Battle for qualification coming down to wire
With Leicester imploding, Chelsea remaining inconsistent and Manchester United and Wolverhampton each extending their long unbeaten runs, the fight for Champions League qualification has intensified since the restart of the Premier League June 17.
The number of realistic contenders for the final two or three qualification spots has shrunk from seven to these four teams, and there are just three points separating Leicester in third place and Wolves in sixth with six games left.
The fixture computer gave us two perfect final-day matches to settle the race, too.
Leicester vs. Man United and Chelsea vs. Wolves are likely to have much riding on them July 26 when the longest English season in history finally concludes.
And by then, it will be clear if fifth place will be enough to secure a place in the Champions League because second-place Manchester City will have learned if it has succeeded with a bid to overturn a twoyear European ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
A look at how the teams are shaping up for the run-in:
Leicester (3rd place, 55 points)
At the turn of the year, Leicester was in second place and even had aspirations of winning the league, never mind qualifying for the Champions League.
Its 14-point gap to fifth place has shrunk to three points, however, after winning just 2 of 11 games either side of the league’s suspension. Jamie Vardy’s goals have dried up, too, with the striker now joined on a league-high 19 by Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Chelsea (4th place, 54 points)
Results in the past week have summed up Chelsea’s inconsistency this season, with a win against Manchester City followed by a loss at relegation-threatened West Ham. Even in its first game after the restart, Chelsea played poorly in the first half against Aston Villa and fell behind, only to rebound with a strong second-half display in a 2-1 win.
The imminent arrivals of striker Timo Werner and playmaker Hakim Ziyech point to an exciting future, while American winger Christian Pulisic has returned from the shutdown with some electric performances on the left. Doubts persist, though, over the team’s defensive fragility,
especially at left back, while Frank Lampard appears unsure about the ideal makeup of his midfield.
Manchester United (5th place, 52 points)
United hasn’t lost in any competition since Jan. 22, a run that incorporates 15 matches — eight of which were in the league.
The past two results have been 3-0 victories against Sheffield United and Brighton, with Solskjaer playing a front five that looks here to stay — forwards Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood and attack-minded midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.
United’s defense has been equally impressive, with eight shutouts in its past 13 league outings.
Wolverhampton (6th place, 52 points)
When Nuno Espirito Santo took charge in May 2017, Wolverhampton was an unstable, mid-table club in the second-tier Championship. Three years later, the team is in the latter stages of the Europa League and in sight of the Champions League through its league position.
The only one of the four to win three consecutive matches since the restart, Wolverhampton also kept clean sheets in every game.
It has a clear, tried-and-tested method, too — keep things tight in the first half and score the goals after halftime, usually through top scorer Raul Jimenez.