With four Premier League games remaining, the fight for top four remains extremely tight between fierce rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
After a big drop in form by Manchester United, north London rivals Arsenal and Spurs remain the two teams battling it out for the final spot in the Premier League top four. The Gunners currently occupy fourth place on 63 points whilst Spurs sit in fifth on 61, with just two points separating the two sides.
Despite being behind on points, Spurs do boast a better goal difference, meaning if both sides ended the season level on points, Spurs could have the edge over Mikel Arteta's side. Both sides must also play each other once more, with the outcome of that clash potentially playing a pivotal role in the final outcome.
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So, how could the top four look at the end of the season? Will it be Arsenal or Spurs who claim UEFA Champions League football for next season? Let's find out.
We used Football Manager 2022 to simulate each of the remaining four fixtures that Arsenal and Spurs are set to play to see how they both could perform. We also used the same Arsenal and Spurs line-up in all of the simulated games.
The Arsenal XI was as follows in all of the remaining simulated fixtures (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tavares; Elneny, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Nketiah.
The Spurs XI was as follows in all of the remaining simulated fixtures (3-4-3): Lloris; Romero, Dier, Davies; Royal, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Sessegnon; Kulusevski, Kane, Son.
Gameweek 35
Arsenal 1-2 Leeds United
Liverpool 2-0 Spurs
Both sides got off to a tough start in the final four games, with the Gunners and the Lilywhites both tasting defeat. 10-men Arsenal lost 2-1 at home to relegation battling Leeds, whilst Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
The loss for Spurs could've been expected against a strong Liverpool side, but Arsenal's loss to Leeds was a big shock as Arteta's side missed a big chance to open up the gap. The two point gap between the two sides remained after gameweek 35.
Gameweek 36
Spurs 3-1 Arsenal
In a pivotal result for the top four race, Spurs beat Arsenal in the North London Derby 3-1 to overtake the Gunners in the league table. Bukayo Saka scored in response to Harry Kane's early opener, but a second half brace from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg handed Conte's side the win.
Not only was the result big in terms of bragging rights for Spurs, but it meant that with two games remaining, the Lilywhites sat one point ahead of Arsenal in fourth place. With the gap closed to just one point, Spurs' goal difference advantage was looking even more important than before.
Gameweek 37
Newcastle 0-0 Arsenal
Spurs 1-1 Burnley
Both sides were held to draws in the penultimate game of the season, meaning the Gunners remained one point behind Spurs going into the final day. A tough trip to Newcastle saw the Gunners held to a stalemate, whilst a rejuvenated Burnley side held Spurs to a 1-1 draw.
Gameweek 38
Arsenal 2-0 Everton
Norwich 0-2 Spurs
The final day of the season saw both sides win, with the Gunners 2-0 win over Everton relegating the Toffees. A brace from Emile Smith-Rowe handed Arsenal a 2-0 win, meaning if they were to claim a top four spot, Spurs would need to drop points.
Conte's side didn't however, with a Harry Kane double giving Spurs a 2-0 win over bottom of the league, Norwich City. So, how did the Premier League table look after the final four games?
Spurs ended the simulated season in the Premier League top four on 68 points, with their north London derby victory the turning point in the race for fourth place. Arsenal hit a run of poor form in the final four games of the season, losing two and drawing one and finishing fifth, just one point behind their rivals.
Overall, the simulation predicts that the Premier League top four race could go down to the final day of the season, with the North London Derby potentially the pivotal fixture in the final four games.
Who do you think will finish in the top four? Let us know in the comments!
