When we return from this international break, we’ll be into the final stretch of the season, with 7 games left for Chelsea to save their Champions League chances.
At one point in February we looked like we had the momentum to make it quite comfortably. How things change.
Now, whether you’re betting on the high street on with a site like 1Win Egypt, you’ll see the same thing – the Blues are now heavy outsiders to make the top five.
It’s amazing how things have changed in the space of a few weeks. Arsenal are already in, with Man City also just one win from getting over the line. Realistically, they sealed their places a while ago.
But it’s Man U’s rise which has caught everyone out. They’ve come up off the rails and basically locked off that third spot without much warning.
They’re now at 1.03 decimal odds, reflecting a) their points total b) their form and c) how a lack of cup and European football gives them an advantage over their rivals. Aston Villa have also survived a dodgy run to put themselves within touching distance. They’ve got 1.13 odds.
We’re way out at 2.25, with only Liverpool at 1.5 looking catchable. They’re in similar bad form to us, and if we can just stay in touch with them until our face-off on the 9th of May, we at least keep things in our own hands.
However, that will be easier said than done. After our return to action in the cup against Port Vale, we face Man City and then Man U. Nobody would be surprised if we came out of those games with 0 points, despite them both being at home.
We wouldn’t really count on us against Brighton and Nottingham Forest after that either. All we can hope is that Liverpool’s game against Fulham, Everton, Crystal Palace and Man U give them similar trouble.
We do have one advantage – they’re still in the Champions League, and face the same demoralising, draining, two legged beating against PSG that we had earlier this month.
Still, it all feels like a long shot: we’re now relying on Chelsea to win some games and Liverpool to lose some games. It feels like a lot has to go our way for us to make it, and not much has been going our way recently.
The last thing we want now is to face an in form Man City – and that’s just what comes next in the league.
