We’re already filing this season’s Premier League under ‘no, we’re not even going to try explaining this’.
Leicester are seven points clear, Chelsea are stuck in mid-table, and Spurs have the best goal difference by far. There’s no point trying to make sense of it, just enjoy it for what it is.
But as we very well know, it’s not over until it’s over. There are still at least five games to play (some teams have six, Liverpool and Everton have seven).
And someone has crunched the numbers to work out where each of the 20 clubs in the division can finish (note: we’re not sure whether or not this accounts for fixture list specifics or just the finite number of available points).
https://twitter.com/ossianshine/status/720016113212518400
First things first, Aston Villa technically aren’t down yet, but it would need a hefty swing. They’re 15 points adrift of a Norwich side who host 18th-placed Sunderland on Saturday, and Villa themselves have just five games remaining.
Oh, and they haven’t won five games all season, so expecting them to get even five points from their remaining fixtures might be a stretch.
Leicester, meanwhile, have locked down a top four finish, and seem certain to go straight into the group stages of the Champions League by ending the season third, at worst.
Manchester City, currently fourth in the table, can end the season with a maximum of 75 points, leaving Claudio Ranieri’s side needing a win and a draw from their final five games to mathematically guarantee a place in the top three. Though they’ll be keen to do more than that, of course.
Further down the league, we have the bizarre situation whereby Chelsea are somehow not out of Champions League contention just yet.
Given where they where when Jose Mourinho was dismissed as manager, it’s a weird sentence to be writing.
Saying that, the equally accurate ‘Chelsea can still be caught by 17th-placed Norwich’ seems a more fitting assessment of their campaign.
Realistically, maybe one or two teams will be able to put a winning run together to drastically improve their position and earn that sweet, sweet bonus money. It’s all to play for, though.
