The Premier League top four race is a lot right now
Arsenal looked like they had a firm hold on the fourth position going into the final stretch of the season. But three straight losses to lackluster opposition has left them three points behind Tottenham and behind Manchester United on goal difference for fifth in the league table.
West Ham United sit in seventh place, three points behind the Gunners but still very much in the midst of things. Spurs have come alive under Antonio Conte since the winter transfer window, and while Man United, Arsenal and West Ham have all wilted to varying degrees, Tottenham now look to have the easiest road to the UCL next season.
Yet even saying this feels premature.
As last week demonstrated, losing can occur at any time in the Premier League, and against any team. Brighton have now beaten two north London teams in as many weeks, while Manchester United, who looked out of the running only weeks ago, is now firmly in the mix.
While it might feel right to make bold pronouncements regarding the future over the remaining month and a half of football, I believe that would be unwise guesswork more than anything else. Surprises are still in store for football fans in the coming weeks, and while the likes of the Hammers and Gunners will be sad right now, it could be the opposite in a week or so.
The Premier League demonstrates why it is so beloved
Each football league has its drama but the English Premier League is so beloved in part because of the remarkable mass of storylines each and every season. While the top two are fought for by the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool this season — like so many recent years — the top four remains a jostling match.
Indeed, all of the European spots beneath third place remain very much in question. While those four teams will likely take up those spots, where each will land — Wolves might sneak in and knock one out — all remains to be seen. Beyond that, while the mid-table teams jockey for position, the bottom of the table is as hectic and as busy as ever.
Everton desperately wish to remain in the Premier League, while Burnley, Watford and Norwich City all do as well, and yet stand less of a chance than do the Toffees. But it is not by very much that all of these teams fight to remain in the top flight of English football next season, and outfits like Leeds United are not far above Everton to feel too safe either.
The top four race always draws attention people given everything at stake. While the bottom race means more for those teams’ supporters, the top four is a great battle between talented teams with a lot to play for. Everton might arguably have more to play for given what relegation means across the board, but selling a casual fan on an Everton match with how they’ve played this season would be more difficult than selling them on a Spurs match.
What will come of this season will mean a great deal to a great number of clubs and their fans, but not everyone will be happy. That is the nature of this competition, and while some folks might find pleasure in their team’s current circumstances and others might find pain, nothing is permanent until the end of the season. Especially given the tension within the top four race right now.