John Barnes has warned Manchester United that West Ham are real contenders to clinch the final Champions League place ahead of them this season.
Due to the dreadful start United made to the season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, any faint dream of winning the Premier League for the first time since 2013 has already been snuffed out.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City have already cut away from the rest of the chasing pack, with the reigning champions already 14 points ahead of their cross-town rivals at the top of the table.
With the top three places looking pretty much certain, the rest of the league's best teams will be left to duke it out for the final Champions League space.
West Ham were on Wednesday pushed out of the top four with defeat at Arsenal, who jumped into the final Champions League spot in the process, with Tottenham four points further back having played three games fewer.
However, Barnes believes the Hammers have a real chance of qualifying for Europe's top competition for the first time in their history.
“When we talk about getting in the top four, we mean fourth place. We know which teams will finish in the top three - Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea," Liverpool legend Barnes told BonusCodeBets.
“West Ham will feel they have a chance of coming fourth. Not just because they have a good team, but because Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United are inconsistent and they’re in transitional periods.
“West Ham must play at the top of their game if they want that fourth spot.
“To win the league, it’s not about beating Liverpool and Man City, it’s about beating everyone else. To finish fourth is the same.
"Avoiding relegation isn’t about beating the big boys, it’s about getting points off the others. West Ham are no different to any other club in that respect. They must simply focus on beating everyone else.”
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