There is always a saying that there is a God of football. If that myth is anything to go by, then, that God of football is on the side of Chelsea football club to earn a top-four finish this season.
All through the years, the Premier League is known to be the most competitive league in the world because there is an atom of competition in every aspect of the league – from who will win the title, to who will finish in the top four, then to who will finish in the top 6 and then to who will survive relegation or be relegated. Besides that, there is also a stringent competition when it comes to the player that will win the highest goalscorer of the season award.
However, this season, Liverpool has been so good that there is no much contention about the team that will claim the Premier League title. They have been touted to win the league long before the three months coronavirus break and they won it with 7 games left to play and with a whopping 23 points difference with second-placed Manchester City.
That said, Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United are in serious contention for the top-four finish. Unfortunately for Chelsea, they put their chance on the line on Saturday evening when they were beaten by Sheffield United 3-0. At that point, the only direction Chelsea was expected to go was downward as their destiny was no longer in their hands.
All Leicester City had to do to bring Frank Lampard and his men down from the 3rd spot to the 4th spot was to beat lowly rated Bournemouth on Sunday. Fortunately for Chelsea, Leicester City were humiliated by Bournemouth 4-1. The outrageous lost kept Chelsea on the 3rd spot with 60 points and kept Leicester on the 4th spot with 59 points.
On Monday, the ball was in the court of Manchester United to go pass both Chelsea and Leicester by jumping from the 5th spot to the 3rd spot. Fortunately for Chelsea again, the win United needed to achieve this didn’t happen. Ole Gunnar Solkjaer and his men drew 2-2 with Southampton forcing the status quo to remain.
Hence, the battle became tighter and riskier for the three teams as Chelsea remain 3rd with 60 points, Leicester City remain 4th with 59 points while Manchester United remain 5th with 59 points -because Leicester have better goal difference (29) than United (26).
Who is likely to drop: Chelsea, Leicester City or Manchester United?
Among the three teams – Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United, the most likely team to drop is Leicester City. Their drop-in form since the return of football in the Premier League has been unbelievable.
For instance, in their last 7 games since the restart of the season, they have managed to win only one against Crystal Palace. They lost three and drew the remaining three.
Their last three games are even deadlier than most of the games they have failed to win this season. They still have a meeting with a compact Sheffield United, a resurrecting Tottenham Hotspur and an angry Manchester United. In fact, it will be another miracle if they survive the drop.
