Premier League Top Four Odds Ahead of the Return

Finally, the Premier League is due to return to our screens soon, after a long-awaited break from one of Europe’s most exciting leagues.

So far, the 2019/20 campaign has seen some of the biggest shifts in the hierarchy of the league, with the likes of Liverpool set to win their first-ever Premier League title, and teams such as newly-promoted Sheffield United battling for a possible place in Europe next season.

As always, the highly desired Champions League spots in the top four are in high demand and being heavily contested by a number of teams – with some contenders coming as a surprise.

Liverpool currently sit 25 points ahead of second-place Manchester City, as both sides have already almost guaranteed themselves a place in the top four with nine games remaining.

While fans, players and pundits look forward to the return of English top-flight football, here, we take a look at the Sky Bet odds for who will finish in a top four place come the end of the season.

Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City have been one of this campaign’s biggest surprises so far, and have been given the odds of 1/7 to finish in a top four position by the end of the season.

The Foxes are currently sitting firmly in third place with 53 points, five points ahead of Chelsea and eight points clear of a Europa League position. The King Power club have won 16 of their 29 games thus far, already beating their total points tally from last season.

Rodgers and his side will be confident they can end the season with a spot in the Champions League next season and their best league place since their famous title-winning season. Leicester have now played the majority of their games against the top six, with just a home fixture against Manchester United left.

Former England international and Leicester’s number nine, Jamie Vardy, is also leading the charts for the 2019/20 top goalscorer this season. Should the Foxes talisman continue to score goals and win his first Golden Boot, it is highly doubtful his side will finish outside of the top four.

Chelsea are another of Sky Bet’s favourites to finish in a top four position by the end of the season, having the odds of 8/13 to do so.

The Blues have been a frequent fixture among the English Champions League representatives over the past decade, and are set to finish in a top four place once more should they continue to provide the results they need.

Frank Lampard’s men have accumulated 48 points in the 29 fixtures they have played thus far, winning 14 games in total. Chelsea also have nine losses this season - more than any other top seven side, also conceding the second most amount of goals in the top half of the table.

Despite this, however, Lampard’s side have managed to score more goals than any other side below them, with Tammy Abraham netting a total of 13 goals so far.

Blues fans will be hoping their side can hold onto a top four position come the end of the season, as Lampard looks to complete his first full season as Chelsea manager with a definite place in the Champions League next season.

Sky Bet have given Manchester United the odds of 7/4 to finish in a top four position, making them an outsider to place ahead of Chelsea or Leicester.

United had a difficult start to this campaign, winning just three of their opening 10 games. In fact, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have struggled to find form all season, amassing a meagre total of just 12 wins, with eight losses and nine draws.

The Old Trafford side have been criticised for their lacklustre performances and poor results, with six of their losses coming from sides currently in the bottom half of the table, with just seven points in four against the bottom three sides.

However, fans of United have had restored faith since the end of the January transfer window, being undefeated in five games since then. A large part of this has been due to the £50 million signing of Portuguese midfield maestro, Bruno Fernandes.

The former Sporting Lisbon man has had an impressive start to his Old Trafford career, scoring twice and assisting three in his first five games. Fans and pundits alike could see Fernandes as the key influence in the Red Devils top four charge, making United a worthy addition to any punters bet slip as a top four contender, this season.

Wolves are another of Sky Bets main contenders for a finish in the top four, with odds of 8/1 to achieve their highest top-flight finish since the 1979/80 season.

Since taking charge of the club in 2017, Nuno Espirito Santo has completely changed the dynamic of Wolves and the way they play, leading them to promotion to the top tier and their highest ever Premier League finish last season.

Now, Santo and his men are en route to breaking that record once more – currently sitting at sixth in the league table. The Wanderers are just five points from a Champions League spot, and will be eager to return to league action with the performances that could earn them a place among the top four for the first time in their recent history.

Although, despite only losing six games all season (the second least amount of losses in the entire league), the West Midlands side have drawn 13 games throughout the season and have struggled for wins, managing only 10 victories so far.

With nine games remaining and the likelihood of success from the sides currently above them, it is unlikely the Molineux side will place among the top four by the end of the campaign.