GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Francisco Lindor didn't sound like a man who had been shopped around all winter and was approaching the end of his time with the Cleveland Indians. He sounded genuinely upbeat about the potential of a franchise that has spent the past two offseasons reducing payroll. He sounded sincere when he addressed reporters after Monday's workout and said, "I wanna win here. I wanna stay here."

In the end, as is always the case, money will be the deciding factor. Twenty months from now, Lindor will become eligible for free agency and will command a contract that could exceed the eight-year, $260 million deal Nolan Arenado signed to stay with the Colorado Rockies. The Indians probably won't go there. You could argue they can -- that practically every billionaire owner has the financial resources for such a commitment -- and Lindor would agree.

"The team is not broke, the league is not broke," he said. "There's money."

But the reality is Lindor's free-agent years could ultimately absorb about a quarter of the Indians' budget, and that ratio doesn't necessarily yield sustainable success in the sport. Indians president Chris Antonetti was adamant about his desire to keep Lindor when he spoke at the start of camp, but he also acknowledged the inherent difficulties.

"When you look at the economics of baseball, and the realities of building championship teams in a small market, it gets really tough," Antonetti said. "The interest is there, the desire is there, on both sides, to try to get something done. And whether or not that's possible, we just don't know."

Consider this a plea to play it out, regardless of where that leads. If the Mookie Betts trade taught us anything, it's that attaining equal value for generational talents is unrealistic -- especially if they're nearing free agency, even more so in a time when front offices are so protective of their prospects.

Rival evaluators believe the Boston Red Sox did well in their trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, considering Betts is only a season away from free agency and that they also wanted to offload David Price's contract. But it might not have been worth all the blowback. It might not have been enough to justify all those days -- 81 of them, at least -- when fans will sit in the stands at Fenway Park and not see Mookie Betts play.

Few executives were surprised Lindor wasn't traded this offseason. Many believed the Indians were mainly trying to get a sense for his market value, open to being blown away by an offer but mostly gathering intel for a potential trade in July. Given the urgency of teams vying for a spot in the postseason, the return might be better then than it would have been this past offseason. But if the Indians wait until the 2020-21 offseason, when only a year would separate Lindor from free agency, trading a franchise pillar might no longer be worth it.

In short, the Indians may reach that proverbial fork in the road in about five months.

"Our first priority would be if we could find a way to extend Francisco's term here," Antonetti said. "If that's not possible, then we have to look at alternate paths. And one of those paths is Francisco staying here till the end of his contract or term with us and leaving as a free agent. That could happen. That's happened with players here in the past. And there have been other situations in which we've traded them. It's really dependent upon a lot of factors that would play into those decisions. But our clear preference would be for him to be here beyond 2021."

Lindor, who won't turn 27 until November, accumulated 23.2 FanGraphs wins above replacement from 2016 to 2019, sixth highest in the sport. During that time, he batted .284/.346/.495, hit 118 home runs, stole 81 bases, played in four All-Star Games, won two Silver Sluggers and took home a couple of Gold Gloves at shortstop. The Indians are 72 years removed from their last World Series championship. They may never employ someone as good, as magnetic or as exciting as Lindor -- and they're still in a position to win with him.

The Minnesota Twins look like legitimate contenders and the Chicago White Sox suddenly loom as threats, but the Indians have the pitching depth to sustain the loss of Corey Kluber and still possess the talent to recapture the American League Central. The window is still open, even if only slightly, and who knows when it might be again? The Indians can hold on to Lindor for these remaining two years, give it their best shot, then live with the results of it. His talent justifies impracticality.

"I'm not sure we're gonna win 105 games or 100 games, but we're gonna compete, and it's gonna be a fun year," Lindor said. "We'll surprise a lot of people. A lot of people are not counting on us. I am."

Publicly, at least, Lindor and Antonetti continue to hold out hope for an extension.

The question is whether the Indians can consistently field a winning team with Lindor on their payroll.

"That's the biggest challenge," Antonetti acknowledged. "It's not the desire."

