Who will qualify for the Champions League?
The 4th spot in the EPL is the last spot which allows a team to enter the UEFA Champions League, a tournament where the best teams in Europe come together and fight for the title of the best team of Europe. From England, the top three teams in the EPL gain automatic qualification into the competition while the team which finishes 4th has to play a two legged qualifying match to go through tothe tournament.The perks of playing in the Champions League are well known to everyone as teams get a lot of money for participating in the Champions League and for winning or drawing matches in the competition. Playing in the Champions League helps a club attract playersas every player would like to play for Europes elite. Your key players too would look to stay with you rather than move to other clubs. The players of a club gain valuable experience by playing against the best teams of the world and it helps build the squad for the future.In the EPL this season,3 teams are chasing the 4th spot as Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur look to qualify for the Champions League. Let us analyse who has the best chances.
#1 Liverpool
POSITION IN TABLE: 4th position (53 Points)
KEY PLAYERS: Suarez, Sturridge, Skrtel.
Together Suarez and Sturridge have scored 39 goals and have provided 12 assists, contributing in Liverpool’s 51 goals out of the 66 they have scored in the league. This shows how vital Suarez and Sturridge have been for Liverpool. Martin Skrtel has been an important part in defence for Liverpool as stats show that he has 11.4 clearances for Liverpool per game, showing his defensive abilities and he also has been dribbled past only 0.4 times per game.
SUMMARY :- Liverpool look to enter the Champions League after a five year absence. Out of the teams participating here, Liverpool have the best chance to qualify for the Champions League as they sit in the fourth position, 3 points clear of nearest contenders Tottenham Hotspur. They have scored the second most number of goals in the league (66), just two behind between Manchester City (68, although City have a game in hand).
Liverpool possess a very deadly counterattacking threat, evident in the 5 – 1 mauling of Arsenal, which enables them to score goals easily. Liverpool face Swansea, Southampton, Sunderland, Manchester United and Cardiff in their next 5 matches and would aim to get 12 points out a possible 15, cementing their position at the 4th place or even move up higher if Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester City slip up.
STUMBLING BLOCK: Fixtures against Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea still remain. Liverpool depend a lot on Suarez and Sturridge for scoring the goals and if they lose even one of them through injury than Liverpool may find it hard to score goals as both of them have been accustomed to each other’s playing styles.
Also Liverpool employ 2 players in the midfield, which could be easily overrun by more number of people in the midfield, evident against the loss to Aston Villa. A lack of the depth can also be a problem for Liverpool if they lose players through injury.
POINTS AT THE END OF THE SEASON: 77 points