Who looks favourite for 3rd and 4th?

Morning all.

With nine fixtures left and four teams fighting for two places in order to secure top, where do you see the points going? We can have a guess as a bit of fun and then when the season is over, look back and see who came closest. Or if I can work out how to to a table, I will do and publish it in the sidebar. Don’t hold your breath though…..

First up is Arsenal.

Man Utd – home
Newcastle Utd – home
Everton – away
Watford – away
Crystal Palace – home
Leicester City – away
Brighton – home
Burnley – away
Wolves – away

Toots.

Southampton – away
Crystal Palace – home
Liverpool – away
Brighton – home
Huddersfield – home
Man City – away
West Ham – home
Bournemouth – away
Everton- home

Man Utd.

Arsenal – away
Wolves – away
Watford – home
West Ham – home
Everton – away
Man City – home
Chelsea – home
Huddersfield – away
Cardiff – home

Chelsea

Wolves – home
Everton – away
Cardiff City – away
West Ham – home
Liverpool – away.
Burnley – home
Man Utd – away
Watford – home
Leicester City – away

All four clubs in the fight for the last two Champions League spots are going to drop points, of that I think we can pretty sure. On paper, I’d say our fixtures are slightly kinder as we don’t have to face City, Liverpool or Toots at home or away but we do have a big one this Sunday. Arsenal v Utd might appear to be the big one, the six pointer as is so often heard but every match left for us is equally as important. Three points are three points regardless of who we’re up against.

Toots have a number of tough away fixtures. They’re all tough but they have to go to Anfield and The Etihad where I hope they get battered in both. Bournemouth and Southampton away for them won’t be easy either, especially Southampton who are fighting for Premier League survival.

Utd have us at the weekend, they have to play Chelsea and City too but at Old Trafford. Wolves and Everton away are far from easy for them.

Finally Chelsea. Utd, Liverpool and Wolves away, none easy for them, especially if Sarri and his players are still squabbling which obviously I hope they are. I think Chelsea could be the authors of their own downfall. Or rather I’m hoping they are.

For now, all four clubs are involved in Europe but of course, that could soon change, especially for Utd who face an uphill task when they face PSG tomorrow night. I can’t see them getting three goals in France, certainly not without conceding. I’d rather they went through though, after a tough and physical battle, so the fixtures pile up, especially as they’re still in the FA Cup.

So that’s pretty much it. Nine domestic games left with a lot to play for. For ourselves and Chelsea, we have a second bite at the Champions League cherry via Europa which looking at the clubs left in the competition, appears far more difficult than securing a top four spot.

And that looks difficult enough. Not impossible, but we’ve a fight on our hands that’s for sure..

Thanks Vcc, for the fixture lists and idea…

See you in the comments guys…

43 thoughts on “Who looks favourite for 3rd and 4th?

  1. scottfromoz says:

    Morning all.
    Rico, on paper, we definitely have the easier run in, but always, each game is more about which Arsenal show up than it is the opponent.
    Still, I dare say before the season started, most would’ve taken us being in a battle for top 4.

  2. rico says:

    Our away record isn’t good though Scott. It we can sort that out then I’d agree. We’ve a few really tricky fixtures on the road.

  3. Wavy says:

    Morning all

    Points won from now till the end of the season:

    Arsenal ….23

    Spuds ……21

    Manure…..18

    Chelsea….22

    May have been a bit one eyed there! But it’s fantasy results when all’s said and done!

    I’ve a feeling Chelsea have a game in hand. They have 10 more to play and are only 1 point behind us, at the moment!

    Still a good game. Only hope that we finish 4th or 3rd, because I just can’t see us winning the Europa Ears!

    And, a word of congratulations, in passing, to our Lionesses who comprehensively beat Japan 3-0 last night. Game won after the third goal on 30 minutes. A bit of a battle during the second half. But a really resolute and exciting performance, especially as a warm up event in World Cup year.

    Gloomy, grey and cold here. Not nice.

