12 Mar 2014 14:45
Sixth spot for Everton as Chelsea take the title
Everton’s manager Roberto Martinez
Everton will finish above David Moyes’ Manchester United this season and qualify for Europe, according to statistical analysis from the Trinity Mirror data unit.
The number crunchers say the Blues will fare better than their former boss by taking sixth spot in the Premier League table, leaving the Red Devils seventh.
It would almost certainly send Roberto Martinez’s men into Europe next season, as Capital One Cup winners Manchester City have all but secured a Champions League place. If City finish in the top four, as predicted, the team finishing sixth in the table will go into the Europa League next season.
In the data unit’s predicted table, City finish seven points behind ‘champions’ Chelsea with Liverpool third and Arsenal fourth. Spurs take fifth place, finishing four points clear of Everton.
Fulham, Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion are set for the drop, with Sunderland managing to survive with a paltry 35 points.
The projected table analyses who each team has left to play in the league, and then compares that to how they have previously performed against teams of that calibre this season.
By breaking the league down into bands (top 4 team = band 5, team in next 4 = band 4, etc), the analysts were able to see how many points, on average, each team gets against teams from each band. This was then cross referenced against their upcoming fixtures, enabling the data unit to project how many points they will have received come the end of the season.
More Everton FC news
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