Which Premier League team has the hardest run-in? All 20 sides ranked as race for European places hots up
THE Premier League season is rapidly drawing to a close with runaway leaders Liverpool set to win only their second crown.
The bottom of three of Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich also look resigned to relegation.
But there’s plenty to fight for in terms of European places.
With five Champions League spots – and even a chance that 11TH PLACE could grab a European berth – no club will be giving up just yet.
Opta’s supercomputer has crunched the numbers, working out a rating for each team out of 100, with the higher the number, the tougher the team.
And we can bring you the results – starting with the easiest run-ins and working our way to the toughest…
20. Man City – 87.8 (average opponent rating)
Currently fifth, just one point below Chelsea in fourth and yet a mere four points above TENTH-PLACED Bournemouth, City will be thrilled by having statistically the easiest run-in.
April 2 – Leicester (h)
April 6 – Manchester United (a)
April 12 – Crystal Palace (h)
April 19 – Everton (a)
April 28 – Aston Villa (h)
May 3 – Wolves (h)
May 10 – Southampton (a)
May 18 – Bournemouth (h)
May 25 – Fulham (a)
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19. Wolves – difficulty rating: 88.7
Down in 17th and eight points adrift of West Ham in 16th, Wolves will be relieved to have a comfortable run-in, despite sitting nine points ahead of Ipswich.
April 1 – West Ham (h)
April 5 – Ipswich (a)
April 13 – Tottenham (h)
April 20 – Manchester United (a)
April 26 – Leicester (h)
May 3 – Manchester City (a)
May 10 – Brighton (h)
May 18 – Crystal Palace (a)
May 25 – Brentford (h)
18. Nottingham Forest – 89.1
Returning to their glory days, Forest sit third, just four points below Arsenal – but with just a five-point cushion to Chelsea and ten to tenth, they’ll enjoy their simpler season finale.
April 1 – Manchester United (h)
April 5 – Aston Villa (a)
April 12 – Everton (h)
April 21 – Tottenham (a)
April 26 – Brentford (h)
May 3 – Crystal Palace (a)
May 10 – Leicester (h)
May 18 – West Ham (a)
May 25 – Chelsea (h)
17. West Ham – 89.2
Down in 16th, 17 points above the relegation zone and miles off Europe, the Hammers‘ run-in will largely be about regaining some form and momentum – a cushy run-in should help.
April 1 – Wolves (a)
April 5 – Bournemouth (h)
April 13 – Liverpool (a)
April 19 – Southampton (h)
April 26 – Brighton (a)
May 3 – Tottenham (h)
May 10 – Manchester United (a)
May 18 – Nottingham Forest (h)
May 25 – Ipswich (a)
16. Arsenal – 89.4
The Gunners look destined to finish second AGAIN, 12 points off leaders Liverpool but 11 points above sixth – Champions League is the minimum requirement from this run-in.
April 1 – Fulham (h)
April 5 – Everton (a)
April 12 – Brentford (h)
April 20 – Ipswich (a)
April 26 – Crystal Palace (h)
May 3 – Bournemouth (h)
May 10 – Liverpool (a)
May 18 – Newcastle (h)
May 25 – Southampton (a)
15. Newcastle – 89.7
Fresh off their Carabao Cup win, ending a 70-year trophy drought, the Toon are just one point off the final Champions League place – so a simpler-than-most run-in could help them return to Europe’s top table.
April 2 – Brentford (h)
April 7 – Leicester (a)
April 13 – Manchester United (h)
April 16 – Crystal Palace (h)
April 19 – Aston Villa (a)
April 26 – Ipswich (h)
May 3 – Brighton (a)
May 10 – Chelsea (h)
May 18 – Arsenal (a)
May 25 – Everton (h)
14. Ipswich – 89.8
Nine points behind 17th-placed Wolves, the Tractors Boys have impressed many with their style of play, but even with one of the easier run-ins, they look set to go down.
April 2 – Bournemouth (h)
April 5 – Wolves (h)
April 13 – Chelsea (a)
April 20 – Arsenal (h)
April 26 – Newcastle (a)
May 3 – Everton (a)
May 10 – Brentford (h)
May 18 – Leicester (a)
May 25 – West Ham (h)
13. Bournemouth – 89.8
Tenth, but only four points behind Man City in fifth, the Champions League places are very much within the Cherries‘ reach.
April 2 – Ipswich (h)
April 5 – West Ham (a)
April 14 – Fulham (h)
April 19 – Crystal Palace (a)
April 27 – Manchester United (h)
May 3 – Arsenal (a)
May 10 – Aston Villa (h)
May 18 – Manchester City (a)
May 25 – Leicester (h)
12. Brighton – 90.1
One point of the Champions League places, the Seagulls will hope to take advantage of a not-too-tricky run-in.
April 2 – Aston Villa (h)
April 5 – Crystal Palace (a)
April 12 – Leicester (h)
April 19 – Brentford (a)
April 26 – West Ham (h)
May 3 – Newcastle (h)
May 10 – Wolves (a)
May 18 – Liverpool (h)
May 25 – Tottenham (a)
11. Leicester – 90.1
Level on points with Ipswich but down in 18th, the Foxes have a middle-ground run-in, which will surely be too tricky for them.
