The race to finish in the top four 2017/18

I think the top 4 race is more or less done. The only thing that remains now is the order in which they end up. I for one feel it will be city, United, pool, Tottenham.
 
A little bored so got looking in to this more.

Liverpool Played 33 Points 67
Chelsea Played 31 Points 56

When you see the 11 point gap it looks done and dusted. But when you take in to account the 2 games in hand against West Ham and Burnley the gap could easily be 5. Then take in to account second to last game of the season is Liverpool vs Chelsea. The gap could easily be 2 points.

Now, Liverpool will be distracted by Champions League commitments and rest players before the two Champions League semi final games.

Chelseas remaining games other than Liverpool are:

West Ham (14th)
Southampton (18th)
Burnley (7th)
Swansea (15th)
Huddersfield (16th)
Newcastle (12th)

This isn't all done and dusted as we all thought. I think the 12/1 on Chelsea is a good bet.
 
Do Chelsea look like a team who can win 7 straight league games including the FA Cup as a distraction for them?

3 games vs teams battling relegation and a direct top 4 rival.

It’s not done but 11 points to make up in 7 games will be very tough.

Chelsea look like team who’ve just thrown the towel in and I expect their players to start easing off and saving legs for World Cup as they know Conte won’t be there next season and some of them probably think they won’t be.
 
But that’s my point it isn’t 11 in 7 really. Because 2 of those are games in hand. It’s a possible 5 in 5 with Liverpool to play and that looks very doable and 12/1 doesn’t reflect that imo

And whilst Chelsea don’t look like a side that are going to win 7 on the trot they’re a weird side and could easily put a run of form together when you consider 5 of those games are against teams in the bottom 8. Southampton have given up. West Ham aren’t impressive. Newcastle are safe. Huddersfield are struggling. Burnley aren’t fighting for anything 6th is to far and 7th is a great season for them.

Really should only struggle with Swansea and Liverpool.
 
Chelsea still need to win their games in hand. As @jsp says it's a tall order for a team who probably don't care less at the minute. You never know though....
 
10 point gap to Spurs with 6 games to go. Not looking very likely at all. Not that anybody on here cares anyway ;)

I can't actually believe we have a 4 point gap with a game in hand on Liverpool. A strong finish to the season, beating the Arse and not dropping silly points to average teams would be the perfect end to this season. Every one of our games are winnable.
 
A strong finish to the season, beating the Arse and not dropping silly points to average teams would be the perfect end to this season. Every one of our games are winnable.

I'd also like to see us keep the "title race" going as long as possible. If we keep winning then City need 6 more points. Well with Spurs this weekend they could drop more points.

I know it's a small thing but I think we could take a bit of encouragement if we can, from the position we were in, force the title to the end of April or early May.
 
Chelsea can get to a maximum of 75 points now.

Meaning we need 5 points from 6 games to gaurantee a top 4 finish.
Liverpool can get to 82 points. meaning we need 12 points from 6 games to gaurantee top 3.

Remaining games:

West Brom
Bournemouth
Arsenal
Brighton
West Ham
Watford

We should be taking 12 points from that!

If we were to win out we'd finish on 89 points. That would be a good campaign!
 
Chelsea's drop off since Xmas has been ridiculous that defence looks so weak now and their title win last season was built on a solid defence the changes they made to their starting XI last summer really hasn't paid off they've basically replaced Cahill, Luiz, Matic & Costa with Christensen, Rudiger, Bakayoko & Morata an I don't think any of them apart from maybe Rudiger has really settled in.
 
Chelsea's drop off since Xmas has been ridiculous that defence looks so weak now and their title win last season was built on a solid defence the changes they made to their starting XI last summer really hasn't paid off they've basically replaced Cahill, Luiz, Matic & Costa with Christensen, Rudiger, Bakayoko & Morata an I don't think any of them apart from maybe Rudiger has really settled in.

to me it says the problem while Jose was there was players not the manager. Two quality managers made to look silly.

Chelsea is such a peculiar club. I can't put my finger on it, but I guess it has something to do with the owner. When you consider what the city owners have done, really invested in the clubs future, Roman has really take the short term look.
 
to me it says the problem while Jose was there was players not the manager. Two quality managers made to look silly.

Chelsea is such a peculiar club. I can't put my finger on it, but I guess it has something to do with the owner. When you consider what the city owners have done, really invested in the clubs future, Roman has really take the short term look.

Think it's more a sign of the disconnect between the manager and the directors because both were looking to build on success after winning the title but the club wouldn't go for the players they wanted which created needless tension.