Antonetti said both sides have made "meaningful efforts" in their pursuit of an extension. Lindor understands his value and understands the business components that make trading him a possibility. The Dodgers, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds were all linked to him over the winter, but Lindor said he "didn't really pay much attention" to the rumors.

"Single, no kids, two dogs," he noted. "I can just pack up and go."

Perhaps he should just, you know, stay.

World marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei also beats old global mark but finishes a distant second behind Yeshaneh’s 64:31

Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh stormed to a world record-breaking victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Friday morning, beating Kenya’s world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei with her historic winning time of 64:31.

The fact that Kosgei finished 18 seconds behind but was still inside the previous world record set by Joyciline Jepkosgei is further proof of just how impressive Yeshaneh’s time is.

Jepkosgei had clocked her record 64:51 in Valencia in 2017.

In Ras Al Khaimah Kosgei had led, running behind pacemaker Geoffrey Pyego, and 5km was passed in 15:07 before further 5km splits of 15:11 and 15:23.

Only Yeshaneh remained with them at this point but over the next couple of miles the Ethiopian started to pull away.

She covered her second 10km split in 30:54 and went on to cross the finishing line in 64:31 to turn the tables on Kosgei, who had beaten her to Chicago Marathon victory in October when the Kenyan broke the world record with her winning time of 2:14:04 ahead of Yeshaneh’s 2:20:51.

Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru finished third in 65:34 for the fastest ever debut women’s half-marathon, with the next five women to finish also going sub-67 minutes.

“I didn’t imagine this result,” said Yeshaneh. “I am a world record-holder!”

ababel birhane set the new half marathon world record 64.31!!

Kosgei in 2nd place 64.48 under the previous world record ???

Simply amazing race!!#RAKHALF2020 pic.twitter.com/TuVVdZRr3x

— RAK Half Marathon (@rakhalfmarathon) February 21, 2020

Kosgei said: “Even if I did not win, I’m happy for this great race with Ababel. She is a friend and we have the same manager, so I’m very happy also for her.

“A good result to continue on my way to the London Marathon in April.”

Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie won the men’s race in 58:58, finishing 18 seconds ahead of his compatriot Alexander Mutiso.

The pacemaker had taken the leaders through 5km in 14:03 before 10km was passed in 28:07.

Munyao led through 15km in 42:01 but recent Kenyan cross-country champion Kandie came through to eventually win with a 21-second PB.

Ethiopia’s London Marathon third-placer Mule Wasihun was third in 59:47.

European record-holder Julien Wanders was 11th in 60:46.

The Scottish 800m man hopes the changes he has made continue to pay off as he targets another national title on his road to Tokyo

From Oreo biscuits, pizza and ‘winging it’ to a new nutrition plan, training set-up and structure, Guy Learmonth says the new decade feels like a fresh start – one in which he is happy, healthy and hopeful.

After a tough few years, the turn into 2020 and a looming Olympics prompted the 2017 world 800m semi-finalist to make some changes as he targets Tokyo.

While still guided by his long-time coach Henry Gray in the Scottish borders, Learmonth is now also working with Justin Rinaldi of the Fast 8 Track Club in Melbourne, while his brother Jack has taken on a stronger coaching role.

The changes seem to be paying off so far, as a third place in the AIT Grand Prix 600m in Athlone in 1:17.77 was followed by finishing in the same position over 800m at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow a few days later. It’s to the Emirates Arena where Learmonth will return this weekend as he targets a third British indoor title in front of another home crowd.

“I have been quite notorious for winging things,” says the 27-year-old who has an outdoor PB of 1:44.73 and an indoor best of 1:46.98. “But things were going wrong last year and I needed a solid structure, I needed everything in place and routine. That’s what we put together at the end of last year. I brought a lot of people in and everyone knows their role around me.

“Jack and Justin are really working together and putting things in place. We’ve kind of merged our training plans together, refined and refreshed things. It’s not been drastic changes but there’s a lot more structure around the whole programme.”

