be missed!
