Paul Robinson has dismissed the chances of Manchester United overtaking Tottenham and Aston Villa to finish in the top four.
Gary Neville said Tottenham and Aston Villa would “feel the pressure” from Old Trafford after Eric ten Hag’s side recorded a miserable win over Luton Town [Sky Sports, 19 February].
But BBC Sport pundit Robinson, who agrees they are “in the conversation” after an upturn in form since the start of 2024, is unconvinced of their claim for a Champions League place on the basis of a full season.
The former England goalkeeper admits that expectations and reality are not necessarily always the same, so Ange Postecoglou still has a lot of work to do to eliminate the threat.
He told Tottenham News exclusively: “The first three are clear: Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, in whatever order, and then I think Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United are competing for fourth place.
“Yes, I think Manchester United are in the rankings, but only on the basis of recent form, not historical form over the course of the season.
“They have been good in defence. They started scoring goals, which was their Achilles heel, but I think individual performances and the collective over time will still stand out. They are a team in form and they have picked up a string of points, so are they in the relegation play-offs? Definitely.
“For me, Villa and Tottenham are the favourites. But it’s a different thing that they will get over the line.”
Aston Villa are Tottenham’s real rivals to qualify for the Champions League:
United could probably have lost every Premier League game since the turn of the year, but it has scored a number of results, and Tottenham is the only one it hasn’t beaten in that time, after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on 14 January.
It is clear that there is a Champions League battle on and although five Premier League teams could qualify, that is not going to happen at the moment, so Postecoglou and Spurs need to find a more consistent form.
Beating Villa will be a big enough challenge if the points continue to be dropped, but Ten Hag could get his side past the two who have sneaked in without looking particularly threatening at this stage.