  4. kel says:

    nice post Rico, just goes to show with a little investment from Stan last summer we could have been sitting pretty…

    I’ll have a go at the pts predictor. lol 🤔

  5. rico says:

    Wavy, they did great. At least one England football team looks good. Must admit that I thought Neville was the wrong choice. He’s doing all right though. Lol

  6. rico says:

    Thanks Kel.

    Even if Kroenke was an investor, first summer without selling would have been difficult I’d have thought. This summer might be our more active one.

    Arsenal 21, Toots 15, Utd 15 and Chelsea 18.

    That’s my guess on where the points are going…. biased? Of course not.. 😆

  7. kel says:

    Arsenal 20pts
    Spurs 19pts
    Utd 20pts
    Chelsea (incl game in hand) 20pts

    I think we’ll just miss out imo ☹

    it’s a funny old game though. 😀

  8. rico says:

    Seems we appealed the Torriera red card and it’s been rejected. No surprise eh…

    Yet Sanchez gets away with a stamp on Koscielny and Kane a head butt. How can it be….

  9. Cicero says:

    G’day all, someone mentioned gloomy, grey and cold ? Not here, sunny and HOT 38 c on the River Kwai.

    A very thought provoking visit to the infamous bridge and museum, but the sight of the absolutely pristine Commonwealth War Graves Commission Military Cemetery, the last resting place of hundreds of British and commonwealth soldiers, brought some tears to my eyes. Eleven thousand died from starvation, lack of medical treatment, cholera, dysentery, malaria and sheer brutality while building what is called here The Death Railway
    .
    Moving on to Cambodia tomorrow, a few beers and some quiet reflection this evening.

  10. Cicero says:

    Back to today’s excellent post.

    I suspect that this weekend’s home match will set the tone for the rest of the season. Beat Manure and all will be well, with a minimum fourth place all but assured. Lose to the Mancs and we’ll be playing catch-up.

  11. andorrabyte says:

    The same wankers that make those decisions on the pitch are surely not part of the same committee that decided Torreira’s fate?
    He got the ball as far as I could see and, a lot of players these days attend classes of “make-it-look-as-bad-as-you-can” to con the ref.
    I agree Kel, we’ll be 5th or 6th even, imo. Our fleet-footed Auba screwed us royally when we had a glorious chance to close the gap. Such opportunities don’t come often, do they?
    Lose against Man Utd and that WILL be that.
    My Dad survived 3 1/2 years of pure hell on the Burma Railway, Cicero. He never ever talked about it.
    I think you’ll like Cambodia – Angkor Wat is fabulous.

  12. andorrabyte says:

    My maths is terrible so am avoiding the points but, I see a 5th/6th place and back to the Europa Cup. Unless we win it. Chances? Oooof!

  13. VCC says:

    andorrabyte. Hi. My Dad also fought the Japanese in Burma, and like your Father, he too wouldn’t speak much about it. Just some stories about fighting next to the Ghurkas. He said he was glad they were on our side. 🙂

    He survived a bayonet to his stomach and convalesced in Darjeeling, India. I do know he contracted Malaria (which I’m sure eventually was a contributing factor to his death at 72 years of age). He would be turning over in his grave looking at how this country has turned out, bless him.

    My predictions are =

    Arsenal = 15 points
    Spurs = 16 points
    ManUre = 17 points

    So, unfortunitely, if my predictions are correct, we will not make fourth spot 🙁

    COYG

  14. allezkev says:

    Petr Cech
    Bernd Leno
    Sokratis
    Laurent Koscielny
    Shkodran Mustafi
    Nacho Monreal
    Sead Kolasinac
    Ainsley Maitland-Niles
    Grant Xhaka
    Lucas Torreira
    Matteo Guendouzi
    Alex Iwobi
    Aaron Ramsey
    Henrikh Mkhitaryan
    Mesut Ozil
    Denis Suarez
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
    Eddie Nketiah

    The squad for Rennes

  15. allezkev says:

    Very sobering comments VCC, Andorra and Cicero.

