EPL Gameweek 27 Review: Race for Champions League Places Heats Up

I look back at Gameweek 27 of the English Premier League as the eight-team scramble for Champions League qualification continues.

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal: Gunners Drop More Points in Title Race

Mikel Arteta’s men dropped more points in the title chase this week following a goalless draw with fellow Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest. The result comes only days after a disappointing home defeat to London rivals West Ham United at the weekend.

Pressure is on for the Gunners, who have gone 21 years without winning the most prized title in English football. Fans have watched Arsenal come agonizingly close in recent years, but these results mean they fall 13 points behind Liverpool. For all that, the leaders have played a game more. Betway has priced them at 27.60 to mount a historic comeback. 

Meanwhile, it proved a pleasing point for Forest, who came into this game having lost three of their last four EPL matches. It’s been a tough few weeks for Nuno Espírito Santo’s men, who are just two points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea. However, with the top five looking highly likely to qualify for Champions League football next season, they will still be hopeful of dining at the European top table next year.

Tottenham 0-1 Manchester City: Haaland Sends Dagger Through Spurs 

It’s no secret that Manchester City has struggled in their pursuit to defend a fourth straight EPL title, sitting 20 points behind Arne Slot’s Liverpool. Still, Champions League qualification remains in their control.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have become a bogey team for the Citizens, sending the champions packing in the EFL Cup in October and recording an emphatic 4-0 victory in Manchester when the sides last met in the EPL in November. 

This time, Erling Haaland’s first-half strike was the difference between the two sides, while a controversial VAR decision denied the two-time EPL winner a brace. Taking his tally for the season to 20 goals, the Norwegian moved within five strikes of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Boot. 

It may seem like a big ask at first glance, but the fact that Bet.co.za is offering odds of 5.25 for Haaland to claim a third straight top goalscorer award shows he’s more than capable of closing the gap in the final 11 games.

If Pep Guardiola’s side are to qualify for Europe’s elite competition next season, the 24-year-old will need to be in fine form. City sits just one point clear of Chelsea in fourth place but is trading at just 1.285 with Bet.co.za to seal a top-four finish.

Chelsea 4-0 Southampton: Blues Run Riot Against Relegation-Destined Saints 

It was another miserable gameweek for basement club Southampton, as goals from Christopher Nukunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella sealed a comfortable win for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side struggled in February, exiting the FA Cup at the hands of Brighton. Still, they ended a three-game losing streak in style here.. Their recent form has seen them fall the EPL table, having been potential title contenders earlier in the campaign. With just three EPL wins this year, they sit fifth, though they face a fight to secure European football, with just a four-point gap down to 10th-place Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, Southampton looks terminal, with just two wins all season. With 65 goals conceded, they have the worst defensive unit in the league and would need to double their current points tally of nine just to avoid finishing bottom. 

Great escapes have been pulled off in the past, but it seems unlikely that the Saints will be able to bridge the 13-point gap to 17th-place Wolverhampton Wanderers, especially with a trip to league leaders Liverpool up next. If you believe in miracles, Southampton are priced at 12.00 with Tic Tac Bets to do the unthinkable and escape the drop!

The Saints will at least have a breather before their next gameday on 8th March, with the FA Cup taking centre-stage this weekend.