Champions League Spots Up for Grabs as Premier League Opens Up

Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal recorded vital wins in the Premier League this week to partially secure their spots in the top four.

The victories were made all the more valuable considering top four aspirants Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Birmingham City also made significant strides in their bid to win a Champions League spot.

Chelsea's 2-1 win against Fulham in particular has put "The Blues" five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, thus ending a five-match winless streak in the process.

It was a critical victory for Carlos Ancelotti's men, who are now set to lose star players Didier Drogba and Michael Essien due to the African Cup of Nations tournament.

No doubt United and Arsenal will see this as a grand opportunity to make a move on the London club, let alone secure a Champions League spot for next season.

Despite being in a prime position to challenge for the title, both United and Arsenal have their spots in the top four somewhat under threat.

Arsenal find themselves only one point ahead of rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who yesterday defeated West Ham United 2-0 to move into the fourth and final automatic Champions League place.

Both Manchester and Birmingham City also kept pace with their top four rivals, recording crucial victories against Wolverhampton and Stoke City, respectively.

Indeed Liverpool's clash against Aston Villa tomorrow has become a must-win affair for the Premier League giants, who are now in real danger of missing out on European football next season.

Rafael Benitez' men simply must win to keep alive their hopes of scrapping into the top four and rescuing a season filled with underachievement.

Villa, on the other hand, have a terrific chance to leapfrog Spurs into fourth position on the Premier League ladder, if they snare the three points against Liverpool.

As we near the end of 2009, nine teams have a realistic chance of staking a claim for a top four berth.

The fourth and ninth placed teams are only separated by 10 points.

That margin could have been narrowed down to seven if Fulham managed to consolidate their great start against Chelsea yesterday.

Regardless, it is shaping up as one of the more open Premier League seasons in years, after continual dominance from United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

It appears, however, that at least one of the big four English clubs will bid farewell to a Champions League spot next year.

As to who will assume the final place in Europe's premier club competition is still very much open to conjecture.