The 27-year-old’s growing team also includes his girlfriend and fellow athlete Jazmin Sawyers and, as a result, he says his life now also has a lot more calm and tranquility.

“Jaz doesn’t like taking any credit but I’ve told her the last few months, obviously she has played a huge role. She’s got me in these states of zen. I’m a lot more relaxed and calm. There were times that I would fly off the hinges every now and then. She has really brought a lot of calm, peace and tranquillity to my life.

“She knows how much potential I have but she knows at the same time that you can’t keep winging things, you need to have a lot of structure and put things in place. You need a game plan all year round not just a game plan for a couple of weeks.”

Those lessons have also crossed over into Learmonth’s nutrition, with the Lasswade runner now much more conscious about how he fuels himself.

“I’ve always been able to cut my weight very well but, at the same time, I can gain weight overnight as well,” he says. “I would go on crazy diets and then shed a tonne of weight a few weeks out from a big competition. You just feel really weak, it was a stupid thing to do. The position I put myself in, it wasn’t smart but it’s what I did.

“Probably the annoying thing is I had a lot of success out of doing that as well, so you kind of have this false sense, this confidence, that what you’re doing is working.

“I’m very in tune with my body so I know what I need to do but I needed a solid approach and structure to cut the weight as the weeks were going by as opposed to cutting 4 or 5kg a couple of weeks out.

“I got down to race weight very early this year and then just maintained it,” Learmonth adds. “I’ve been training at that weight so I’ve not been getting weak as opposed to cutting 4/5kg within a few weeks, having a one-off race, sometimes running well, sometimes running poorly and scratching my head and wondering why. I think that has had a big, big impact on how I have felt with training all this year and how I have felt in these races the last few weeks.

“It’s my own fault. I knew what I needed to do but, at the same time, it’s Oreo biscuits and pizzas and stuff – they are very tempting as well! I’m the sort of person that thinks I can eat that and run amazing the next day, that’s my downfall! I have to be realistic with myself. It’s something I’ve had to tighten up on.

“It’s Olympic year. Last year I almost pulled it off but I fell short, I didn’t reach Doha (world championships), and I want to make sure that doesn’t ever happen again. I want to be in finals, I want to be contesting for medals at major champs, and this is something that I needed to do, I needed to sort it out properly.”

After going through tough periods over the last few years and not enjoying his athletics – he lost his grandfather, one of his best friends was paralysed after a car crash and others close to him have suffered issues with alcohol – Learmonth still remained passionate and motivated in a sport he could never give up on. Now, he feels back to his old self.

“Just going out there with my mind and my body feeling free, back to how I felt when I was 17 or 18 and just having fun and running,” he adds.

“It has been three or four years of a painful time for me and my family with everything that has gone on. I feel like I have finally got over everything. It’s a new decade, it sounds a bit… but it’s a fresh start, isn’t it. Hopefully it can continue for the next 10 years.”

Running back on home soil in Glasgow this weekend will also give him the opportunity to settle unfinished business, he adds, with GB’s 2019 European Indoor Championships team captain having crashed out of that competition after a collision with Mark English during the semi-finals.

“One of the main reasons I wanted to race back in Glasgow this year was because of everything that happened with the indoors last year, with falling over and stuff,” he says. “I really do feel like I’ve got unfinished business.

“I could have easily just scrapped this indoor season and never raced back in the Emirates ever again because I was scared of falling over or failing, but that’s not who I am.

“It’s not built into my DNA to shy away from anything so I can’t wait to get back out there, have an amazing race.

“The crowds in the UK, the crowds in Scotland, they are just incredible. I really get a big lift and a big buzz from the energy in the Emirates Arena. It never ever disappoints. It’s amazing being able to engage with everyone.

“I think Glasgow will put on a big show and hopefully I can play a small part in that.”

There's plenty to admire about Liverpool's rise and run toward their first Premier League title -- and perhaps the best-ever Premier League points total. Hell, we've touched on most of it already. They've mastered the transfer market, revolutionized set pieces, changed the conversation around fullbacks, built the best front three in the world, identified the perfect goalkeeper and broken the concept of "conversion rates." Not to mention: they haven't lost a Premier League game since January ... of last year.

