Out of nowhere, the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League is back on. Manchester United’s win away at Chelsea on Monday Night Football may not have done VAR any favours, but those chasing a top-four spot rejoiced as the Blues gave up more ground.

A little over a month ago, all was looking rosy at Stamford Bridge. On January 11th, a routine 3-0 triumph at home to Burnley saw Tammy Abraham notch his 15th goal of the campaign, and promising winger Callum Hudson-Odoi netted his second in as many games as he looked set to prove why he had been given a £100-a-week contract.

Fast forward five weeks, and neither player has scored since, with both picking up knocks and Frank Lampard’s team winless in four league outings.

Chelsea’s poor form has left the door ajar for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Arsenal, and even Sheffield United and Wolves who are undeniably now in contention.

The Blues’ odds to finish in the top four were as short as 1/3 last month, but you can now get them at EVS by claiming the 888sport new customer offer and heading to the outright Premier League markets.

Spurs at 9/4 are sure to appeal to some punters given their recent run of results under Jose Mourinho, but injuries to Harry Kane and most recently Son Heung-min are sure to be problematic.

Manchester United came in from 8/1 to 7/2 following their victory at Chelsea, while Wolves and Sheffield United are both priced at 14/1. The Blades’ odds would certainly be shorter if they weren’t such a surprise package.

While those prices may be considered big, it is the 28/1 price for Arsenal to sneak into the top four that provides the most intrigue.

The Gunners’ results under Mikel Arteta can be defined in a number of ways, be it positive or negative, but the fact is, the only defeat they have suffered during his reign so far was his first outing against Chelsea.

Two wins and four draws have followed, and they will need to turn those draws into wins if they are to have any chance of usurping Chelsea. A better disciplinary record will go a long way towards achieving that, as red cards at Stamford Bridge and against Crystal Palace all but ended any hope of coming out on top in either of those fixtures.

Arsenal’s upcoming schedule will give fans some hope. Everton must be leapfrogged on Sunday, and after that, there are winnable contests against West Ham, Brighton, Southampton and Norwich.

Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester United all have a trickier March by comparison, and the Gunners will need Wolves and Sheffield United’s form to dip as they get set for the run-in.

Not only does Arsenal’s schedule look promising, at least until Easter, but they also have almost a fully fit squad at just the right time. Kieran Tierney and Cedric Soares are expected back in training this month, leaving Calum Chambers as the only absentee.

With the mixture of attacking talent on the Gunners’ roster, Arteta has no shortage of options at the front end of the pitch. Mesut Ozil looked back to somewhere near his best against Newcastle on Sunday, and even more encouraging was Nicolas Pepe’s two goals and assist against the Magpies.

Additionally, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continues to score at an excellent rate, and Alexandre Lacazette is able to provide quality back-up along with the Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli, who looks like a star in the making.

Arsenal remain an outside bet for the top four and their Europa League commitments will not help, but the buy-low window may not be open for much longer as things begin to click at the Emirates. For those looking to place a bet, My Betting Sites compares UK bookmakers and lists all of the best sign up offers on the market.