Football - English Premier League Teams That Are Trying To Break In To The Top Four (EPL)

The English Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. Some of the teams play some fantastic football including Arsenal and Manchester United. The four Premier League teams are Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, but which other teams are trying to break in to the top four with all their might? And why are they trying to finish in the top four positions every season? Obviously for the UEFA Champions League football and all the financial gains that go with it.

You could say Fulham are trying, but probably not hard enough. They probably had the best Europa League season for a long time this season (2009/2010), and maybe one day will challenge for the top four positions and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. It is becoming more and more competitive with teams challenging for the top four as the seasons go by. Teams are always improving their squad and buying better quality players so they have strength in depth to challenge for the top four finish they so much desire.

For the past few seasons there have been some obvious teams who seem to get nearer to the fourth position to qualify for the UEFA Champions League position. To name some of them; Everton, Manchester City, Fulham, Aston Villa etc.

The most consistent four teams who might one day just manage to finish fourth position are:

Manchester City are the local rivals of one of the most famous football teams in the world, Manchester United.

The home of the team is City of Manchester Stadium and the last time they won any title was in 1976 when they won the League Cup.

The club was purchased by Abu Dhabi United Group in August 2008 and all of a sudden the club started to put in offers for high profile footballers from English and European clubs. They did break the British transfer record by signing Brazilian footballer, Robinho for a fee of £32.5 million pounds from Spanish football team, Real Madrid.

Manchester City have acquired some quality footballers from around the world and already had some quality players in their team before the spending spree started in 2009 of nearly £100 million pounds.

Chances of finishing fourth or above

Manchester City have the best chance to finish fourth or even higher with their financial power and quality and strength in depth of players. 2009/2010 will probably be the season that they achieve the top four finish with the skills and experience of their Italian manager, Roberto Mancini.

Some of Manchester City's players:

Carlos Tevez (Argentina), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Gareth Barry (England), Shaun Wright Philips (England), Kolo Toure Captain (Ivory Coast), Stephen Ireland (Ireland), Nigel De Jong (Holland), Patrick Vieira (France).

Tottenham Hotspur are also referred to as Spurs, who are based in Tottenham of North London. Their nearest rivals are Arsenal who are one of the top four teams in the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspurs' home ground is at White Hart Lane.

Spurs were the first ever team in the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup double in 1960/1961 season. They were also the first ever English club to have won a major European trophy - European Cup Winner's Cup in 1963.

Chances of finishing fourth or above

Tottenham keep trying their best they can to challenge for the fourth position every season, but fall short when it comes to consistency of getting results. With Manchester City edging closer to the fourth position, it is becoming more difficult for Tottenham to finish there. Their manager, Harry Redknapp, has brought them quite far since becoming manager, and he will keep trying to further their claim for fourth position in the seasons to come.

Some of Tottenham Hotspurs players:

Jermaine Defoe (England), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia), Heurelho Gomes (Brazilian), Luka Modric (Croatia), Peter Crouch (England), Jonathan Woodgate (England), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Iceland).

Aston Villa Football Club are the fourth highest major title winners in English football. Their home ground is called Villa Park and the club is also known as Villa. Their local rivals are Birmingham City Football Club based not very far from.

In 2006 Randy Learner (American) took full control of the club, and since then they have been getting stronger as a team with highly successful manager, Martin O'Neil, who also managed Celtic Football Club.

Chances of finishing fourth or above

Aston Villa do have the players and the manager to take them in to fourth position, but when compared to Manchester City and Tottenham, they fall short in some areas. Give them time, and they will get closer to finishing fourth season by season. They have the potential but it will take time.

Some of aston Villa's player:

John Carew (Norway), Gabriel Agbonlahor (England), Brad Friedel (USA), Carlos Cuellar (Spain), Wilfred Bouma (Holland), Ashley Young (England), Stewart Downing (England), Emile Heskey (England).

Everton Football Club are from the blue corner of Liverpool City, and the other corner is red of Liverpool Football Club. Everton and Liverpool derbies are always fierce on and off the pitch, which is proof that this fixture is one of the most anticipated in the English Premier League every season.

Everton have played in the top flight for over 107 seasons, playing the highest number of league games in the English Premier League, more than any other team. A breakaway group consisting of the former president of Everton and some players formed Liverpool F.C. in 1892. Everton left Anfield, now the home ground of Liverpool, and built their own stadium a few hundred yards down the road, Goodison Park, in 1892.

Everton managed to finish in the fourth position in the season 2004/2005 with the expertise of their young scottish manager, David Moyes, which was their highest ever position and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

Wayne Rooney broke into the team under David Moyes, and the youngster was sold to Manchester United for a fee of £27 million pounds.

Chances of finishing fourth or above

Everton have finished there before, and they have the potential to finish in the top four once again, but probably when they spend more money in buying quality players. They certainly have one of the best young managers who has been linked with replacing Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United. Their consistency, teamwork and hard work ethic should help them to finish in the top four if they keep up the team performances every season. They finished 5th position two years consecutively to qualify for the Europa League in 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 season.

Some of Everton's players

Tim Cahill (Australian), Marouane Fellaini (Belgium), Jack Rodwell (England), Louis Saha (France), Tim Howard (USA), Yakubu Ayegbeni (Nigeria), Stephen Pienaar (South Africa), Dan Gosling (England), John Heitinga (Holland), Leighton Baines (England), Phil Neville Captain (England).

 The top half of the English Premier League is getting more and more unpredictable with teams improving in quality of players and with the ambition to finish as high up the league table as possible.

The seasons to come will be very competitive between these four teams, and the top four teams in the league right now will be on their toes because they have stronger competition more than ever.