And yet, they've done all that despite letting one of the best attackers in the world go play somewhere else.

Amid the club's glittering success over the past two seasons, there's a former Liverpool prospect who's lighting it up for one of the best teams in one of the best leagues in the world, week in and week out. In his club's trademark sky-blue jerseys, he's breaking down opposing defenses in Lionel Messi-esque fashion, slipping past hapless opponents into the attacking third, sliding passes into space for his teammates, or putting the ball into the back of the net all by himself. Over the past three seasons, he's blossomed into a true foundational star, showing that if you build your team around him, you can challenge for a title.

We're, of course, talking about Lazio's Luis Alberto.

The conversation around the "most underrated player in the world" begins and ends with Luis Alberto. It's him, and I won't be hearing any dissent on the matter. Just take a look at the company he's keeping, and think about how often you've heard his name mentioned in the same breath as some of these dudes. My guess: probably never.

Since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, per TruMedia, only six players in Europe's Big Five leagues have at least 30 assists: Lionel Messi, Thomas Muller, Kevin De Bruyne, Alejandro Gomez, Jadon Sancho and Alberto. Yes, you only get assists if your teammates convert the passes for you, but the quality of Alberto's chance creation is right up there, too. He's got 26.25 expected assists since 17-18, only behind Messi, De Bruyne, Muller, Gomez, Dimitri Payet and Angel Di Maria.

When it comes to passes into the penalty area -- the most valuable kind of pass -- only Messi, Gomez, De Bruyne and fellow Liverpool cast-off Suso have completed more. And it's not just the final-ball, either. Only Messi, David Silva, Jorginho, Eden Hazard and De Bruyne have played more passes into the final-third. A quick note about the GOAT: Messi leads all of the categories we've mentioned so far. He's all right.

Although he's predominantly right-footed, Alberto tends to play his passes into the penalty area from the left edge of the penalty area and beyond. This is a heat map of the starting position for all of his passes into the box since 2017-18:

The locations for his 30 assists are a bit more scattered, if still tending toward that left channel. All the pass-spots are indicated below:

Take all of that together and you've got a devastating passer who's involved in all phases and facets of possession play. Since 2017-18, among players who have played at least 900 minutes, there are four players who have averaged at least 0.4 assists, 4.5 passes into the penalty area, and 20 passes into the final-third per 90 minutes: Messi, Neymar, De Bruyne and Luis Alberto. There simply aren't many players who can make the pass that establishes possession, make the pass that breaks the defense apart and make the pass that creates the goal. Lazio's got one of 'em.

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Despite all of that, Alberto's market value on the site Transfermarkt is just $44 million, while all of the other players are somewhere north on $150 million. On top of that, he's got a whopping one cap for Spain. That appearance came back in November 2017, and it's not like La Roja have desperately needed an incisive passer to break down a packed-in defense in any high-profile matches since then ...

Even with that surprisingly low (and not necessarily scientifically accurate) valuation, Lazio's acquisition of Alberto has to be one of the best deals of the past decade.

Liverpool bought him from Sevilla for $8.8m back in 2013. In his debut age-20 season at Anfield, he featured for 135 minutes in the Premier League, 51 minutes in the FA Cup and 72 minutes in the league cup. The highlight of his first year -- an assist to Luis Suarez in a 5-0 win over Tottenham -- ended up being the only highlight of his Liverpool career, as he never appeared in another competitive game for the club after their second-place finish in 2013-14. The next year, he went on loan to Malaga. Then, in 2015-16, it was another loan to Deportivo La Coruna.

Despite an impressive stint in Galicia -- at age 22, he was 18th in La Liga with 0.56 non-penalty goals+assists per 90 minutes -- Liverpool, ahead of Jurgen Klopp's first full season with the club, cut bait and sent Alberto to Lazio for $4.4 million, which was a 50% markdown on what they paid to acquire him.

