Pep Guardiola is aiming for his Man City side to finish fourthPep Guardiola is aiming for his Man City side to finish fourth
Pep Guardiola is aiming for his Man City side to finish fourth | AFP via Getty Images
Manchester City face a battle to finish inside the top four of the Premier League this season
Manchester City sit outside the Premier League’s top four with just nine games remaining. City are back in action against Bournemouth in the FA Cup in their first contest after the international break before their focus returns to their league campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s side are the current holders of the Premier League title, having won it the last four seasons. However, they are likely to lose their crown to Liverpool while Arsenal still have a very slim chance of winning their first title since 2004. They sit 12 points behind Liverpool.
City’s focus is ensuring they qualify for the Champions League next season while chasing the final piece of silverware available to them in the FA Cup. They are one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea and one above Newcastle United in sixth, although the Magpies do have a game in hand. Aston Villa sit ninth but are just three points behind City. Unai Emery’s men clinched fourth spot last season while Brighton, Fulham and Bournemouth are all among the contenders for a top-four spot.
How many points Man City need to finish above Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa and more
Statistic experts Opta have predicted the final Premier League table, forecasting where City will finish and how many points they’ll need to clinch a place in the Champions League next season.
Nottingham Forest are tipped to claim 68 points and finish third. They have been given a 70 per cent probability of finishing in the top four. Meanwhile, City are forecast to finish fourth with 66 points as things stand. Their chances of clinching a Champions League place are rated at 57 per cent. Newcastle are forecast to earn 64 points and finish fifth while Chelsea are tipped to finish sixth on 63 points. Aston Villa are predicted for just 58 points while Brighton are forecast to finish above them with 60 points.
Newcastle’s predicted points total of 64 means City would need just 65 to finish fourth, one fewer than they are currently predicted to get. City return to league action at home to Leicester City on April 2 before travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the Manchester derby on April 6.
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Man City’s final nine games compared to rivals
Man City: Leicester City (H), Man Utd (A), Crystal Palace (H), Everton (A), Aston Villa (H), Wolves (H) Southampton (A), Bournemouth (H), Fulham (A).
Nottingham Forest: Man Utd (H), Aston Villa (A), Everton (H), Tottenham (A), Brentford (H), Crystal Palace (A), Leicester (H), West Ham (A), Chelsea (H).
Chelsea: Spurs (H), Brentford (A), Ipswich (H), Fulham (A), Everton (H), Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), Man Utd (H), Nottingham Forest (A).
Newcastle: Brentford (H), Leicester City, (A), Man Utd (H), Crystal Palace (H), Aston Villa (A), Ipswich Town (H), Brighton & Hove Albion (A), Chelsea (H), Arsenal, (A) Everton (H).
Brighton: Aston Villa (H), Crystal Palace (A). Leicester City (H). Brentford (A). West Ham United (H), Newcastle United (H), Wolves (A), Liverpool (H), Tottenham Hotspur (A).
Aston Villa: Brighton (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Southampton (A), Newcastle United (H), Man City (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A), Tottenham Hotspur (H), Man Utd (A).
Bournemouth: Ipswich (H), West Ham (A), Fulham (H), Crystal Palace (A), Man Utd (H), Arsenal (A), Aston Villa (H), Fulham (A), and Leicester (H).
Fulham: Arsenal (A), Liverpool (H), Bournemouth (A), Bournemouth (A), Chelsea (H), Southampton (A), Aston Villa (A), Everton (H), Brentford (A), and Manchester City (H).