Paul Merson and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink disagree on who will finish in the Premier League’s top four and qualify for next season’s .
With , Liverpool, and clear of the chasing pack, there is only one remaining Champions League spot available with Tottenham, and Manchester United the strongest contenders to claim it, while West Ham and Wolves still have an outside chance.
Following Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Chelsea on Wednesday and United’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday, just three points separate the three teams.
But with the Red Devils in disarray and having played a game more than the others, many are predicting the top four race is now firmly between the north London rivals, who are each on 57 points with just six games remaining.
This is a view shared by Arsenal icon Merson and former Chelsea striker Hasselbaink, but the two disagree on which club will triumph in the end.
‘I think advantage Arsenal, I really do,’ Merson told Sky Sports, citing the Gunners’ easier run-in of games.
‘I don’t think Tottenham beat Brentford away, Brentford are flying, absolutely flying at the moment. I think Arsenal’s a hard game.
‘I know Man United have been terrible, but who doesn’t want to turn up at the Emirates and play football on that pitch. They’ve got no pressure Man United, the first game they’ve probably ever played as a club of Man United’s magnitude, where no one expects anything, like nothing.
‘You can just go out and get beat and no one could care less. I think it’s a dangerous game.
‘It’s about timings now. West Ham away is a hard game but it’s in between Frankfurt [in the Europa League semi-final] so will they rest all their players?’
Spurs edge Arsenal currently on goal difference but the race may well be decided in the penultimate gameweek of the season, when the rescheduled North London derby is due to take place.
‘I think it’s going to be very close. Before the match tonight I was more with Spurs because of their fire power and Arsenal had difficulties scoring,’ said Hasselbaink on Sky Sports.
‘I still am with Spurs. Yes, the north London derby is going to be a big, big match, but I just think Spurs have Kane and Conte. They know how to win games.’
Arsenal’s next match is the aforementioned ‘dangerous game’ against United at the Emirates on Saturday, while Spurs travel to Brentford on the same day.
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