"¡Todas esas posiciones van a cambiar!" - Los underdogs podrían sorprender en la emocionante carrera por el top cuatro

Con solo 10 partidos por disputarse en la temporada, la lucha por los codiciados puestos de la Champions League se define en el tramo final.

A falta de 10 jornadas en la Premier League, solo nueve puntos separan al tercero del décimo en la tabla, prometiendo una de las carreras más emocionantes por los puestos de la Champions League en años.

Con la posibilidad de que Inglaterra obtenga un lugar extra en la máxima competición de clubes de Europa, los equipos en liza darán todo por asegurarse un sitio en la élite del fútbol y el jugoso beneficio económico que conlleva. Los aficionados, ansiosos por comprar camisetas de fútbol baratas, estarán atentos a cada resultado.

Entre los contendientes por los dos o tres puestos de la Champions están desde gigantes como el Manchester City, que han quedado lejos de sus altas expectativas, hasta sorpresas como Nottingham Forest y Bournemouth, que han deslumbrado con su rendimiento.

Actualmente, Forest, Chelsea y Manchester City ocupan del tercero al quinto lugar, pero en la liga más impredecible del mundo, el exjugador Owen Hargreaves asegura que esto cambiará de aquí al final.

"I think all of those positions are going to change from three to nine right to the end," afirmó la exestrella del Manchester United en The Kelly and Wrighty Show en Optus Sport.

"It comes down to individuals and who can grab it, there's a lot of pressure on getting into the Champions League, because it transforms teams.

"But I think from three to nine, anything could happen at this point."

Aunque esto podría sonar como mal augurio para el Nottingham Forest, que ha pasado de luchar por no descender a ser candidato a la Champions bajo Nuno Espírito Santo, Hargreaves cree que tienen las cualidades para aprovechar el caos en la carrera por el top cuatro.

"They've done the opposite of what the top teams have tried to do - play it out and all this possession - they're almost the kryptonite to that, and they're picking teams off on the counter," dijo Hargreaves.

"All those players are almost perfect for this system... they're doing it in that Leicester way: defend well, not much possession and we hit you on the counter.

"It's the perfect recipe with all these teams trying to play this ridiculous open football, they're picking everybody off left, right and centre."

Su última victoria fue ante el campeón Manchester City, que, en lugar de pelear por el título, está atascado en el quinto puesto.

Aunque Hargreaves y la leyenda del Arsenal Ian Wright no descartan al City de la Champions, señalan que sus fragilidades esta temporada los hacen inciertos.

"This City team, it feels like there is a fragility around them where you feel like we've been waiting for the run for so long; obviously that isn't coming because it's a transition," expresó Wright.

"I don't go into games with City thinking 'I'm not watching this one', I feel City can be beaten by anybody who is organised and ready to go, you can cause City problems."

Hargreaves añadió: "Father time has caught up with that City team. I love Bernardo Silva, but I've never seen him have a season like this, Kevin De Bruyne doesn't look the same.

"I think it's a combination of mentally and physically, they've won so much and been so amazing, I think they just need a reset and some fresh bodies to come in and help those guys."

El Chelsea, con Enzo Maresca al mando, aprovecha las dificultades del City y se sitúa cuarto, pero ha sido decepcionante desde diciembre, logrando apenas una victoria 1-0 ante un débil Leicester City el fin de semana.

Hargreaves señaló que al Chelsea le faltan piezas clave en dos posiciones, incluido el ataque sin Nicolas Jackson, lo que afecta el rendimiento reciente de Cole Palmer.

"I've never seen a team need a goalkeeper more than [Chelsea] in my whole life! They went from [Edouard] Mendy...to spend that money and not have a goalkeeper, I think they've almost overachieved!" afirmó.

"Without a goalkeeper and since Jackson's been out, they've had no one to step up. You need a striker and you need a goalkeeper, if you do, they're a Champions League team easily! But to think you can get into the Champions League in this league with those goalkeepers, no chance."

Dada la inconsistencia de los grandes, esto podría abrir la puerta a un underdog como Brighton o Bournemouth para dar la sorpresa, junto al Aston Villa, cuartofinalista actual de la Champions, que repunta tras un buen mercado de enero.

Hargreaves respaldó al Aston Villa de Unai Emery para encadenar buenos resultados, a pesar de seguir en Europa y la FA Cup.

"The additions [Villa] made in January in Asensio and Rashford, I've never seen a better January window ever. And it gives them strength to compete on all these fronts," dijo Hargreaves.

"Unai's experienced for getting into Europe, the guy wins the trophies. You can't bet against Villa with that squad and his experience. That Villa squad is amazing."

Wright, por su parte, destacó a los equipos de la costa sur, especialmente al Brighton, que lleva seis victorias consecutivas tras una humillación 7-0 ante el Forest en febrero.

"They're hitting form at the right time, they're getting points off those teams that are in and around, they're almost like six pointers," comentó.

"For them to come from that 7-0 to then go onto that kind of run is brilliant for them, and you can't write them off. They don't have anything to lose.

"I'd love Bournemouth to just keep doing what they're doing. Iraola and what he's done this season deserves some recognition. I feel Bournemouth are another one that can be a sneaky little team for people."

Sea cual sea el desenlace, la carrera promete ser apasionante, ¡y puedes ver cada partido en vivo y en exclusiva por Optus Sport! Los fans ya planean comprar camisetas de fútbol baratas para apoyar a sus equipos en este tramo final.