Premier League top four run-in: Remaining fixtures, key clashes and predicted finishes for Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Manchester United

15/04/2024 17:11

The battle for a spot in the top four in the Premier League this season looks like it’s going right down to the wire yet again.

Tottenham,Aston Villa, Newcastle and Manchester United are all battling it out for one place assuming title rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City don’t suffer a major collapse.

What makes it even more interesting is that we still don’t know if England will get five Champions League slots next year as opposed to four.

So all these four teams can do is rack up as many points as possible and hope it’s enough come the end of the season to play with Europe’s elite.

Here, talkSPORT.com takes an in-depth look at the race for Champions League football.

Aston Villa – 4th

The Villans have enjoyed an incredible campaign but signs are emerging that fatigue is starting to hit the team heading into the last part of the season.

Unai Emery‘s men started the year with eight consecutive home wins, and after a victory over Arsenal in early December, they were well in the title race.

Since then, they’ve dropped off a bit and slipped to a 3-3 draw at home to Brentford just days after losing 4-1 away to Man City.

At a crucial point in their campaign, a 4-0 humbling by Spurs last month, handed the Londoners the initiative.

Villa are also in the midst of a gruelling Europa Conference League campaign, with Tottenham having the benefit of extra rest.

However, a second win over Arsenal has changed their Champions League outlook.

Looking at their remaining games, Villa still have to play Liverpool for their final game at Villa Park this season.

If they can beat the Reds, they would all but secure a spot in the top four.

Predicted finish – 4th

Tottenham – 5th

Tottenham, under Ange Postecoglou in his first season as a Premier League manager, have been a breath of fresh air.

They have scored 65 goals so far in their first campaign without talisman Harry Kane – only five sides have bagged more.

Spurs have played with freedom all season, while James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have proven to be excellent signings.

Inconsistency has cost them at times this year, with good results then being followed by poor ones, leaving their top-four hopes in the balance.

They have a game in hand on Villa, which will be vital, but they still have to face Premier League title rivals Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Again, it’s likely to be these games that decide their fate, although it’s advantage Villa after Spurs were thrashed 4-0 by Newcastle.

Predicted finish – 5th

Newcastle United – 6th

Out of nowhere, Newcastle suddenly have a chance to finish in the Champions League places.

The Magpies have endured a difficult season, with injuries decimating Eddie Howe‘s squad and depriving the Toon boss of options across the pitch.

Key players like Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Joelinton, Harvey Barnes and Callum Wilson have all missed huge chunks of the campaign with long-term issues, while Sandro Tonali has been banned for his involvement in illegal betting activity.

The fact Newcastle even stand a chance of playing any European football next season is quite incredible, but after picking up ten points since the international break, a spot in UEFA’s premier competition is achievable.

On paper, the Magpies have a decent run-in with a trip to Old Trafford and a home tie against Brighton the most difficult remaining games.

But Newcastle score so many goals and can cause problems for any side, plus they play twice before Tottenham face Arsenal.

However, the top four is probably going to evade them this year despite their excellent end-of-season form.

Predicted finish – 6th

Manchester United – 7th

After finishing third last year in Erik ten Hag‘s first season as Man United boss, the future looked bright for the Red Devils.

However, it’s been largely a campaign to forget for United.

They crashed out of the Champions League, finished bottom of their group and have never been in contention for the title, while the top four is still pretty unlikely.

A humiliating collapse in the 4-3 defeat to Chelsea was followed by a spirited 2-2 comeback to Liverpool, but further ground to the two teams above them was still lost when they could only manage a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.

So despite having a slightly easier run-in from here on out than their opponents on paper, the gap is too big to close for the top four.

Predicted finish – 7th