Alberto didn't feature much in his first season in Rome, but he exploded as soon as he became a full-time starter. In 2017-18, he led Serie A in assists, and was third behind his teammate Ciro Immobile and Juventus' Paulo Dybala in npG+A per 90. No one completed more passes into the penalty area, and only Maurizio Sarri's Napoli trio of Lorenzo Insigne, Jorginho and Marek Hamsik completed more passes into the final third. Last season, Alberto missed 10 games due to injury, but when he played, he was just as dangerous: per 90 minutes, he was seventh in expected assists, second in passes into the box and third in passes into the final-third.

Without the consistent presence of Alberto, Lazio slumped down to eighth place last season after a fifth-place finish (well, tied for fourth on points) the year before. Well this year, Alberto's only missed one match and Lazio are only one point behind Juventus in first place. They have the best goal differential in Italy, and per the site FBRef, only Atalanta have a better expected-goal differential. Alberto, meanwhile, might be better than ever before: He's leading Serie A in assists, passes into the penalty area and passes into the final-third.

Per FiveThirtyEight, Lazio have a 22% chance of winning Serie A, and the betting markets are roughly in line with that, too. They're undefeated in their last 19 matches, a 15-win-and-four-draw stretch that includes an emphatic 3-1 win over Juventus back in early December. Their last loss came on Sept. 25, away to Inter, who they played (and beat) last weekend. With Alberto pulling the strings up down and across the field, Lazio are absolutely playing well enough to win the title; the only question is whether or not they can keep it up.

Alberto's former team is going to win a league title this season, and after Lazio took three points from Inter last weekend, Alberto might win one as well.

The Premier League is back at it after some notable midweek European action. Here's what to look out for:

JUMP TO: Leicester beat City with no Ndidi? | Arsenal finding stride | Angry Alli must move on | Game to watch | Team that needs luck | One thing that will happen | Predictions

THE WEEKEND'S BIG QUESTIONS

Who'll survive Chelsea vs. Tottenham?

For two teams who go into the weekend technically in the Champions League places (if you take into account Man City's ban next year), neither Chelsea nor Tottenham are in particularly good shape. In the blue corner we have Frank Lampard's side, in rotten form having collected only 15 points from their last 14 games. Also their top-scorer Tammy Abraham is out, N'Golo Kante will be struggling, neither of their goalkeeping options inspire confidence and there is a general malaise around the side at the moment. You wonder whether, if their manager wasn't Lampard, he would still be in a job.

And in the white corner there's Tottenham, without their two most/only potent attacking forces in Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, possibly for the rest of the season, and with a manager who will use that as a reason to play despairingly unambitious football. Jose Mourinho spent most of his postmatch media duties following their 1-0 Champions League defeat to RB Leipzig complaining about the physical state of his squad which, while not ideal, got tiresome after a while.

All of which adds up to a pair of teams who are not in a good moment. This could be a tense, grim, but nonetheless fascinating, encounter between two of the teams looking to take advantage of City's suspension from the Champions League.

How will Leicester solve the Ndidi problem?

Leicester being without Wilfred Ndidi is a problem at the best of times for Brendan Rodgers, but when they're playing Manchester City, it becomes all the more acute. Defensive midfielder Ndidi has been out for nearly two months now, save for an abortive comeback in the Carabao Cup semifinal, but the real kicker for Leicester is that his two obvious replacements, Hamza Choudhury and Nampalys Mendy, are both absent too.

There are a number of temporary solutions that Rodgers could call upon, from dropping Youri Tielemans deep, to trying Dennis Praet at the base of his usual midfield, or changing his system entirely, but against a City team likely to include the relentless Kevin De Bruyne, he'd better make his selection carefully.

Will Arsenal continue their good run?

The win finally came last weekend as Arsenal beat Newcastle 4-0 after a load of draws under Mikel Arteta, and they backed that up by beating Olympiakos 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday. Perhaps most importantly, they've now kept three clean sheets in a row, unheard of parsimony at the Emirates in recent times, which shows a broader structural solidity in Arteta's Arsenal than what came before.

