Champions League race hots up

The Premier League season is very much alive heading into the final straight, despite the absence of a gripping title race.

While Manchester City showed they have the ability to overturn a significant deficit last season, it looks as if Manchester United will reclaim their crown; they are currently huge favourites in the Titan Bet live betting odds. That leaves the focus on the race for the Champions League places and another at the bottom to avoid the drop.

As many as five teams are in contention for third and fourth spot. Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are in the box seat, with Arsenal tucked in behind and Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton the outsiders.

Spurs are the side to catch, though they lost some momentum at Liverpool last weekend. The defeat ended their 12-match unbeaten league run and left them vulnerable with games against Everton, Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon.

Chelsea will be keen to take advantage of any nerves shown by Tottenham. They sit two points behind with a game in hand and have a relatively easy run of fixtures before they host Spurs on April 14. The Blues will feel confident of securing a Champions League spot, despite a couple of tricky away dates.

Chelsea hold a five-point advantage over Arsenal, a side buoyed by a spirited win at the home of runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich. The Gunners face a tough assignment next up at Swansea City but can take great heart from their performance in Europe as they aim for another crack at the Champions League.

Liverpool and Everton come next on 45 points, two behind Arsenal. Liverpool are on their best run of the season, while Everton are reeling after their shock FA Cup exit. The Toffees also have a horror run-in, making the Reds the best bet to represent Merseyside in Europe's elite competition next term.