April 2 – Manchester City (a)
April 7 – Newcastle (h)
April 12 – Brighton (a)
April 20 – Liverpool (h)
April 26 – Wolves (a)
May 3 – Southampton (h)
May 10 – Nottingham Forest (a)
May 18 – Ipswich (h)
May 25 – Bournemouth (a)
10. Liverpool – 90.2
The runaway leaders are 12 points clear of Arsenal in second, so a medium-level end to the season should see the Reds get over the line to land only their second Premier League title.
April 2 – Everton (h)
April 6 – Fulham (a)
April 13 – West Ham (h)
April 20 – Leicester (a)
April 27 – Tottenham (h)
May 3 – Chelsea (a)
May 10 – Arsenal (h)
May 18 – Brighton (a)
May 25 – Crystal Palace (h)
9. Tottenham – 90.3
An appalling season by their standards have Spurs in 14th – safe from relegation but surely too far off the European places to consider a late charge.
April 3 – Chelsea (a)
April 6 – Southampton (h)
April 13 – Wolves (a)
April 21 – Nottingham Forest (h)
April 27 – Liverpool (a)
May 3 – West Ham (a)
May 10 – Crystal Palace (h)
May 18 – Aston Villa (a)
May 25 – Brighton (h)
8. Aston Villa – 90.3
Poised just three points behind City, Champions League quarter-finalists Villa will hope to keep their spot at Europe’s top table next year with a tricky but manageable run-in.
April 2 – Brighton (a)
April 5 – Nottingham Forest (h)
April 12 – Southampton (a)
April 19 – Newcastle (h)
April 28 – Manchester City (a)
May 3 – Fulham (h)
May 10 – Bournemouth (a)
May 18 – Tottenham (h)
May 25 – Manchester United (a)
7. Southampton – 90.5
Dead last and one of the worst teams in Premier League history with just nine points from a possible 87, the Saints could have the easiest run-in available and still go down.
April 2 – Crystal Palace (h)
April 6 – Tottenham (a)
April 12 – Aston Villa (h)
April 19 – West Ham (a)
April 26 – Fulham (h)
May 3 – Leicester (a)
May 10 – Manchester City (h)
May 18 – Everton (a)
May 25 – Arsenal (h)
6. Chelsea – 90.5
Sitting in fourth, for now, the Blues will hope to cling on to their place despite a congested 4th-10th in the table, but a trickier run-in won’t help their Champions League cause.
April 3 – Tottenham (h)
April 6 – Brentford (a)
April 13 – Ipswich (h)
April 20 – Fulham (a)
April 26 – Everton (a)
May 3 – Liverpool (h)
May 10 – Newcastle (a)
May 18 – Manchester United (h)
May 25 – Nottingham Forest (a)
5. Brentford – 90.8
Down in 11th but only seven points off the Champions League places, the Bees won’t have completely given up hope, but a Conference League spot is more likely, even if tricky given their run-in.
April 2 – Newcastle (a)
April 6 – Chelsea (h)
April 12 – Arsenal (a)
April 19 – Brighton (h)
April 26 – Nottingham Forest (a)
May 3 – Manchester United (h)
May 10 – Ipswich (a)
May 18 – Fulham (h)
May 25 – Wolves (a)
4. Man Utd – 91.0
A lowly 13th after an abysmal season, United look unlikely to play in Europe next season, at least through their league place, and a tough run-in will only hurt their cause.
April 1 – Nottingham Forest (a)
April 6 – Manchester City (h)
April 13 – Newcastle (a)
April 20 – Wolves (h)
April 27 – Bournemouth (a)
May 3 – Brentford (a)
May 10 – West Ham (h)
May 18 – Chelsea (a)
May 25 – Aston Villa (h)
3. Everton – 91.5
Looked almost-certain to go down at one stage, the Toffees are vastly improved under David Moyes and now look safe – a tough run-in shouldn’t prevent them from maintaining their Premier League status.
April 2 – Liverpool (a)
April 5 – Arsenal (h)
April 12 – Nottingham Forest (a)
April 19 – Manchester City (h)
April 26 – Chelsea (a)
May 3 – Ipswich (h)
May 10 – Fulham (a)
May 18 – Southampton (h)
May 25 – Newcastle (a)
2. Crystal Palace – 91.8
Mid-table, unlikely to grab a European spot with this run-in but the Eagles are almost certain to survive, despite the second-toughest end to the season.
April 2 – Southampton (a)
April 5 – Brighton (h)
April 12 – Manchester City (a)
April 16 – Newcastle (a)
April 19 – Bournemouth (h)
April 26 – Arsenal (a)
May 3 – Nottingham Forest (h)
May 10 – Tottenham (a)
May 18 – Wolves (h)
May 25 – Liverpool (a)
1. Fulham – 91.8
Currently eighth, the Cottagers harbour dreams of a late charge into the Champions League, just three points off City – but with the toughest run-in, they could miss out on Europe altogether.
April 1 – Arsenal (a)
April 6 – Liverpool (h)
April 14 – Bournemouth (a)
April 20 – Chelsea (h)
April 26 – Southampton (a)
May 3 – Aston Villa (a)
May 10 – Everton (h)
May 18 – Brentford (a)
May 25 – Manchester City (h)