On paper, four teams are still fighting for the fourth spot on the Premier League table but in reality, only Arsenal and Spurs are the genuine contenders right now.
The Gunners are holding onto the final Champions League spot with Tottenham breathing down their necks but Antonio Conte has admitted that catching up with Arsenal will be an almost impossible task.
“It’s right to underline that this target is very, very difficult,” Conte said of Spurs’ Champions League hopes, as quoted.
“We are not the only team that wants to try to do this miracle. There’s also Arsenal, that in this moment has an advantage, and then there is United. United is the team that in this season are struggling a lot. Last season, it was Liverpool.
“This season it depends on United. At the moment, we are among the teams that have to try to stay very close and exploit if someone fails this season.
“If you ask me about the past, about our possibility to reach a place in the Champions League, I would say it would be very, very, very difficult.
“Now, after five months, I’m seeing great improvement of my team, and we have to fight until the end.
“We have the possibility to reach this target, and it’s important to have this type of ambition and put pressure on ourselves for this target. To play Champions League next season is important for me, the club, the players, the fans, everybody.
Antonio Conte has won his 4th Golden Bench award for the 20/21 season in Serie A. 👏🏆 pic.twitter.com/phV1omVDac
— 90min (@90min_Football) April 1, 2022
“First of all, we have to win for us. Not look at others. This way you build a winning mentality. You have to look at yourself and not think what happens elsewhere.
“For sure, if you get three points and get continuity, you show you’re a stable team and the table becomes very interesting.
Arsenal to hold onto that fourth spot on the Premier League table:
Arsenal are three points ahead of Tottenham but the Gunners have played one game less than all the other contenders and this could be a key deciding factor in this race.
Manchester United and West Ham United are still within touching distance but both these sides have lost their consistency in the previous few months so we don’t think they will be able to catch up.
United have played the same number of matches as Spurs but West Ham have played two more than Arsenal so they should now be focusing on a Europa League spot for the next season.
Arsenal are definitely in the driver’s seat but they still have some tough games to play so they are bounds to drop points in the next month and a half. They still need to face teams like Chelsea, West Ham and Man United.
Spurs and United need to keep winning their matches in order to capitalize on Arsenal’s slip but the way they are playing, they too are not immune from draws or defeats. The Lilywhites have dropped points in 13 out of their 29 matches so far whereas Ralf Rangnick’s side have stumbled in 15 league games.
