Manchester United see their top-four odds slashed as Arsenal and Tottenham buckle under pressure
- Seb Sternik
- 17 April 2022
With Arsenal and Tottenham both dropping points, Manchester United have been able to force themselves back into the top four race with a win over Norwich.
Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved to be United's saviour, as his hat-trick earned the Red Devils a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford - and prevented a humiliating draw against a club currently bottom of the Premier League.
Just a few weeks back, Ralf Rangnick's side seemed destined for Europa League football as his side failed to string together a good run of results in order to close the gap.
However, with Arsenal losing four of their last five and Tottenham also slipping up at the weekend, the race for Champions League qualification has opened up.
The team currently in fourth are Spurs, whose five-match winning run came to an end against Brighton on Saturday.
Tottenham fell to a 90th minute Leandro Trossard winner as the Seagulls pulled off their second consecutive London coup.
Nevertheless, Antonio Conte's side remain in pole position for fourth spot, and still enjoy a three-point advantage over Manchester United and Arsenal.
As a result, Tottenham's top four odds have hardly moved in spite of their home defeat at the weekend.
Arsenal, who have played a game less than their top four rivals, have also seen little change in the market despite falling to a 1-0 defeat against Southampton.
United, on the other hand, have seen their odds slashed from as long as 22/1 on Friday, to as short as 6/1 on Sunday morning.
Who has the tougher run-in?
On paper, it would appear that Tottenham have the more favourable fixtures from now until the end of the season.
Conte's men travel to Brentford in their next outing before hosting Leicester in London.
The two crucial tests will come against Liverpool and Arsenal, before closing out the campaign against relegation threatened Burnley and Norwich - who could already be relegated by the time those games are played.
Arsenal face a far trickier run-in with four games against top seven opposition still to come.
Mikel Arteta's men take on Chelsea next, before hosting Man United just three days later.
Games against West Ham, Leeds and Tottenham will follow before the Gunners close out the season with a trip to Newcastle and a home clash with Everton.
Man United also have a torrid looking fixture list and unlike Arsenal, they don't have a game in-hand to lean upon.
The Red Devils take on Liverpool on Tuesday before ending April with a trip to the Emirates.
Brentford and Brighton will be their first opponents in May, before Rangnick's men finish the campaign with potentially season-defining games against Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
