Born in the south east of Ireland, Simon put his life-long love of football to good use when he started a successful independent blog in 2010. That opened up an alternative route to a career in journalism, and having had work published across a number of sites and publications, Simon joined the staff at Spotlight Sports Group in 2018.
Manchester City’s 4-way pursuit of domestic and continental silverware this season has made for compelling viewing, though the ripple effect from their relentless hunt for glory could be felt much further down the Premier League come May.
Title favourites City are just one game away from reaching the FA Cup Final at Wembley, and if the Citizens go on to lift the trophy in May, the Europa League spot reserved for the competition’s winner is transferred to the team that finishes 7th in this season’s Premier League.
Premier League new boys Wolves, who also have FA Cup winning aspirations, currently occupy that potentially lucrative position, though just 2 points separate Wanderers in 7th place from West Ham in 11th.
Sandwiched in between them to complete the quintet of clubs in the Europa League mix are Leicester City, Everton and Watford.
Which of the 5 continental candidates are best equipped to finish as the best of the rest in the Premier League this season? Let’s take a closer look at each challenger in our ‘Without The Big Six’ special.
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Wolves
Current position: 7th
Odds to finish 7th: 5/4
Remaining League Fixtures:
(H) vs Man Utd
(A) vs Southampton
(H) vs Brighton
(H) vs Arsenal
(A) vs Watford
(H) vs Fulham
(A) vs Liverpool
Wolves have been one of the success stories of the Premier League this season, instantly establishing themselves as one of the division’s most competitive teams since their promotion from the Championship last summer.
With an FA Cup semi final against Watford still to come, Wanderers’ have two potential routes Europa League qualification next year. There is however, a danger that the pull of silverware could result in them taking their eye of the ball in the league.
After their disappointing defeat to Burnley on Saturday, Wolves recent record in the league reads just 1 win in 6, suggesting that their progress in the FA Cup has already had a profound negative effect on their Premier League form.
With some tricky fixtures to come, Wolves might find that battling on two fronts stretches their relatively limited resources too thin.
FST’s Pick: Leicester City
Current position: 8th
Odds to finish 7th: 5/1
Remaining League Fixtures:
(A) vs Huddersfield
(H) vs Newcastle
(A) vs West Ham
(H) vs Arsenal
(A) vs Man City
(H) vs Chelsea
With 4 wins from their last 5 Premier League fixtures, Leicester City are building up a considerable head of steam under new manager Brendan Rodgers.
The Foxes’ ranks are swollen with extremely talented, young technically gifted footballers and it looks as though Rodgers’ influence is starting to release some of their untapped potential.
Leicester are level with Wolves just above them on 44 points, though the Foxes have played 1 game more than their Europa League qualification rivals.
City’s chances of pipping Wanderers to 7th could be hampered by tricky looking final set of fixtures against Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea, however the Foxes have already beaten the second two of the aforementioned trio this season.
With Wolves and Watford’s FA Cup preoccupations a major factor, and Leicester finding form under Rodgers, City could be the best placed team to steal in ahead of the rest. At 5/1 they look fantastic value to finish 7th.
Everton
Current position: 9th
Odds to finish 7th: 5/1
Remaining League Fixtures:
(H) vs Arsenal
(A) vs Fulham
(H) vs Man Utd
(A) vs Crystal Palace
(H) vs Burnley
(A) vs Tottenham Hotspur
Despite their heavy transfer outlay last summer, the Toffees have had to endure a season of modest progress this term, with tension between the club’s support and manager Marco Silva adding a complicated edge to much of their campaign.
Yet, a run of just 1 defeat in 6 has thrust Everton back into the race for European qualification, and the Blues’ dominant weekend performance at West Ham will undoubtedly be a source of huge encouragement and confidence ahead of their run-in.
Like Leicester City, Everton must negotiate a trio of fixtures against teams from the Premier League’s top 6 before the season finishes, and even though the Toffees can attack their final fixtures without any cup distractions, you still get the sense that the bottom could fall out of their challenge at any given moment.
Watford
Current position: 10th
Odds to finish 7th: 9/4
Remaining League Fixtures:
(H) vs Fulham
(H) vs Arsenal
(A) vs Huddersfield
(H) vs Southampton
(H) vs Wolves
(A) vs Chelsea
(H) vs West Ham
10th placed FA Cup semi-finalists Watford are just 1 point behind Wolves in 7th, though they have played 1 game less than Everton and Leicester, who currently occupy the spaces between the Hornets and Wanderers.
Watford have shown this season, that they are a match for any team in the league. On Saturday, Javi Gracia’s men outplayed Man Utd for large swathes of their contest at Old Trafford, and though they ultimately lost, their performance was a reminder of how dangerous they can be.
The Hornets’ poor overall points return from games against the Big 6 this season belies their ability to go toe-to-toe with them, and the Londoners will fancy their chances of improving that record when they play Arsenal and Chelsea in the coming weeks.
Watford’s run-in is sprinkled with the potential for points, though their home game with Wolves on April 27th already has the look of a key fixture. Like Wanderers, Watford have two bites at the Europa League qualification cherry, though being pulled in two different directions is certain to have an effect.
West Ham
Current position: 11th
Odds to finish 7th: 14/1
Remaining League Fixtures:
(A) vs Chelsea
(A) vs Man Utd
(H) vs Leicester City
(A) vs Tottenham Hotspur
(H) vs Southampton
(A) vs Watford
West Ham’s dreadful performance and result against Everton on Saturday evening would have been a hammer blow to their players’ self-belief.
The Irons were soundly beaten by one of their nearest rivals in the Premier League and the defeat allowed Everton to take West Ham’s spot in the top half of the division.
West Ham must travel to play 3 of the leagues Big 6 on their own patch before the final ball is kicked this season, with a trip to play Europa League rivals Watford at Vicarage Road on the last day of their league campaign thrown in for good measure.
The Hammers’ remaining games make for ominous reading and there is every chance West Ham could finish the 2018/19 season with a real whimper.
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