The Premier League title race takes a breather at the weekend as the FA Cup takes centre stage but the scrap for fourth place continues with Arsenal still in the box seat despite Wednesday’s home defeat by Liverpool.
Fourth-placed Arsenal travel to Aston Villa on Saturday while a day later London rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, who are sixth and seventh respectively, meet in a derby that has taken on huge significance.
Arsenal’s five-match winning run in the league ended in the 2-0 defeat by title-chasing Liverpool but their form since the turn of the year has given them a great chance of a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2017.
Mikel Arteta’s side have 51 points from 27 games, one ahead of Manchester United who have played two games more. West Ham have 48 points from 29 games while Tottenham also have 48 from 28 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, who host Leeds United on Friday, on 46 from 29.
It is intriguingly poised and this weekend could prove pivotal for the hopes of West Ham and Tottenham.
For a lot of the season West Ham have seemed the most effective guess to assert a top-four finish within the Premier League for the primary time and obtain their finest top-flight finish since 1986.
They have been reeled in by Arsenal, nonetheless, and defeat at Tottenham on Sunday could be a hammer blow to their hopes of welcoming Europe’s elite on the London Stadium.
They even have the distraction of a Europa League conflict at house to Sevilla in a while Thursday.
Unpredictable Tottenham, alternatively, have revived their hopes with 4 wins of their final six league video games and regardless of the suspicion {that a} unhealthy efficiency is rarely far-off, they’re again within the combine.
Antonio Conte, who took charge in November, has spent a lot of his brief reign taking part in down expectations and questioning his squad’s high quality, however the Italian has received Tottenham ticking with striker Harry Kane showing again to his finest.
“We are displaying nice enchancment and that is good for the current and the longer term,” Conte mentioned after Wednesday’s 2-0 win at Brighton and Hove Albion.
“On Sunday we could have an important recreation in opposition to West Ham. They have the identical goal and we’re speaking a few group that within the final season they arrived earlier than us, they’re taking part in Europa League.
“To get three factors on Sunday might be essential to continue to have a hope to achieve fourth place.”
Arsenal nonetheless have a cushion however a visit to a harmful Villa so quickly after an intense battle with Liverpool might be a giant check of their resilience.
“Don’t fear on Saturday the gamers might be there with vitality. They will sleep, eat nicely. But thanks a lot to the Premier League for placing the fixtures like this,” Arteta mentioned sarcastically on Wednesday.
In the weekend’s solely different Premier League fixture Brentford can take an enormous step in the direction of securing top-flight survival once they journey to Leicester City on Sunday.
Victory would put them 11 factors away from the drop zone.
