How Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures Compare

The race for fourth and fifth, earning Champions League football next season, is well and truly on.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are locked in a race for the top four. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/James Gill-Danehouse/Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

The race for fourth place—and a coveted Champions League spot next season—intensified over the weekend as Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool were all in Premier League action.

United continued their impressive resurgence under interim boss Michael Carrick, making it four straight wins in the top flight with a convincing 2–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes sealed another statement result.

Chelsea also maintained their strong form under Liam Rosenior, dispatching Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1 thanks to a hat-trick from Cole Palmer, while Liverpool were dramatically downed 2–1 by Manchester City despite another rocket free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Sitting fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, with 13 games left to play, the battle for the top four—and potentially even higher—is entering a decisive phase. With that in mind, a closer look at each club’s next five Premier League fixtures could prove telling in how this race unfolds.

---

Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool’s Next Five Premier League Fixtures

Chelsea face a tough run. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Man Utd (4th, 44 Points)	Chelsea (5th, 43 Points)	Liverpool (6th, 39 Points)
West Ham vs. Man Utd (Feb 10)	Chelsea vs. Leeds United (Feb. 10)	Sunderland vs. Liverpool (Feb. 11)
Everton vs. Man Utd (Feb. 23)	Chelsea vs. Burnley (Feb. 21)	Nottingham Forest vs. Liverpool (Feb. 22)
Man Utd vs. Crystal Palace (Mar. 1)	Arsenal vs. Chelsea (Mar. 1)	Liverpool vs. West Ham (Feb. 28)
Newcastle vs. Man Utd (Mar. 4)	Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (Mar. 4)	Wolves vs. Liverpool (Mar. 3)
Man Utd vs. Aston Villa (Mar. 15)	Chelsea vs. Newcastle (Mar. 14)	Liverpool vs. Tottenham (Mar. 15)

Looking ahead to the next five matches, it’s Liverpool who appear to have the most favourable run on paper, while Chelsea face the toughest stretch by some distance.

Four of Arne Slot’s next five fixtures come against teams currently in the bottom half of the table, including struggling Nottingham Forest, West Ham—still hovering near the relegation zone despite a recent uptick in form—and bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers. The only fixture that stands out as a genuine test is Sunderland, who have already shown on several occasions this season that they can compete with the Premier League’s elite.

Chelsea, by contrast, face a far more demanding schedule. Liam Rosenior’s side must travel to face league leaders Arsenal and third-placed Aston Villa within the space of a few days, while also welcoming Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge soon after. Although the Magpies are not at their best, Chelsea have failed to beat them in their last three meetings, losing twice during that run.

A home match against Burnley should be relatively straightforward, but Leeds United—who beat Chelsea 3–1 in the reverse fixture back in December—also lie in wait. With just two Premier League defeats since then, Leeds will head to Stamford Bridge confident of causing another upset.

Manchester United’s upcoming five fixtures fall somewhere in between those of their rivals—certainly challenging, but not quite as daunting as Chelsea’s run. Michael Carrick’s side travel to West Ham, Everton and Newcastle, while hosting Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Given their current form, Carrick will fancy his team’s chances in most of those games, with Aston Villa standing out as the toughest test.

---