Premier League Top Four tips – who will make the UCL?
Sometimes, the Premier League Winner betting market can be pretty uncompetitive. At the beginning of the season, there are only a handful of clubs who can realistically challenge for the title and this number has often reduced to two by Christmas, while there has been a runaway leader that has sealed the title with a few games to spare.
Manchester City were champions in the 2020/21 season without needing to break sweat for the final few months, while Liverpool had previously cantered to a victory twelve months earlier. While there have been some exciting finishes to the Premier League season (Aguero anyone?), most of the time it’s done and dusted before the final round of matches.
Why Premier League Top Four Betting Offers Value
The first big positive about betting on the Premier League Top Four betting market is that you get four teams paid out as winners every season. Therefore, while the previous champions or current league leaders might be trading at really short odds to land a top four spot, there are often some juice in the prices elsewhere.
The 2020/21 Premier League season was a case in hand. Manchester City were always trading at a short price to land a spot in the top quartet of the division, while Manchester United were also able to pull away from the pack, leaving Chelsea, Leicester City, Liverpool, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur effectively competing for two places.
During that particular campaign, we saw Liverpool trading at ridiculously short odds before a series of home defeats meant that the Reds’ odds started to drift and we saw the same thing happen to Spurs despite the fact that they were riding high at the beginning of the season.
There is often the chance to back several teams at fancy prices on the Premier League top four betting market and make a profit whatever happens. It’s all about finding the sides whose prices are going to shorten along the way.
Study the Premier League Fixtures Before Placing a Bet
It’s well worth identifying when a leading Premier League club has a run of favourable fixtures along the way. You might find that a team such as Arsenal or Tottenham are trading at around the 5/2 mark to land a top four spot but have a run of games where they might well land a large number of points and climb up the table.
Therefore, it’s worth identifying when these games are taking place and hoping to get a big price before it shortens, with there sometimes being the opportunity to Cash Out for a profit and it can be an easy way of making money before the season finishes and these markets are settled.
Similarly, you might think that a team are trading at too short odds and face a run of tricky fixtures. Therefore, it could be worth opposing them in the market and hopefully making a profit from the way in which you bet.
Which Football Teams Have Finished In Premier League Top Four?
The 2019-20 season saw Liverpool won the Premier League title at a canter and they were followed home by Manchester City, while Manchester United and Chelsea were able to leapfrog Leicester City during the run-in to claim their spots in the next season’s Champions League.
City and Liverpool were also the top two teams during the previous season although it was Chelsea and Tottenham who joined them on that occasion, with Arsenal and Manchester United having to contend with Europa League places and the latter parted company with Jose Mourinho that season.
During the 2017/18 season, it was the two Manchester clubs who occupied the highest rungs of the Premier League ladder, with Tottenham and Liverpool earning their spots in the top four and it would be these teams who would then go on to compete in the 2019 Champions League final the following campaign.
Chelsea were the Premier League champions in 2017 under Antonio Conte and that meant they would be able to compete in the top UEFA competition the following season, with Tottenham Hotspur finishing in second place and that was the first season that Pep Guardiola took charge of Man City who claimed a top four berth along with Man United.
The 2015/16 season saw rank outsiders Leicester City surprise everyone by not only qualifying for the Champions League but actually winning the Premier League title. The Foxes ended up ten points clear of the chasing pack, with Arsenal the runners-up and it was Spurs and Man City who grabbed top four spots.
The Gunners also claimed third place in the 2014/15 season and they were joined by the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea in that term, with a repetitive pattern being established which has largely seen teams from the “Big Six” battle it out for top four honours.
Premier League Top Four betting odds
The Premier League table looks very interesting after the first four rounds of football matches, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Burnley having played a game less than the other sixteen teams although the bookies have been quick adjust their antepost football odds.
The Premier League top four betting market is always an intriguing heat and there will be four teams for this betting heat who will ultimately be settled as a winner when the campaign is complete. These four clubs will qualify for the following season’s Champions League and it looks set to be an epic battle.
Manchester United Now 5/2 to Land a Top Four Spot
We don’t like to kick a man when he’s down but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears to be making a dog’s dinner of things at Old Trafford, with Manchester United serving up mediocre performances in their three matches to date and there’s a fair amount of pressure on the Norwegian to improve things after the international break.
United were odds-on for a Premier League top four spot before the season started, although the fact that they have only three points on the board and were battered by Tottenham Hotspur in their last clash means that bookmaker betway are prepared to go 5/2 that the Red Devils land a top-four spot in the top flight this season.
There’s a long way to go and the north-west outfit have thirty-five games to improve their fortunes, with Edinson Cavani arriving to bolster the attacking firepower at the club, while Donny van de Beek could prove to be something of a saviour in the midfield department.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea Set to Land UCL Spots
Liverpool might have received a 7-2 tonking at the hands of Aston Villa, although it hasn’t stopped the bookies going no bigger than 1/14 about the Reds qualifying for next season’s Champions League and it would be a major shock if Jurgen Klopp’s side weren’t challenging for the title, let alone falling outside the top four places.
Similarly, while Manchester City have taken just a point from matches against Leicester City and Leeds United, the bookmakers aren’t expecting this to signal a particularly difficult campaign for Pep Guardiola’s side and Unibet offer a best price 1/10 about the 2018 and 2019 champions securing their Champions League spot for another season.
Chelsea have dropped a few points already but their recent 4-0 demolition of Crystal Palace illustrates their capacity to win football matches emphatically and the Blues are now a best price 8/13 to deliver on Frank Lampard’s aim to secure a top-four position, while the manager will also be harbouring hopes that his team can challenge for the title.
Everton and Tottenham Hotspur the Big Market Movers
Everton were as big as 20/1 to land a Premier League Top Four spot before a ball was kicked this season, although the Toffees 100% start to the season means that Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been the big market mover when it comes to this popular football betting market.
The Toffees are 11/4 to secure a top four berth which would be celebrated wildly by the blue half of Merseyside who have had to contend with being in Liverpool’s shadow for several decades and it appears that the team look capable of delivering on their target.
Tottenham Hotspur also look viable candidates to finish in the top four and Paddy Power offer a best price 15/8 about Jose Mourinho’s side after their brilliant win over Manchester United, with the squad suddenly looking packed with quality and that includes a fit and firing Harry Kane.
Arsenal are also difficult to ignore and they are trading at 15/8 after a positive start which has seen the Gunners collect nine points from four matches, although they might struggle to break down the lesser teams this season, while Leicester City are out to 9/2 after being turned over at home to West Ham.