Suddenly, the Champions League looks in range, the Gunners sitting six points back from fifth place, and they could overtake a potential rival for that spot by beating Everton on Sunday. Perhaps the Arteta revolution really is underway.

MAN TO WATCH

Dele Alli

It's not necessarily a sign that all isn't well when a player reacts to being substituted with some vexation. Alli threw a water bottle to the ground and used some spicy language after coming off against Leipzig, which Mourinho declared was more frustration at his own performance than about being withdrawn, before unhelpfully adding that Spurs looked better without Alli.

The trouble is that Alli is the most plausible candidate to solve the club's attacking issues; theoretically the player most able to do a passable impression of a centre-forward without Kane or Son around. But after a bright start under Mourinho, Alli's form has drifted away in recent weeks, looking more like the brother that Mourinho referenced in his early days. Spurs need the real Alli to step up now more than ever.

THE GAME YOU'RE NOT PLANNING TO WATCH...BUT SHOULD

Liverpool vs. West Ham

Most neutrals watch the Premier League for the sense of competition, so on that basis nobody would blame you if you gave Liverpool's 'lesser' games a miss for the remainder of the season. There's no peril left in the title race and the only thing that remains to be confirmed is when Liverpool will confirm their first league win in 30 years, thus it would be tempting not to bother with games like this one against West Ham.

But we should be aware of what we're witnessing here: domination on an unprecedented scale, Liverpool truly laying waste to the rest of the Premier League, and we should at least be sure to drink that in as much as possible. You might not like how one-sided this season has become, and you might not even like Liverpool, but you must admire them and we would encourage you to admire them as much as possible over the next 12 games.

THE TEAM THAT NEEDS A BIT OF LUCK

Southampton

The redemption story of Southampton recovering from that 9-0 thrashing by Leicester will be one of the better ones told this season, but one aspect that they still need to address is their home form. Nobody has collected fewer points than Southampton's 11 on their own patch this season, only winning three games at St Mary's and losing eight. Not all of the defeats have been as painful as the 9-0, but Ralph Hasenhuttl is very much aware that their home record needs to improve.

There are good reasons for this, not least that Southampton are a relatively reactive side and can often play like an away side when they're at home, but while they're edging further from relegation, a little relief for their home supporters would be gratefully received.

ONE THING THAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN

Limited excitement at Selhurst

There are loads of ways to find entertainment in south London on a Saturday, so if you're in the area this weekend and are looking for some diversion, maybe give Selhurst Park a swerve. For there meets two of the lowest-scoring teams in the Premier League, Crystal Palace being the most goal-shy with 23 and Newcastle just one above them with 24 strikes to their name this season.

Football is technically a form of public entertainment, but anyone attending this one would be within their rights to challenge that description.

PREDICTIONS

Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham

Crystal Palace 0-0 Newcastle

Burnley 1-0 Bournemouth

Sheffield United 1-0 Brighton

Southampton 1-2 Aston Villa

Leicester 1-3 Manchester City

Manchester United 2-1 Watford

Wolves 3-1 Norwich

Arsenal 3-0 Everton

Liverpool 4-0 West Ham

The race for Champions League qualification has never been more intense in the Premier League, with as many as eight clubs eyeing fourth position behind the top three of Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester. If City fail in their bid to overturn UEFA's two-year ban from the Champions League when they lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, fifth position could yet secure a place in next season's competition.

But as it stands, only seven points separate Chelsea in fourth from Arsenal and Burnley, who sit in 10th and 11th position, respectively. Chelsea's clash with fifth-placed Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday is a crucial fixture for both clubs' Champions League aspirations, but with 12 games to go, all of the teams involved in the race for fourth have issues to address.

So who will clinch fourth and the potential wild card that could come with finishing fifth? ESPN has assessed the run-in.

