Nobody Wants to Finish in the Top Five, and Everton Are Quietly Loving It

The Premier League's Most Reluctant Race

There is something delightfully absurd about a Champions League qualification battle where every supposed contender seems determined to trip over their own shoelaces. And yet, lurking in the background like a guest who was not on the invite list, Everton have gatecrashed the party.

With seven league games remaining, the Toffees sit eighth on approximately 46 points, just three behind fifth-placed Liverpool. That gap looked modest before the weekend. After Everton dismantled Chelsea 3-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on 21 March, it looks even more inviting.

The State of Play

Let us set the scene. Manchester United occupy third on 55 points, having drawn 2-2 with Bournemouth on 20 March in what has become a recurring theme of almost-but-not-quite performances. Aston Villa sit fourth with 51 points, while Liverpool round out the top five on 49.

England is on track for a fifth Champions League spot again next season, courtesy of UEFA's coefficient rankings. That fifth ticket is the prize everyone is supposedly chasing. The problem is that nobody appears especially keen to claim it.

Liverpool have reportedly lost 10 Premier League games this season, which, if confirmed, would be their worst tally since the 2015-16 campaign. Villa, who looked unstoppable during an eight-game winning streak between November and December 2025, have gone distinctly wobbly since. Manchester United may well have topped the 10-game form table earlier in the season, though the exact figures remain difficult to pin down independently.

Chelsea in Freefall

Then there is Chelsea. Oh dear.

Liam Rosenior's side have now lost four consecutive matches. Two of those came in the Champions League, where Paris Saint-Germain dispatched them 8-2 on aggregate in a last-16 hammering that felt even worse than the scoreline suggests. Defeats to Newcastle and then Everton in the league have only deepened the gloom at Stamford Bridge.

That 3-0 defeat at Goodison's successor ground was particularly chastening. Beto scored twice, in the 33rd and 62nd minutes, before Ndiaye added a third on 76 minutes in front of 52,547 supporters. Everton climbed to seventh and now sit within two points of Chelsea in sixth.

Could Everton Actually Do This?

Here is where it gets genuinely interesting. Everton have not competed in the Champions League proper since 1970-71, when they reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup before Panathinaikos ended their run. Their last taste of any European competition was a forgettable Europa League group stage exit in 2017-18.

David Moyes' return, backed by American ownership and smart summer recruitment including Jack Grealish, has transformed the mood on Merseyside. The new Hill Dickinson Stadium has given them a genuine fortress. And now the results are following the vibes.

The maths is straightforward enough. Three points off fifth with seven games to play is entirely bridgeable, especially when every team above them seems intent on dropping points at the worst possible moments. Only Arsenal and Manchester City have looked consistently solid in recent weeks, though their exact unbeaten runs are tricky to confirm down to the last fixture.

The Verdict

Is it likely? Probably not. Is it possible? Absolutely. And that is what makes this the most entertaining top-five race in years.

Everton's form, their new home advantage, and the sheer mediocrity of the teams above them all point to a genuine outside shot. If Chelsea continue their nosedive and Liverpool keep finding new ways to lose, the Toffees could find themselves in a European spot that nobody else seemed to want.

Sometimes the best way to win a race is to let everyone else crash into each other. Everton appear to have worked that out.

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