Opta super-computer names every Premier League club’s final position as big-name club drop OUT of the Champions League places – and will Man United move further up the table?

Opta’s super-computer has predicted the final finishing position of every Premier League side ahead of the end-of-season run-in.

As we enter the final international break of the campaign, all but two sides have just nine matches remaining, with Newcastle and Crystal Palace having 10 left to play due to the Carabao Cup final. Liverpool got the game they were due to play at the weekend – a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa – out the way last month.

And it is indeed the Reds who, despite a week from hell which saw them knocked out of the Champions League and losing the Carabao Cup final, sit pretty at the top of the tree.

Arne Slot‘s men have a 12-point lead over closest rivals Arsenal, one that many are of the belief simply cannot be closed to stop the Reds winning just their second-ever Premier League title.

That may be the case – but what does Opta have on say of the matter? Who will likely finish in the Champions League and other European places? And can Ipswich, Leicester or Southampton get out of the bottom three?

Taking into consideration form and fixtures, Opta has answered all of those questions and predicted where each side will finish come May 25.

Arsenal are set to finish second, missing out on a first top flight title since the 2003-4 season

Chelsea are predicted to fall out of the Champions League places – finishing sixth overall

Indeed, it is Liverpool who will likely win the league, according to the boffins at Opta. Slot’s men, despite their recent blips, are given a 98.98 per cent chant of lifting the title ahead of Arsenal, who are given a 1.02 per cent change of claiming their maiden first division title since 2004.

With teams such as Everton, Leicester, West Ham and Crystal Palace left to play, it is predicted that Liverpool will end on 89.43 points, which result in them taking 19.43 points from their last nine games at an average of 2.16 points per game.

Arsenal, are expected to end on 76.75 points, around 13 behind Liverpool, taking 18.75 matches from their last nine games at a rate of 2.08 points per game, including matches against the likes of Ipswich, Newcastle and Bournemouth.

In a plus for Nottingham Forest fans, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are predicted to finish in the Champions League places, nearly two points ahead of Manchester City to secure a return to European football.

City are expected to come fourth as they surrender their title, 1.82 points behind Forest. Completing England’s quota for European competition is expected to be League Cup champions Newcastle – ahead of Chelsea.

The Magpies are currently sixth in the league table, two points behind Chelsea with a game in hand. Win that, and they will leapfrog both City and the Blues into fourth.

Eddie Howe’s men are predicted to finish on 63.95 points, given a 30.44 per cent chance of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition for next season. It would mark their return to the Champions League after a year away – they have already qualified for Europe after beating Liverpool on Sunday.

That would leave Chelsea finishing outside of the top five, being the first side to secure Europa League football – which they will do anyway if they win the Conference League, as is expected.

Nottingham Forest’s fine form is set to continue and earn the club a return to Europe

Enzo Maresca’s Blues have won just two of their last five league matches – versus Southampton and Leicester

Brighton are set to miss out on the Champions League places but qualify for Europe – while Aston Villa may have to win the Champions League to play in it again next term

Manchester United’s form has improved of late, but they could still finish only 13th in league

Newcastle have already qualified for Europe by winning the League Cup, but are hunting Champions League qualification too

Enzo Maresca’s side have fallen off a cliff in terms of their form this calendar year. Once thought to be in a three-way title race alongside Liverpool and Arsenal, they are not struggling to hold onto their top-five status.

In the league, they have won just two of their last five matches – against Southampton and Leicester – and are struggling in front of goal, with talisman Cole Palmer struggling for form himself.

According to Opta, the Blues will finish just 0.61 points behind Newcastle, with their game against the Magpies on May 10 – three games out from the end of the season – set to be crucial,

Overall, they are given a 27.37 per cent chance of qualifying for the Champions League in Maresca’s first season in charge.

That also means there will be no Champions League finish for the likes of Brighton, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Fulham, who themselves have premier European aspirations.

While all four sides could still qualify for Europe by winning either the FA Cup or Champions League, they face battles to do so via their league positions.

Currently, Brighton are seventh in the league, Fulham eighth, Villa ninth and Bournemouth 10th. Via Opta’s prediction, Brighton will finish where they are now, Villa eighth, Bournemouth ninth and Fulham 10th.

5.1 points are predicted to separate the sides, with Brighton given 8.32 per cent chance of finishing in the Champions League places, ahead of Villa at 3.02 per cent. Fulham are given less than one per cent chance.

Lower down the table, Manchester United and Tottenham are expected to finish 13th and 14th respectively.

United have improved lately – unbeaten in their last seven games in 90 minutes – but the damage done earlier in the season means European qualification is nearly impossible.

Finally, in terms of relegation, it seems an incredible long shot that any of the newly-promoted teams will stay up this season.

Southampton, who are still currently at risk of failing to topple Derby County’s worst-ever Premier League points finish, are given a 100 per cent chance of relegation. They are, however, predicted to finish with 14.65 points – 5.65 points more than what they have now and 3.65 more than Derby’s 11.

Leicester, who are on a dire run of form under Ruud van Nistelrooy, are currently nine points adrift of Wolves in 17th in the league table and are given a 99.54 per cent chance of survival.

There’s also not much more hope for Ipswich, who on the same points of Leicester, are given 99.32 chance of relegation. Wolves are the only other side with more than zero per cent chance of going down, at 1.14 per cent chance.