State of the EPL - 04/02/26

We’re more than 80% of the way through the English Premier League season and there are clear delineations between the elite and the also-rans this season. With the league having the weekend off for the Easter holiday, it gives a good opportunity to see what’s at stake in the stretch run of the season. Let’s take a look at where things stand in the EPL at this point of the year.

The Race for the Champions League

The top four teams in the EPL advance to Champions League play, which will get underway in July. As it stands, with teams having seven or eight matches left in the season, there are two squads that seem virtual locks to punch their tickets. Arsenal (21 wins, three losses, seven draws) is atop the standings with 70 points. They hold a nine-point lead advantage over Manchester City (18-5-7, 61 points), though Manchester City does have a match in hand.

Manchester United (15-6-10, 55 points) and Aston Villa (16-9-6, 54 points) round out the top four at this point. Liverpool (14-10-7, 49 points) and Chelsea (13-9-9, 48 points) are trying to climb into the top quartet of clubs. They currently hold spots to qualify for the Europa League league phase and the conference league playoff round, respectively. Brentford and Everton (both 13-11-7, 46 points) are right on their heels.

Road to Relegation

Three squads end up being relegated down to the EFL Championship at the end of the season. Two of those three seem to be locked in at this stage of the season. Wolverhampton Wanderers (3 wins, 20 losses, eight draws, 17 points) and Burnley (4-19-8, 20 points) are the bottom two squads. Burnley is 10 points behind Tottenham Hotspur, who currently stands 17th and safe from relegation, though it is rather precarious at this stage. West Ham United (7-16-8, 29 points) is one point behind Hotspur and would be relegated if the season were to end today.

There are four teams crowded between 15th and 18th place, separated by just four points in the standings. Leeds United (7-12-12, 33 points) stands 15th in the standings, followed by Nottingham Forest (8-15-8, 32 points) are 16th. The aforementioned Tottenham Hotspur (7-15-9, 30 points) along with West Ham United right behind. The fixtures between some of these sides down the stretch will have a massive impact on relegation.

Managerial Changes Continue

It’s been a busy year when it comes to sacking managers across the league. There have been a dozen managerial changes with Nottingham Forest leading the way with three. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United each have two changes on the docket. This number will climb again as it has been announced that Oliver Glasner is expected to leave Crystal Palace June 30.

The latest hotspot for sackings has been Tottenham Hotspur, who has dumped three managers in the last calendar year. Ange Postecoglou, who was 47-39-15 with the club, was let go on June 5, 2025. He was replaced by Thomas Frank, who was 7-11-8 in EPL play (13-14-11 overall) in his time. Frank was turfed on February 11, having posted the lowest winning percentage (34.2%) in team history. Igor Tudor took over and went 1-5-1 in seven fixtures before mutually stepping down last weekend. It was announced that Roberto De Zerbi signed a five-year deal to take over as manager of the team as they look to avoid relegation.