    During the late 1970’s, when there were still football specials, I used to sit with a group of fellas and one guy, he must have been in his early 60’s and he was very thin, but a really nice guy, told us that he’d been a Japanese PoW.
    He absolutely despised the Japanese and wouldn’t have anything in his home made in Japan.

    I’m not sure of the spelling but I think he was in the big Jap camp called Changhi, sorry if that’s wrong.

  16. allezkev says:

    Here goes and I’m being unashamedly biased, but I don’t care:

    Chelsea : 22 points

    Tottnum : 19 points

    ManUre : 19 points

    Arsenal : 25 points

    Come on You Gunners 😄

  17. Le Coq Monster says:

    Afternoon all and thanks Rico.

    My mind is too stressed to do the points stuff as I`m more worried that The Spuds may win the CL.
    I`d rather be out of EL and lose 4th spot if it meant Spuds not winning CL!
    The closer they get to the final the sicker I feel, I can`t rest until they hopefully get knocked out !

    If this rumour is true then I dont like it one bit………fcuking shit imo, PUMA ones look better !

    https://twitter.com/thearsenal49ers/status/1102870066352263169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1102870066352263169&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftalksport.com%2Ffootball%2F506028%2Farsenal-fans-potential-2019-20-adidas-shirt-leaked%2F

  18. Joaquim Moreira says:

    The key game will be next Sunday. If we win, we can reach the 4th or the 3thr.
    However, we have many games away all in stadiuns where we were never very happy.
    Cech returns to Rennes. It was where he truly started in Europe before heading to Chelsea.

  19. VCC says:

    I’m with you Cocker. Don’t like that shirt. Still, it doesn’t matter what shirt we play in next season. My days of buying Arsenal shirts are over until we start investing some of our money on the playing staff and give our manager a fair crack of the whip to try and compete.

  20. andorrabyte says:

    Mmmmm…….don’t care for the red either guys.
    Hey, who would have thought Ajax would beat Real Madrid playing at home so………anything is possible?
    Fingers crossed at least…

  21. allezkev says:

    I’m with you Rico, I like that shirt and no, no Lichtsteiner it seems, he must be injured or something, no Jenkinson either…

  22. scottfromoz says:

    In the Torreira challenge, under today’s rules, it’s probably a red, but how anything be sitting in judgement can NOT suspend Sanchez and Rose without a massive smirk on their face is the problem I have.
    Everyone knows it’s wrong, but what is done about it?

  23. Cicero says:

    Kev, Changi Jail was in Singapore and one of the worst camps in the far east.

    One of my brothers spent three years there after it became RAF Changi following the end of the war. Not as a prisoner but doing his National Service, I hasten to add.

  24. allezkev says:

    Thanks Cicero, there’s a really good book called Knights of the Bushido (I think?) which describes the treatment of British and Commonwealth prisoners during the war.

  25. scottfromoz says:

    So many Aussies were thrown under the bus and almost sacrificed during WW2.
    Still, we remain a staunch lot and no soldiers anywhere in the world have a better reputation.
    Morning all.

  26. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. So, last night we got a good look at VAR and the kind of decisions that happen when a stressed ref views an incident in slo-mo, shot from a disadvantageous angle by the side of the pitch.

  27. scottfromoz says:

    Adam, you know my thoughts on VAR 🙂
    Leave it to the objective calls, and leave the rest to human error because that factor comes into play whether VAR is involved or not, so I can’t see the point in wasting time.

  28. Adam says:

    Morning Scott. I am in favour of VAR but it surely needs to be handled correctly by people who understand football and not dictated by administrators who may be, let’s say, imfluenced by external pressures.

  29. scottfromoz says:

    Adam, I agree.
    It really seems to me to be another avenue to extract the advertising dollar.
    At least, that’s what I’ve seen here in Oz.
    Replay after replay, during which advertising is shoved down the viewers throats.
    I really do hope it’s used correctly because the tool itself could be brilliant.

  30. rico says:

    Morning Adam, all.

    Whilst watching the VAR decision, I thought ‘what if that was us in Utd’s shoes?’

    Penalty… 😀

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