The UEFA Champions League Chase - Who has the easiest run-in?

The UEFA Champions League chase, how tough is your teams run-in based on home and away form and league position of opposition?

The UEFA Champions League Chase

There are 10 games left and it is tight at the top, apart from the runaway title success of Manchester City, so who, chasing the remaining three UEFA Champions League places, has the easiest run-in?

First a look at the Premier League table as it stands now.

The UEFA Champions League Chase - Premier League Standings

OK, now a look at the remaining fixtures for Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, the four teams chasing three UEFA Champions League places. First the fixtures, then the current league positions and then the league position on their form home or away, wherever the game is being played to help gauge difficulty.

For any Arsenal fans wondering where there side is, well, you're not in the race are you.

Manchester United Fixtures

59 Points
Still in the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League

Crystal Palace (a) - currently 17th (16th at home)
Liverpool (h) - currently 3rd (2nd away)
West Ham United (a) - currently 13th (11th at home) (date yet to be arranged)
Swansea City (h) - currently 19th (16th away)
Manchester City (a) - currently 1st (1st at home)
WBA (h) - currently 20th (19th away)
Bournemouth (a) - currently 11th (10th at home)
Arsenal (h) - currently 7th (9th away)
Brighton & Hove Albion (a) - currently 12th (9th at home)
Watford (h) - currently 10th (7th away)

Liverpool Fixtures

57 Points
Still in the UEFA Champions League

Newcastle United (h) - currently 15th (10th away)
Manchester United (a) - currently 2nd (2nd at home)
Watford (h) - currently 10th (7th away)
Crystal Palace (a) - currently 17th (16th at home)
Everton (a) - currently 9th (7th at home)
Bournemouth (h) - currently 11th (11th away)
WBA (a) - currently 20th (20th at home)
Stoke City (h) - currently 19th (20th away)
Chelsea (a) - currently 5th (6th at home)
Brighton & Hove Albion (h) - currently 12th (15th away)

Tottenham Hotspur Fixtures

55 Points
Still in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League

Huddersfield Town (h) - currently 14th (14th away)
Bournemouth (a) - currently 11th (10th at home)
Newcastle United (h) - currently 15th (10th away) (date yet to be arranged)
Chelsea (a) - currently 5th (6th at home)
Stoke City (a) - currently 19th (14th at home)
Manchester City (h) - currently 1st (1st away)
Brighton & Hove Albion (a) - currently 12th (9th at home)
Watford (h) - currently 10th (7th away)
WBA (a) - currently 20th (20th at home)
Leicester City (h) - currently 8th (8th away)

Chelsea Fixtures

53 Points
Still in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League

Manchester City (a) - currently 1st (1st at home)
Crystal Palace (h) - currently 17th (16th away)
Burnley (a) - currently 7th (6th at home)
Tottenham Hotspur (h) - currently 4th (4th away)
West Ham United (h) - currently 13th (11th awaay)
Southampton (a) - currently 16th (19th at home)
Huddersfield Town (h) - currently 14th (15th away)
Swansea City (a) - currently 18th (16th at home)
Liverpool (h) - currently 3rd (5th away)
Newcastle United (a) - currently 15th (10th at home)

That is the run-in for the UEFA Champions League slots for next season. Both Spurs and Manchester United have a fixture still to arrange so it looks as if we may be having three away games on the trot.

Adding up the Premier League positions gives us comparable figures and adding the home or away form figures also gives a comparable number. The higher the number, the easier the run-in.

• Manchester United 115 - 100
• Liverpool 120 - 114
• Tottenham Hotspur 120 - 99
• Chelsea 108 - 103

Liverpool and Spurs would appear to have the easiest run in on Premier League positions, but when you take into account the home or away form (over the season) of the opposition on their own patch or away from home, we get a different picture.

Liverpool still have the easiest run-in, but Spurs now have the hardest.

Next I'll add up the Premier League positions for the home and away games to play to have an easy reference of difficulty. Again, the higher the number, the easier the run-in.

• Manchester United H 53 - A 47
• Liverpool H 63 - A 51
• Tottenham Hotspur H 40 - A 59
• Chelsea H 51 - A 52

• Manchester United - A 47
• Liverpool - A 51
• Tottenham Hotspur - A 59
• Chelsea - A 52

These figures tell us that Spurs have the hardest set of home fixtures remaining and the easiest set of away fixtures, whereas Liverpool have the easiest home fixtures and Manchester United the hardest away fixtures.

Do your calculations and determine where you think everyone will finish. If your mates have all seen the fixtures, it's a good one to discuss down the pub. if not then you'll be armed with more knowledge than they have at their disposal.

Chelsea have three games against the top four (Manchester City, Tottenham Horspur, Liverpool), Spurs two games against the top five (Chelsea, Manchester City), Liverpool two games against the top five (Manchester United, Chelsea) and Manchester United also have two games against the top 4 (Liverpool, Manchester City).

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