Champions League football, a stage designed to showcase the Europe’s best meaning that only the planet’s greatest can participate. There are only four spots for the English teams to fight over with places coming at a premium.
The usual suspects of Manchester United, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are all battling to enforce their supremacy in getting a top-four-finish.
Pep Guardiola’s City have made the biggest claim this season with an unbeaten start that has seen them draw once and win the other ten. Their destructive start has been recognised by the bookmakers leaving them priced for a Champions League place at an unrewarding 1/1000. Betting companies have also touted the league leaders as overwhelming favourites for the title with Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfred putting them at 1/6.
However, second place rivals Manchester United may lie eight points behind, but started in a similar vein until they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Premier League new-boys Huddersfield last month.
Manager Jose Mourinho would have gained confidence in their chances for continental qualification with wins over Tottenham and Swansea before falling to his former club Chelsea 1-0 last week. The Red Devils are believed to be there come the season’s end in May with best valued odds of 1/3 from William Hill and Betfred.
Tottenham Hotspur sent a message out to the Premier League at Wembley a fortnight ago when they dismantled Spanish giants Real Madrid 3-1. Mauricio Pochettino men are becoming Champions League regulars having made the grade in the last two seasons. They are also the bookies third favourite at 3/10 for a place ahead of rivals Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Arsenal and Liverpool are seen to be the ranked outsiders at 7/4 and 5/4 respectively. They both sit three points off Chelsea and Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal can overturn their odds when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby this week. Liverpool can look forward to playing Chelsea in three weeks’ time.
The race for the top four is nowhere near set in stone just yet and the odds will certainly rise and fall just as the teams will during their Premier League campaigns. The only surety that does remain is that we are all going to be treated to a fascinating showdown where nothing can be determined until the final kick.