Chelsea’s position leaves six clubs fighting for three places: So who will finish in the top four?

Antonio Conte believes Chelsea need another 21 points. The Italian has done the sums. Reach 90 and it will be mathematically impossible for anyone to catch Chelsea. They would be champions. The target is a sign of Conte’s demanding nature. Chelsea probably only need another 15 points. A personal view is that 13 will do it and that, Conte being Conte, he will nonetheless push Chelsea on past 90. The more significant scramble for places comes behind the runaway leaders. Six other sides are separated by nine points, each competing for the final three Uefa Champions League spots. They range from Tottenham Hotspur, with only two of the top seven left to play and a seven-point cushion on fifth-placed Manchester United, to Everton, the team playing catch-up and who have to do it the hard way. Their problems mounted when Seamus Coleman was ruled out for the season but Spurs, without the injured Harry Kane, and Liverpool, who have lost Adam Lallana, are also proof that the next two months are a test of resources. __________________________________ Read more ■ Podcast: Merseyside derby, Sanchez to Chelsea, Arsenal v Man City ■ Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Hints at extending Manchester United stay ■ Richard Jolly: Assessing the seven relegation contenders __________________________________ United’s will be stretched the most in a season that could extend to 64 games. Jose Mourinho’s team are on the division’s longest unbeaten run, 18 matches without defeat, but would be in the top four already if they could win more games. Both in terms of workload and opponents, they face the most gruelling run-in, a period where they face five of their six immediate rivals. Their destiny may rest on whether they can convert those draws to wins. Liverpool have the opposite scenario. After hosting Everton on Saturday, they do not face anyone in the top seven. For most, that would an ideal opportunity to chalk up victories. Yet Liverpool have had a strange season where they have gone undefeated against the best sides and stumbled against the strugglers. Their run-in looks like an obstacle course. Arsenal’s looks historic: not in the fixture list, but the probable outcome. For the first time in 20 years, they could finish outside the top four. Arsene Wenger has described their plight as “unique”, which is another way of saying they are in a deeper hole than at any previous point in his reign. He somehow contrived to maintain his impeccable record of finishing above Tottenham last season, but the probability he will lose it represents another subplot. They start this week. Ronald Koeman has identified away games at Liverpool and Manchester United as being crucial. Everton have the joint most points in 2017, but lose both and their chances of Champions League football are all but over. Manchester City face a similarly awkward few days, trips to Arsenal and Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s team are well positioned for a top-four finish now, but the danger is that they lose their cushion. If so, April 27’s Manchester derby could become a must-win affair for both sides. Mourinho has admitted that United’s best route to the Champions League could come via the Europa League but, with the final not until May 24, he cannot relax in the Premier League. It means that, like Spain this season, England could have five clubs in the premier continental competition next year. The fact Mourinho’s attentions have switched is a sign of how hard the battle for the top four has been. Last May, City finished fourth with 66 points. Now that tally may only been good enough for seventh or eighth. It is certainly likely that six clubs will reach 70. And if it is likely that the record tally for fourth — 79 — will not be challenged this year, and if the current top four are likely to retain that status, it might not be without a few alarms. WHERE WILL THE TOP SEVEN FINISH? Chelsea Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. Rebecca Naden / Reuters Current points: 69 Crystal Palace (h) W Man City (h) W Bournemouth (a) W Man Utd (a) D Southampton (h) W Watford (h) W Everton (a) L Middlesbrough (h) W West Brom (a) W Sunderland (h) W Total points: 94 __________________________________ Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. Eddie Keogh / Reuters Current points: 59 Burnley (a) D Swansea (a) W Watford (h) W Bournemouth (h) W Leicester (a) D Crystal Palace (a) W Arsenal (h) W West Ham (a) D Man Utd (h) D Hull (a) W Total Points: 81 __________________________________ Manchester City Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Paul Ellis / AFP Current points: 57 Arsenal (a) D Chelsea (a) L Hull (h) W Southampton (a) D West Brom (h) W Man Utd (h) D Middlesbrough (a) W Crystal Palace (h) W Leicester (h) W Watford (a) W Total Points: 78 __________________________________ Liverpool Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Glyn Kirk / AFP Current points: 56 Everton (h) W Bournemouth (h) W Stoke (a) L West Brom (a) L Crystal Palace (h) W Watford (a) W Southampton (h) W West Ham (a) D Middlesbrough (h) W Total points: 75 __________________________________ Manchester United Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. Oli Scarff / AFP Current points: 52 West Brom (h) W Everton (h) W Sunderland (a) D Chelsea (h) D Burnley (a) D Man City (a) D Southampton (a) W Swansea (h) W Arsenal (a) L Tottenham (a) D Crystal Palace (h) W Total points: 72 __________________________________ Arsenal Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Ikimages / AFP Current points: 50 Man City (h) D West Ham (h) W Crystal Palace (a) D Middlesbrough (a) W Sunderland (h) W Leicester (h) W Tottenham (a) L Man Utd (h) W Stoke (a) L Everton (h) W Southampton (a) D Total points: 71 __________________________________ Everton Everton manager Ronald Koeman. Ed Sykes / Reuters Current points: 50 Liverpool (a) L Man Utd (a) L Leicester (h) W Burnley (h) W West Ham (a) L Chelsea (h) W Swansea (a) D Watford (h) W Arsenal (a) L Total points: 63 Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport

Chelsea’s position leaves six clubs fighting for three places: So who will finish in the top four?

As the Premier League enters its final phase, the race for a place in the coveted top four remains as tense as ever. Richard Jolly assesses the contenders and predicts the final outcome.