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The 4th spot in the EPL is the last spot which allows a team to enter the UEFA Champions League, a tournament where the best teams in Europe come together and fight for the title of the best team of Europe. From England, the top three teams in the EPL gain automatic qualification into the competition while the team which finishes 4th has to play a two legged qualifying match to go through tothe tournament.The perks of playing in the Champions League are well known to everyone as teams get a lot of money for participating in the Champions League and for winning or drawing matches in the competition. Playing in the Champions League helps a club attract playersas every player would like to play for Europes elite. Your key players too would look to stay with you rather than move to other clubs. The players of a club gain valuable experience by playing against the best teams of the world and it helps build the squad for the future.In the EPL this season,3 teams are chasing the 4th spot as Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur look to qualify for the Champions League. Let us analyse who has the best chances.
#1 Liverpool
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POSITION IN TABLE: 4th position (53 Points)
KEY PLAYERS: Suarez, Sturridge, Skrtel.
Together Suarez and Sturridge have scored 39 goals and have provided 12 assists, contributing in Liverpool’s 51 goals out of the 66 they have scored in the league. This shows how vital Suarez and Sturridge have been for Liverpool. Martin Skrtel has been an important part in defence for Liverpool as stats show that he has 11.4 clearances for Liverpool per game, showing his defensive abilities and he also has been dribbled past only 0.4 times per game.
SUMMARY :- Liverpool look to enter the Champions League after a five year absence. Out of the teams participating here, Liverpool have the best chance to qualify for the Champions League as they sit in the fourth position, 3 points clear of nearest contenders Tottenham Hotspur. They have scored the second most number of goals in the league (66), just two behind between Manchester City (68, although City have a game in hand).
Liverpool possess a very deadly counterattacking threat, evident in the 5 – 1 mauling of Arsenal, which enables them to score goals easily. Liverpool face Swansea, Southampton, Sunderland, Manchester United and Cardiff in their next 5 matches and would aim to get 12 points out a possible 15, cementing their position at the 4th place or even move up higher if Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester City slip up.
STUMBLING BLOCK: Fixtures against Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea still remain. Liverpool depend a lot on Suarez and Sturridge for scoring the goals and if they lose even one of them through injury than Liverpool may find it hard to score goals as both of them have been accustomed to each other’s playing styles.
Also Liverpool employ 2 players in the midfield, which could be easily overrun by more number of people in the midfield, evident against the loss to Aston Villa. A lack of the depth can also be a problem for Liverpool if they lose players through injury.
POINTS AT THE END OF THE SEASON: 77 points
#2 Tottenham Hotspur
POSITION IN TABLE: 5th (50 points)
KEY PLAYERS: Adebayor, Vertonghen, Lloris
After his inclusion in the first team, Emmanuel Adebayor has scored 9 goals in 13 appearances and has created 13 chances for his team. Tottenham have kept 11 clean sheets this season and have 31 points of out a possible 33 in these 11 matches. Much of this is because of Lloris and Vertonghen. While Lloris acting as a sweeper keeper has been responsible for many good interceptions and saves, Vertonghen has been crucial in his role as a center back and deputising as a full back when required.
SUMMARY: Under manager Tim Sherwood, Tottenham have won 23 out of a possible 30 points. Tottenham have found their good run back and are able to get the right results which has given them a chance of focusing on Champions League Qualification spot. They are just 3 points behind Liverpool.
Tottenham face Norwich, Cardiff, Chelsea, Arsenal and Southampton in the league next. Tottenham have a very good defensive record in the league with 11 clean sheets, the league’s third best. If Tottenham are able to maintain the good run they are in right now, they may occupy the 4th place very soon.
STUMBLING BLOCK: Tottenham just have a GD of +4. Losses like 6 – 0 and 5 – 1 against Manchester City and a 5 – 0 thrashing to Liverpool has hurt their GD a lot. Even if they manage to have equal points as Liverpool at the end of the season, Liverpool would finish above them due to their far superior goal difference. This increases the pressure on Tottenham as they would have to win almost all of the games which come their way and hope for a slip by Liverpool to reach the 4th spot.
POINTS AT THE END OF THE SEASON: 74 points
#3 Everton
POSITION IN TABLE: 6TH (45 points)
KEY PLAYERS: Coleman, Barry, Barkley
Everton has a very tight defensive record of just conceding 26 goals in the league this season. Much of this is due to Gareth Barry protecting the back 4 in his position as a defensive midfielder. Barry does the dirty work like diving into challenges, picking up cards and stopping attacks. Also defender Seamus Coleman has been responsible for Everton’s good work this season as the right back has put in some solid displays. He has 5 goals up his name and 27 chances created. Another reason for Everton’s good season is young Ross Barkley who has 3 goals up his name and 21 chances created. His passing brings a different dimension to Everton’s attack.
SUMMARY: Everton have enjoyed a good season under Roberto Martinez. Everton have enjoyed some good results like 1 -0 against Chelsea and United, a 1 – 1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates. Everton have looked solid defensively throughout the season. Roberto Martinez seems to get the better of the other managers with his tactics, evident with the 1 – 0 win against Chelsea and Manchester United and the 1 – 1 draw with Arsenal away was no small feat. However Everton are 8 points of the top and need to give their 200% in every match in order to get the points and inch forward towards the top 4.
STUMBLING BLOCK: Everton have a poor attacking record for a team chasing Champions League with only 37 goals in 26 games. They also have lost 9 points from winning positions; if results would have gone in their favour they would have been equal with Liverpool. Also Everton have drawn 9 times in the league, with only West Brom drawing more.
With the race being very tight, Everton cannot afford to drop any more points if they want to stay in a hunt for them top 4. They need to improve their attacking threat and get the results. Also Liverpool and Tottenham have just the league to concentrate on while Everton are still in the FA Cup, which may distract them and force them to change their preparations.
POINTS AT END OF THE SEASON: 71 points
#4 Conclusion
Liverpool are favourites to finish 4th and qualify for the playoffs of the Champions League.
However, nothing is predictable in football and with upsets happening everywhere there is a chance for Tottenham or Everton to clinch the 4th spot. All teams need to keep winning points to guarantee their places as any slip up could cause the other teams inching closer or snatching their spots.
It will be interesting to see how the top 4 shapes up at the end of the year.
