Steve Nicol gives his verdict as West Ham end Liverpool's outstanding 25-sport unbeaten run. (1:04)
Forget the race for the Premier League identify: the stakes are at their maximum in the warfare to finish fourth. Three huge clubs -- Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur -- appear locked in a race for the very last spot in subsequent season's Champions League in spite of everything being plunged into crisis this season, however they're taking exclusive routes to salvaging their pursuits which may but be dashed through the not going presence of West Ham United.
United are taking a strategic gamble proper now on the managerial state of affairs at Old Trafford. Despite again-to-returned home defeats -- a few could say humiliations -- towards Liverpool and Manchester City, assets have informed ESPN that the Glazer circle of relatives, United's proprietors, trust that keeping their nerve with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gives the best threat of the team achieving the minimal goal of qualifying for subsequent season's Champions League.
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Tottenham, in the meantime, have taken an opportunity view on their possibilities of a pinnacle-four finish. After struggling consecutive losses in opposition to West Ham and Manchester United -- direct opponents for the top four -- Spurs chairman Daniel Levy sacked supervisor Nuno Espirito Santo and moved quickly to replace him with former Chelsea instruct Antonio Conte.
United chose no longer to sack Solskjaer and flip to Conte after the 5-zero loss to Liverpool remaining month, but the calculation at Spurs turned into that a alternate needed to be made and that doing so now might keep the team's Champions League hopes alive. At the time of Nuno's dismissal, Spurs were in 8th role, just factors in the back of fourth-located West Ham.
And then there is Arsenal. Remember while the Gunners had been the Premier League's club in crisis and Mikel Arteta changed into combating to stay in his activity as supervisor at the Emirates? The days of Arsenal's worst-ever start to a top-flight season, following three directly defeats in opposition to Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City after they conceded nine desires with out scoring, seem a distant reminiscence in the wake of a revival that has seen Arteta's team climb to fifth following six wins and two attracts in eight games for the reason that.
Sources told ESPN that Arteta's position changed into in no way deemed to be underneath chance by means of the Arsenal hierarchy. It changed into seen in the membership that the previous Gunners midfielder, appointed as successor to Unai Emery in December 2019, become absolutely experiencing the pain and difficulties that have been anticipated whilst he set approximately the undertaking of re-shaping the squad and turning the group round.
Arsenal's assist for Arteta turned into unequivocal, and not using a trace of a alternate being made within the manager's workplace. At United, however, assets have stated that capability alternatives which include Leicester City's Brendan Rodgers are being considered should the situation go to pot further following a dark run of four defeats in six league games.
So which technique will prove to be the most astute and a success while the season reaches its conclusion? Arsenal's loyal faith, Tottenham's ruthlessness or United's policy of, relying on your point of view, retaining their alternatives open or dithering. West Ham, beneath David Moyes, may also show to be the fly inside the ointment for all three golf equipment if they are capable of sustain the form that has visible them climb to third function going into November's international break, however United, Spurs and Arsenal have all taken their personal man or woman selections on the idea of what is maximum likely to permit them to disclaim the Hammers.
