Star Wars Day: Which two of Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal will reach top four?

A short time ago, in a league not so far away, there was once a ‘so-called big four’. This so-called four were called so because they would regularly head up the rankings in the English Premier League, and qualify for Europe’s premier competition, known as the Champions League - where the best sides in the universe would compete against one another...

Spoiler Alert. Two sides entered the fold in this Premier League, and now we are engulfed in a battle for supremacy between a big six. Sorry, so-called big six.

All that means the race for the Champions League has become a tougher task than the one facing Chewbacca's stylist, and while Chelsea and Tottenham are gunning for the title, we’re left with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal fighting it out for a top-four spot.

The games in hand have made deciphering the current table more confusing than Luke's feelings for Leia, but with just over two weeks to go until the Premier League reaches its conclusion, we can rest a little easier knowing the big reveal is a fortnight away.

Here, we plot out the upcoming clashes, work out where the race can be won and lost, and dare to make a prediction on the final outcome. We're unable to use the force, however. Running out of puns, we are...

3 – Liverpool Played: 35 Points: 69

4 - Man City Played: 34 Points: 66

5 - Man Utd Played: 34 Points: 65

6 – Arsenal Played: 33 Points: 60

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Both Man City and Liverpool will be expected to clinch home wins this weekend, but the match-up between Arsenal and United on Sunday could go either way. Jose Mourinho has hinted he will rest players ahead of their return leg against Celta Vigo, but whether Arsenal can capitalise on this is another question altogether. It’s destined to be close, and with Mourinho often dictating the pace of these big games, that makes a draw the most likely outcome.

3 – Liverpool Played: 36 Points: 72

4 - Man City Played: 35 Points: 69

5 - Man Utd Played: 35 Points: 66

6 – Arsenal Played: 34 Points: 61

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Can a force awaken within the Gunners next week? Having played a game less than the Manchester duo, and with two games in hand over Liverpool, some order will be restored when Arsenal head to Southampton for a midweek clash at St Mary’s.

The Saints have little to reach for, but will play more than just a cameo role in this race for the top four, as they face Liverpool before hosting Arsenal, while they then entertain United in their penultimate match.

A Southampton side with something to play for would make this tight, but with their minds likely to be elsewhere, we predict Arsenal to get back into the hunt with a vital three points.

3 – Liverpool Played: 36 Points: 72

4 - Man City Played: 35 Points: 69

5 - Man Utd Played: 35 Points: 66

6 – Arsenal Played: 35 Points: 64

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Even with just three games left for Liverpool, it’s difficult to hand them all nine points in a faultless march to Champions League football. There will be a hiccup along the way, it’s just what Liverpool seem to do. A trip to the London Stadium throws up the banana skin in question.

This of course applies to Arsenal’s trip to Stoke, which has a great chance of an upset, but we fancy Arsenal to just nick that one at the Bet365 stadium.

And then there’s United’s trip to White Hart Lane. Spurs will be desperate to stay in the title race with Chelsea heading to Watford a day later, and given their home record this season, Mourinho’s men could well run out second best. It would mean their top-four hopes hang by a thread…

3 – Liverpool Played: 37 Points: 73

4 - Man City Played: 36 Points: 72

5 – Arsenal Played: 36 Points: 67

6 - Man Utd Played: 36 Points: 66

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It’s with one instalment to go that we have United falling out of the top-four race, with City booking their spot in the process. Of course, United will hope to have a Europa League final spot confirmed by this point, whereby victory would hand them a place in the Champions League, but a home win for City against West Brom could well prove fruitful for the blue side on Manchester, compounding the red side to another year of falling short.

3 - Man City Played: 37 Points: 75

4 – Liverpool Played: 37 Points: 73

5 – Arsenal Played: 37 Points: 70

6 - Man Utd Played: 37 Points: 69

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It all comes down to this. A battle between good and ev- well, no, just between Liverpool and Arsenal for fourth, if it goes as we expect it to (and when do predictions ever go wrong?). The big sides rarely seem to get tough last-day fixtures, and the above match-ups all appear to favour our famed four. So on that note we hand all four sides the three points. What a dull ending. Roll credits.

3 - Man City Played: 38 Points: 78

4 – Liverpool Played: 38 Points: 76

5 – Arsenal Played: 38 Points: 73

6 - Man Utd Played: 38 Points: 72

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Michael Hincks - Follow on Twitter