After the latest round of Premier League action, Gary Lineker has directed his attention once again to the race for a top five finish.
It was another big weekend for the Champions League qualification picture, with Liverpool’s narrow win over Nottingham Forest taking them level with Chelsea and Man United.
United still have a game in hand, with Monday Night Football still to play.
It’s a relief for Arne Slot that his side is no longer lagging behind, but with plenty of football still to play, there’s no saying who will be up there come the end of the season.
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That hasn’t stopped Lineker from updating his prediction, and it’s good news for Liverpool.
Gary Lineker backs Liverpool to edge out Chelsea in Premier League standings
Similar to last season, we can be fairly confident in the Premier League once again getting that extra spot in next season’s Champions League.
Title contenders Man City and Arsenal will obviously occupy two spots, while Villa’s recent dip hasn’t yet brought them within striking distance of the chasing pack.
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It’s looking like a three-horse race for fourth and fifth, and Lineker has Liverpool right in the middle of their competitors.
Appearing on The Rest Is Football, he puts United ahead of us in fourth, but makes up for it by saying: “So, and then I think it’s between Chelsea and Liverpool, and they’re both a bit erratic. Chelsea, I think, have got a lot going for them. They’ve had a good run, but they’re a bit inexperienced.
“I think Liverpool, they’re definitely better than they were in the first half of the season, defensively is the key. They’re not giving as many goals away now.
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“So, I think ultimately if you pinned me against the wall and said, ‘Right, you’ve got to choose your top five.’ I go Arsenal, City, Villa, Man United, and Liverpool.”
Liverpool have been much better defensively, but not enough to be shoo-ins for qualification.
Chelsea’s new manager has lost his bounce in recent weeks, with the Blues dropping points in their last two outings. Liverpool have the experience, but also a better squad, so they should edge it.
Lineker is more impressed with the job Michael Carrick is doing, tipping him to take United to a higher finish. I’m not so sure.
Chelsea have a far better goal difference than Liverpool
There’s every reason to believe this will be a tight race to the finish line.
Hopefully not too tight, though.
Chelsea are currently ten goals better off than Liverpool in terms of goal difference. That’s a sizeable margin.
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What we don’t want is a final day scramble where our European fate is in someone else’s hands.
That either means clawing back some goals or making sure to create some distance from Liam Rosenior’s side in terms of points.
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