sport news CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RACE PREDICTION: Who is set to finish in the top four? trends now

With less than two months until the final day of the Premier League, the summit of the table is still  fiercely contested between table-topping Arsenal and last year's winners, Manchester City. 

But there's another fight afoot – as the league restarts this weekend after the international break, a number of clubs will be fighting for the final two places in the Champions League. 

As it stands, Manchester United are third on 50 points, and Tottenham sit a place below with 49 points. 

But snapping at their heels are Newcastle, Liverpool, Brighton, and Brentford, with all six teams separated by only eight points. 

As the final whistle blows on the last day of the season, who'll be looking ahead to a future in Europe? And who only just misses out? Sportsmail takes a look at the contenders' remaining matches to predict who might end up in those coveted positions.  

Liverpool were hit with a wave of inconsistency heading into the international break, and in their first week of Premier League ties after the restart could still be without important players such as Luis Diaz and Thiago Alcantara at full fitness. 

19th-placed Bournemouth might not prove the challenge that rivals for Europe Brentford will for Brighton, but Roberto De Zerbi's side are in white-hot form and they will be keen to continue it after the break. 

United might struggle, however, as they continue to go without Casemiro due to his three-match ban following a red card picked up at Southhampton earlier in the month. Brentford will waste no time capitalising on his absence, and those of a number of United players, potentially including Christian Eriksen, Marcel Sabitzer, and Marcus Rashford.   

Sean Dyche's beleagured Everton side are more than capable of providing a stitch-up – their late equaliser at Stamford Bridge before the international ties is a testament to their never-say-die spirit as they battle relegation – but away from home, a strengthened United side should have no trouble swiping the win. 

Newcastle might not put five past Brentford as they did in October, but the promise of solidifying their grip on third place should prove too good to pass up.

Unless Tottenham find greater unity and verve under interim manager Cristian Stellini, Brighton will be able to make hay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and a trip to Anfield should prove an interesting psychological battle for league-leaders Arsenal.  

The most interesting tie of a seemingly-straightforward game week, sees Brighton travel to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues were thrashed by Roberto De Zerbi's side at the Amex earlier in the season, making for an ignominious return for Graham Potter. 

But the former Seagulls manager is in charge of a new-look (if still uneven) Chelsea – likely to include the much-missed N'Golo Kante as well as late-season standouts Enzo Fernandez and Joao Felix. 

Forest bloodied Liverpool's nose in October, but Jurgen Klopp's men are likely to return the favour at the business end of the season. An uptick in positive results should see the home side run out as winners. 

With Brighton and United on FA Cup duty, Newcastle have no time to waste in shoring up their hold on the third Champions League place.

Eddie Howe's men took all three points on the road in north London, and have a better chance to do so at St James' Park.

Free-flowing and highly creative, a full-strength United side is the antithesis of how a retroactive Spurs side have looked under former manager Antonio Conte, and it remains to be seen if Stellini can unpick the team's knottiness. 

In recent history, Chelsea have been at their hardiest against Brentford, and kept

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