Premier League top four odds: Who to back as Liverpool battle Man Utd

Liverpool and Manchester United are the bookies’ favourites to join the top three. However, Chelsea are still very much in contention.

Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s long winning streak came to an end in December, but they quickly recovered. However, Unai Emery’s men aren’t as consistent as they were. Defeat to Brentford reduced their lead over fourth place to five points. With 14 Premier League games to go, maintaining their form should keep them in contention.

One thing that could count against them, however, is the fact that they’re still competing on multiple fronts. The Villans return to Europa League action next month, and they’re still competing in the FA Cup as well. That said, Emery has strengthened his squad, having re-signed Tammy Abraham and Douglas Luiz, while also bringing in young talent Alysson.

There’s nothing to suggest Villa will drop off in a way that’d see them miss out on a top-four spot. They’re only a point behind Manchester City, and they could even be targeting second place. The Birmingham side are in good shape and face a relatively favourable run of fixtures.

Villa aren’t really a value pick for a top-four finish in England’s top-flight this season, and likely for good reason. Still, we’re backing them to get the job done.

Liverpool

Despite sitting sixth in the division, Liverpool are the bookies’ favourites to land a top-four finish alongside Arsenal, City and Villa. As things stand, they’re two points behind Manchester United, and defeat to Bournemouth last month dented their chances. However, Arne Slot has quality in his ranks at Anfield, and they seem to be finding their groove up top.

Hugo Ekitike has four goals and assists in his last two games, while Florian Wirtz has six in eight league matches. With 22 goals scored since the start of January, the Reds are in formidable form. A 4-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend sent a strong message, and their defenders are returning from injury.

City are up next for the Merseysiders. This is followed by a lengthy run of games where you’d expect them to pick up plenty of points. May sees them face United, Chelsea and Villa in a row, and that could prove decisive for their top-four hopes.

With their attacking line starting to click, the Reds now have a chance to climb the table quickly.

Manchester United

Michael Carrick has brought a fresh sense of confidence to Manchester United. Three wins in a row have taken them up to fourth place. They also have four upcoming matches where they are the likely favourites. The Red Devils may not have had the best of times under Ruben Amorim, but they’ll be backing themselves now.

United also don’t have any other competitions to worry about. They have 14 Premier League matches left to play. Their fate is largely in their own hands at this point. However, they have defensive concerns. They’ve conceded four in their last two games, and that’s not really sustainable to mount a top-four push.

Carrick has done a brilliant job after coming on board at Old Trafford, but there are questions over how long it’ll last. They still have Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool to play, as well as other tough games on the road. Compared to their fellow challengers, United don’t seem solid enough. Liverpool, for instance, have lost just once in their last 16 games across all competitions.

The Red Devils hold the cards at the moment. Still, there is a chance their new manager bounce could wear off at some stage. We’re backing them for a top-six finish rather than the top four.

Chelsea

Defeat to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup was just a second defeat for Liam Rosenior since taking on the job at Chelsea. The Blues have picked up some good results in recent weeks, but they find themselves fifth on the league table. With Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and Burnley coming up next, they expect to pick up maximum points in February.

Bookies see them as the least likely of the current top six to finish in the top four. The Londoners have been inconsistent this season. They’ve conceded more than they would like, but they do have strength in attack. It looks like they’ll need nine points from the next nine to stay in the race.

Rosenior has them winning games, and you’d expect them to pick up points regularly over their remaining 14 fixtures. They need their big-money signings to deliver in the final stretch.

Chelsea remain in contention, but their defence remains a concern. We’re still backing Liverpool ahead of them.