Roman has invested huge sums in the clubs infrastructure mainly training facilities and also massive investment in the academy but that academy is not setup to produce players for the first team it is run for profit they buy players develop them and sell them on, they then use that money to buy first team players but he isn't there to pick up the tab anymore Chelsea is a business that has to live within it's means and compete where City don't.

Currently the clubs focus is on building a new stadium on the current Stamford Bridge site which I believe they've got permission for now so expect that to start soon once they find a temporary home as it's likely they'll need to be out for 2 seasons to complete the works.

I'd argue that Chelsea is now a club that is setup with a sustainable long term structure that will allow them to compete rather than the world domination model people expected when he arrived, City turning up with soveiregn wealth is an arms race he knows he can't win so he's backed off from that. Plus his own personal wealth is taking a hit because he's getting divorced again.
 
Win today would put us 7 points clear of Spurs with 5 to play. Spurs have got an easy run in, but 3 points to today surely makes it a top 3 finish for us at the very least?
 
Blown that idea of a comfortable top 3 finish away. Bournemouth on a Wednesday night away looks fun now.
 
Do you rest everyone now? Win today and we would have done I reckon. Spurs next week is massive.
 
Don't know if there's a difference between a rested team and the others that fill the spaces at this moment in time. So bored of watching us play 4 defenders. 1 centre mid. 3 left wingers. No one on the right. 1 AMC and 1 striker. So unbalanced.
 
Spurs are in a similar position away to Brighton after a defeat at home will they rest players as well?

You have to assume some players on both teams will be rested ahead of the FA Cup semi final for Utd I doubt both Valencia & Young will play, Matic may get a rest, Mata I don't think will play having done the full 90 minutes. For Spurs I guess they'll rest the first choice full backs and maybe give Dembele a rest.
 
Spurs draw. Chelsea really could regret those dropped points against West Ham after taking the lead. Win tomo gives us a 6 point cushion. 4 games to go. Lets hope we get back on track.
 
The gap is now 9 points between Chelsea and Liverpool. Chelsea have 2 in hand and Liverpool next weekend. GD is massively in Liverpool’s favour though
 
Premier League: Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal - 29th April 2018

Top four sealed with three games remaining.
 
Great going by mourinho and United. Definite progress for us. On a side note the silence on here is defeaning.
 
We could really do with some new members, it does go very quiet at times. I think we have 6 or 7 regulars, when we are all commenting it's great.
 
Fantastic effort after last season just a shame that City doing what they've done made the league a formality from around Xmas.

This is our best season league wise in 5 years and we should now finish 2nd and break the 80 point barrier.

It's definitely progress and heading in the right direction again but still a long way back to the top you feel to stand a chance vs this City team you need to be going for at least 90 points in the season.
 
I think teams will work City out and they will be having a few more draws and losses so potentially if we can cut ouit our silly results eg Huddesfield, Newcastle, West Brom we could be in with a shout.
 
I dunno City will probably improve again and get even stronger this is how it goes under Pep teams this season have had two cracks at working them out and apart from Liverpool who seem to be able to steam into them and take them on no one else seems to be getting close, even Liverpool were pumped when they got it slightly wrong early in the season. We might have beaten them in that derby but it was robbery really on the balance of the game.

I mean to beat this City side will require almost perfection against the 14 teams outside the top 6 and the top 6 to be more competitive next season and take more points off City.
 
Great going by mourinho and United. Definite progress for us. On a side note the silence on here is defeaning.

Don't normally come on over the weekend as out and about, only during the week when in work.

Typical end of season game really, not much urgency from both sides, lucky to get the winner but our record against the top 6 since the turn of the year is ridiculous, only that Sevilla blemish on the record but all in all, powering into next season.

FA Cup win and a good pre season, its all good!

See talk of Jose wanting to send Lindelof out on loan next season, not to sure what to make of that. His comments as well in his press conference about a Brazilian, we thinking Fred, Fabinho or Sandro?
 
Do we think Chelsea will catch either of the other 2?

Liverpool are 6 points clear but have played 1 game more but their goal difference is basically an extra point so they should be ok but their league form has taken a bit of a nose dive with focus 100% on CL now and injuries starting to pile up on them.

Spurs are 2 points clear with 1 game in hand on Chelsea and nothing else to play for plus better goal difference.

Chelsea need 9 points from their final 3 to stand a chance but they'd need a big win in their two to turn the goal difference.

Feels like in the last few years there's not been much to play for in the final weeks at the top the title has been won early every year for the last 4 years and it feels like top 4 has been done and dusted early.
 
I didn't know Jose was thinking of sending Lindelof out on loan??

I dont know much about Fred Flintstone but both Fabinho and Sandro would be my first 2 buys this transfer window above all else.
 

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