Champions League race: Premier League form table as Man Utd, Spurs and Aston Villa fight for fourth place
- The Premier League form table over the past ten matchdays makes for interesting viewing
- The race for fourth spot is looking increasingly tense as Man Utd, Spurs and Villa battle for European qualification
- Fifth place could be enough to secure Champions League this term
We have reached the point in the season where every result takes on greater significance with each passing week.
Premier League sides know they need to be more or less flawless for the rest of the campaign if they wish to achieve their goals and that's no different for the three sides currently battling for fourth spot in the table.
While fifth could be enough for a Champions League place next season depending on coefficients, finishing in the top four guarantees clubs a place in Europe's premier continental competition.
For Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, that's the ultimate goal this term, with plenty of time for twists and turns throughout the remainder of the campaign.
Here is how the form table looks over the last ten Premier League matchdays.
Premier League form table (last ten matchdays)
Pos. | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Man City | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | +13 | 26 |
2. | Liverpool | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | +15 | 23 |
3. | Tottenham | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | +7 | 20 |
4. | Arsenal | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | +17 | 19 |
5. | Aston Villa | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | +5 | 17 |
6. | Wolves | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | +4 | 17 |
7. | Man Utd | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 17 |
8. | Chelsea | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | -1 | 16 |
9. | Brighton | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | +3 | 13 |
10. | Bournemouth | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 12 |
11. | West Ham | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -9 | 12 |
12. | Luton | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | +1 | 11 |
13. | Nottingham Forest | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -1 | 11 |
14. | Fulham | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -2 | 11 |
15. | Newcastle | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 11 |
16. | Everton | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -4 | 10 |
17. | Crystal Palace | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -9 | 9 |
18. | Sheffield United | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -13 | 8 |
19. | Brentford | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | -11 | 6 |
20. | Burnley | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -12 | 6 |
Manchester City are, rather unsurprisingly, the form team in the Premier League right now, unbeaten in their last ten matches following eight victories. They are closely followed by Liverpool, who have claimed 23 points from their last ten games, with fellow title rivals Arsenal also in strong form with five straight wins.
At the other end of the table, it's a sorry state of affairs for the likes of Burnley and Sheffield United, who find themselves in the drop zone in both the form and real standings. Brentford have also got some work to do to find their feet after a shaky period, the Bees having only managed six points from their last ten matches.
In the battle for fourth spot, there is very little to split Man Utd, Aston Villa and Tottenham. The latter have been most impressive recently, sitting third in the form table after managing 20 points from their last possible 30.
The Spurs side are starting to get back to full fitness after some injury woes, but they have only won two of their last five league games, both of which were narrow home wins against Brentford and Brighton. With a trip to Villa Park in early March, the Lilywhites need to get back to their best soon.
Aston Villa are the side next in the form table, sat in fifth. Unai Emery's men have won five and drawn two of their previous ten fixtures, although they've only picked up one victory from their last four league games. The Midlands club have started to fall away ever so slightly having been considered an unlikely title contender earlier in the campaign, with injuries also stacking up for the Europa Conference League side.
The Villans have also lost twice to Man Utd over their last ten games, including surrendering a two-goal lead at Old Trafford back on Boxing Day. The Red Devils have been impressive in recent weeks and appear to have found their feet after a disastrous start to the campaign, winning their last four in the Premier League.
Victories against Wolves, West Ham, Villa and Luton Town have put them back on track for a fourth-placed finish. They also have the advantage of having played Villa and Spurs twice each this season, meaning they are unable to drop any points against top four rivals.
READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, RUMOURS & GOSSIP
feed