The 2011-12 Premier League season has been one of the most exciting in recent years. The league title and two relegation places remain up for grabs but there’s also the small matter of who will join Manchester United (4/9 Premier League outright) and Manchester City (7/4 Premier League outright) in next season’s Champions League.
After a difficult start to the campaign, Arsenal appear to be favourites to finish third, having usurped local rivals Tottenham, but the battle for who will claim the final Champions League spot is still finely in the balance, with both Spurs and Chelsea still in with a huge chance of catching fourth-placed Newcastle.
The Magpies (6/4 to finish in the top 4) have been the surprise package this season and have won their last six in the league so do not look as if they’re about to let up going into their last four games.
Key to their success has been the form of midfielder Yohan Cabaye who, after arriving on Tyneside in the summer, has lit up the league and is possibly the signing of the season.
The Frenchman scored twice in his side’s 3-0 win over Stoke on Saturday and his clever passing and eye for goal could see the Magpies qualify for the Champions league for the first time in almost a decade.
However, it will not be easy and in Tottenham and Chelsea they have two teams who have far greater experience of this situation.
For much of the season Spurs (evens top four finish) appeared to be genuine title contenders and kept pace with both Manchester clubs for the majority over the campaign but in the last two months they have gone totally off the boil and, following Saturday’s defeat at QPR, they now sit fifth – three points off the top four.
The north Londoners do have perhaps the easiest run-in of all the teams competing for the Champions League place but also have a number of key injuries and may have to once again settle for Europa League football in 2012-13.
Finally to Chelsea (21/10 top four finish) who, despite their well-documented managerial problems, now look to be back to their old selves since Roberto Di Matteo took over in March. The Italian has overseen somewhat of a transformation in the Blues players and they now have both an FA Cup final and Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona to look forward to.
Di Matteo has done well in rotating his players in recent weeks but they may be found wanting if they have to rely on squad players and, with those important Cup games to come, it may they prove to be too much of a distraction in the top-four race.
All things considered, then, Newcastle should have enough to clinch the final top four spot but its sure to be an exciting end to the season and Chelsea and Spurs will certainly not make it easy for them.
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