The battle for 3rd place

[Dax777]

A maximum of 5 clubs from one country are allowed in. So if the rags win the europa and Leicester win the CL then only the top 3 get a place... so nothing to worry about

Lol.

 

[mancity1]

Winning against Manure should reduce the bandwidth used by this thread.

 

[KCblue]

Here's how things stand (btw, I think Chelsea and Spurs are a lock for top two):

Position Club Played Pts GD
3 City 32 64 +28
4 Liverpool 32 63 +28
5 Everton 33 57 +23
6 United 30 57 +22
7 Arsenal 30 54 +22

And remaining fixtures:

City
[FA Cup Semi vs. Arsenal]
United (H)
Boro (A)
Palace (H)
Leicester (H)
West Brom (H)
Watford (A)

Liverpool
West Brom (A)
Palace (H)
Watford (A)
Southampton (H)
West Ham (A)
Boro (H)

Everton
West Ham (A)
Chelsea (H)
Swansea (A)
Watford (H)
Arsenal (A)

United
Chelsea (H)
[Europa League QF 2nd Leg Anderlecht (H)]
Burnley (A)
City (A)
Swansea (H)
[Europa League Semi 1st Leg]
Arsenal (A)
[Europa League Semi 2nd Leg]
Spurs (A)
Southampton (A)
Palace (H)
[Europa League Final]

Arsenal
Boro (A)
[FA Cup Semi vs City]
Leicester (H)
Spurs (A)
United (H)
Southampton (A)
Stoke (A)
Sunderland (H)
Everton (H)

Everton have the fewest games remaining and still have to head to Arsenal, Arsenal still has a few tough fixtures, United have by far the hardest run-in of any one in the Prem, and I'd say it's very clear that us and Liverpool have the easiest remaining fixtures of anyone in this 3-7 range. Personally, I think it would be amazing (and hilarious) for United not to win the Europa League but I just do not see them finishing top four when half of their remaining games are home to Chelsea and away to City, Arsenal, and Spurs. I did the predictor on the BBC website and got this as my results:

1 Chelsea 94 +54
2 Spurs 85 +54
3 City 80 +37
4 Liverpool 75 +34
5 Arsenal 71 +28
6 Everton 69 +28
7 United 69 +25

After first seeing the results I thought that I was being biased against United, but I gave them wins vs. Southampton, Swansea, and Palace, draws against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Burnley, and losses to City and Spurs. I don't think those results are out of the realm of possibilities. Anyways, I think we're definitely fine for top four and we should hope that this season can end with us finishing third and winning the FA Cup. Hopefully someone knocks United out of the Europa League, maybe a Memphis Depay 90' winner in the final ;)

 

[cibaman]

Here's how things stand (btw, I think Chelsea and Spurs are a lock for top two):

Position Club Played Pts GD
3 City 32 64 +28
4 Liverpool 32 63 +28
5 Everton 33 57 +23
6 United 30 57 +22
7 Arsenal 30 54 +22

And remaining fixtures:

City
[FA Cup Semi vs. Arsenal]
United (H)
Boro (A)
Palace (H)
Leicester (H)
West Brom (H)
Watford (A)

Liverpool
West Brom (A)
Palace (H)
Watford (A)
Southampton (H)
West Ham (A)
Boro (H)

Everton
West Ham (A)
Chelsea (H)
Swansea (A)
Watford (H)
Arsenal (A)

United
Chelsea (H)
[Europa League QF 2nd Leg Anderlecht (H)]
Burnley (A)
City (A)
Swansea (H)
[Europa League Semi 1st Leg]
Arsenal (A)
[Europa League Semi 2nd Leg]
Spurs (A)
Southampton (A)
Palace (H)
[Europa League Final]

Arsenal
Boro (A)
[FA Cup Semi vs City]
Leicester (H)
Spurs (A)
United (H)
Southampton (A)
Stoke (A)
Sunderland (H)
Everton (H)

Everton have the fewest games remaining and still have to head to Arsenal, Arsenal still has a few tough fixtures, United have by far the hardest run-in of any one in the Prem, and I'd say it's very clear that us and Liverpool have the easiest remaining fixtures of anyone in this 3-7 range. Personally, I think it would be amazing (and hilarious) for United not to win the Europa League but I just do not see them finishing top four when half of their remaining games are home to Chelsea and away to City, Arsenal, and Spurs. I did the predictor on the BBC website and got this as my results:

1 Chelsea 94 +54
2 Spurs 85 +54
3 City 80 +37
4 Liverpool 75 +34
5 Arsenal 71 +28
6 Everton 69 +28
7 United 69 +25

After first seeing the results I thought that I was being biased against United, but I gave them wins vs. Southampton, Swansea, and Palace, draws against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Burnley, and losses to City and Spurs. I don't think those results are out of the realm of possibilities. Anyways, I think we're definitely fine for top four and we should hope that this season can end with us finishing third and winning the FA Cup. Hopefully someone knocks United out of the Europa League, maybe a Memphis Depay 90' winner in the final ;)

You appear to be expecting Liverpool to drop 6 points from their remaining games. With their fixture list they should win all of their remaining games. They probably will not but they should. At the same time you have City dropping only two points. So you expect Liverpool to slip up twice but City only once, and then to draw. Isnt that bias?

 

[KCblue]

You appear to be expecting Liverpool to drop 6 points from their remaining games. With their fixture list they should win all of their remaining games. They probably will not but they should. At the same time you have City dropping only two points. So you expect Liverpool to slip up twice but City only once, and then to draw. Isnt that bias?

Maybe you're right, but I don't think I had them losing any of those matches and they've been known to drop points against weaker sides under Klopp. Additionally, 5 of our 7 are at home. FWIW I still think we'll surely finish ahead of them.

 

[cibaman]

Maybe you're right, but I don't think I had them losing any of those matches and they've been known to drop points against weaker sides under Klopp. Additionally, 5 of our 7 are at home. FWIW I still think we'll surely finish ahead of them.

At this time of the season its the unexpected slip ups that count. That's the problem with trying to predict results, its natural to assume that our rivals will slip up more than we will.

I also expect us to finish ahead of Liverpool. But its certainly feasible that Liverpool could take maximum points from their remaining fixtures.

 

[KCblue]

At this time of the season its the unexpected slip ups that count. That's the problem with trying to predict results, its natural to assume that our rivals will slip up more than we will.

I also expect us to finish ahead of Liverpool. But its certainly feasible that Liverpool could take maximum points from their remaining fixtures.

Agreed, but no Mane is a huge loss for them. I'm even more confident it will be us and them in 3rd and 4th regardless of the order. Just think United and Arsenal have left themselves too much work.

 

[malg]

Calling @SWP's back to the thread.......he loves a 'how many teams will qualify for the CL' discussion.

 

[SWP's back]

It says the team that wins the UEFA go to play offs for champs league and therefore 4th place in the prem goes straight into europa league.

Oh yay. This again

 

[SWP's back]

You appear to be expecting Liverpool to drop 6 points from their remaining games. With their fixture list they should win all of their remaining games. They probably will not but they should. At the same time you have City dropping only two points. So you expect Liverpool to slip up twice but City only once, and then to draw. Isnt that bias?

I wouldn't say it's bias. I'd say it's reflective of the games Liverpool have struggled with this season. If they'd had our results against teams in the bottom half then they'd be top.