Liverpool screwed again as Champions League contenders run-ins ranked | OneFootball

While the title race and the relegation battle are still alive, this is an increasingly interesting race for Europe with six teams vying for the final three Champions League spots.

Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Sporting on Tuesday confirmed that the Premier League would once again receive five spots in the Champions League next year and while the Gunners and Manchester City have the first two sewn up, the final three appear to be all to play for.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at the remaining fixtures for the six teams in contention and ranked them from best down to worst. Look away now Liverpool fans.

6) Everton

It has been an under-the-radar season for Everton, who have crept into Champions League contention without too many outsiders noticing.

They are boosted in their pursuit by having arguably the ‘easiest’ run-in of any of the six challengers.

When you add up the combined current league placements of each of the Toffees’ remaining seven fixtures, you arrive at 74 and while there is one team with a better total than that, the context behind Everton’s opponents suggests they have the better time of it.

The toughest tasks remaining this year for Everton are Liverpool and Manchester City but both are to be played at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. After the City game in GW35, Everton face Palace and Sunderland, two teams that will likely have nothing to play for, before ending the year at a possibly already relegated Spurs.

This weekend’s match against Brentford will be a test but is also a chance to take points off a direct rival and if they come away from that with three points, David Moyes should feel confident about his team’s chances of a first return to the Champions League since 2006.

5) Manchester United

While they already have the points on the board, Manchester United’s season may well be defined by the next four games.

United welcome Leeds, Brentford and Liverpool to Old Trafford with a trip to Stamford Bridge in GW33 but after that, their run-in looks a lot kinder.

They will face Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Brighton with only the Nottinghamshire club left with something to play for and considering that game is the penultimate round of the season, there is a chance they could already be safe or down.

And with no other competitions to distract them, Michael Carrick should feel very optimistic about United qualifying for the Champions League.

4) Aston Villa

On paper, Villa have the easiest run-in in terms of combined league standings but they need to get points on the board now before a difficult final two games.

They travel to Forest this weekend before facing Sunderland and Fulham then have back-to-back relegation candidates Tottenham and Burnley.

If Villa are not in the Champions League spots by that point then it is hard to see how they will end there as they face Liverpool and City to end the season.

They also have a Europa League campaign to navigate.

Current position: 4th (54 points) Remaining fixtures: Nottingham Forest (A), Bologna (Europa League – Home), Sunderland (H), Fulham (A), Tottenham Hotspur (H), Burnley (A), Liverpool (H), Manchester City (A) Home fixtures: 3 Away fixtures: 4 Combined opponent standing: 79

3) Chelsea

Chelsea still have three of the current top five to play with two of those fixtures coming in the next two weekends.

First they play a City looking to close the gap to Arsenal before facing a United side that has had a lot of weeks with their feet up of late.

If they make it through that, Chelsea have an easier run of Brighton, Forest, Liverpool and Spurs before ending the season away at Sunderland.

The Blues also have an FA Cup semi-final and potential final to focus on.

Current position: 6th (48 points) Remaining fixtures: Manchester City (H), Manchester United (H), Brighton (A), Leeds United (FA Cup), Nottingham Forest (H), Liverpool (A), Tottenham Hotspur (H), Sunderland (A) Home fixtures: 4 Away fixtures: 3 Combined opponent standing: 64

2) Brentford

Keith Andrews is surely already a nominee for manager of the season but if he manages to get Brentford into the Champions League then it will be an almighty achievement.

To do it, he must navigate the second hardest run-in of any of the contenders including away trips to United, City and Liverpool.

A big test of their credentials is this weekend when they host Everton but the Bees do also have Fulham and Palace, who will have little to play for.

1) Liverpool

If you were an optimist, you’d say Liverpool’s Champions League fate is in their own hands. If you were a pessimist, you’d say they’re f**ked.

If we take the combined league placements of all of Liverpool’s remaining opponents, we arrive at 51 which is by far the lowest (i.e. the worst) of the Champions League contenders.

Arne Slot’s underconfident side (even more so after defeat to PSG) face the challenge of an away Merseyside derby, an away trip to Old Trafford and an away trip to Aston Villa while also facing Chelsea and Brentford at home.

Some hope for Slot’s men comes in the form of their other games which are against Fulham and Palace, two sides that have little to play for going into the final stage of the season but even those can threaten to cause an upset.

Right now, Liverpool occupy fifth but just three points separate them and their Merseyside neighbours down in eighth.