In order to stop staring at the league table, I've created my own spread sheet.
I've created four scenarios:
- Repeating form over remaining matches as just completed
- Repeating average season form over remaining matches
- Repeating form against same opponents from earlier in the season
- Predictions of remaining fixtures*
* As the Prediction League suggests, I'm shocking at this. However, I have meddled with my results by adding some science, some averaging based on win rates, draw rates, points averages, etc.
I've then equally weighted the four scenarios to give an average expectation of what will happen.
And it's quite interesting.
Firstly, we've already got enough points to finish fifth. Man Utd and Liverpool both finish with 61 points.
There is a final day thriller between Arsenal, Man City and West Ham for the two remaining Champions League places. West Ham blow it with a final day defeat at Stoke.
Spurs never get any closer to us than they currently are and finish with a respectable 73 points. Some 5 points clear of the hated rivals Arsenal in 3rd.
We win it with 80 points. We cruise it in fact. Even my nightmare scenario where our bottle goes and we win one of our last 6 games still has us winning it by scrambling a draw at home to Everton. In no scenario does it get as far as the last game.
This is of course mere conjecture and statistics prove nothing. Which means this is an entirely pointless post. Except it made me panic a little less about the coming weeks for an hour.