MAN UNITED
Projected finish: 4th
Current position: 7th, 38 points

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team are probably the most unpredictable of all of the clubs chasing fourth spot. They've beaten four of the current top five and are the only side to have taken points off Liverpool this season, but they have also lost against relegation-threatened Watford, Bournemouth and West Ham. Games next month against Everton, City, Spurs and Sheffield United make March decisive, but if United remain in touch after that run, their next six games are against strugglers, ensuring they should be in the top four ahead of the final game away to Leicester.

WOLVES
Projected finish: 5th
Current position: 8th, 36 points

Nuno Espirito Santo's team are flying under the radar in eighth position, five points behind Chelsea, but they have a comfortable run of fixtures ahead that could see them climb into the top four. Aside from a trip to Spurs on March 1, five of their next six games are against teams in the lower reaches. Europa League commitments could get in the way of Wolves' ambitions, but they have perhaps the most appealing run-in of the chasing pack. A trip to Chelsea on the final day is likely to be decisive, especially if fifth spot comes into play.

CHELSEA
Projected finish: 6th
Current position: 4th, 41 points

Chelsea have occupied a top-four spot all season, but the wheels are falling off for Frank Lampard and his team, who would be sitting in 11th if the Premier League table was based on the last 10 games. They have taken two points from their past four league games, which have included a defeat against United and draw against Arsenal. Goals have started to dry up, U.S. star Christian Pulisic is sidelined through injury and the lack of signings over the past two transfer windows (due to a FIFA ban) is beginning to show.

With Chelsea still to play five of the top six this season, including a trip to Liverpool, it's tough to see them finishing in the top four.

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ARSENAL
Projected finish: 7th
Current position: 10th, 34 points

Bridging a seven-point gap to fourth will be a tough challenge for Mikel Arteta's team, who have won just twice in the league since the Spaniard replaced the sacked Unai Emery in December. The flip side, though, is that Arsenal have lost just once during the same run, so Arteta has clearly made the Gunners more durable and tough to beat. Sunday's game against Everton at the Emirates is huge because a defeat for either side would be a hammer blow for their prospects. If Arsenal can win that, they will put themselves firmly in contention for a Champions League spot. But seven points is a big deficit.

TOTTENHAM
Projected finish: 8th
Current position: 5th, 40 points

Jose Mourinho has worked a minor miracle by getting Spurs back into contention for the top four having succeeded Mauricio Pochettino with the club languishing in 14th, 11 points behind fourth place, back in November. But while results over the past 10 games put them fourth in the form guide, injuries to Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min have left Spurs without their two main scorers, and with six of their next seven games against rivals for fourth, a big question mark hangs over who will score their goals.

With Kane and Son available, Spurs would probably sail into the top four, but their absence is likely to be a decisive blow.

SHEFFIELD UNITED
Projected finish: 9th
Current position: 6th place, 39 points

Chris Wilder's team have been the surprise package of the season, having been written off as relegation candidates following promotion from the Championship last May. But the Blades have been comfortable in the top half all campaign and they sit in sixth, just two points off the top four.

The next three games are likely to be crucial, however, as they face Brighton, Norwich and Newcastle before back-to-back encounters with Manchester United and Spurs. They must then navigate a run-in that also pits them against Burnley, Wolves, Chelsea, Leicester and Everton, so finishing in the top four looks a tall order.

EVERTON
Projected finish: 10th
Current position: 9th place, 36 points

Carlo Ancelotti has confounded the sceptics since replacing the sacked Marco Silva at Goodison Park in December, lifting Everton from 15th (and four points above the relegation zone) to ninth and within five points of fourth. Only Liverpool and City have amassed more points from their past 10 league games, but now comes the crunch for Everton, with their next four games pitting them against Arsenal, United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Results against the "Big Six" have been Everton's weakness this season and in the past, so their top-four challenge could be over by the time they emerge from that run. If not, then they could storm into fourth.

BURNLEY
Projected finish: 11th
Current position: 11th, 34 points

As impressive as Burnley have been under Sean Dyche in terms of pulling clear of the relegation battle, their priority continues to centre on securing safety rather than focusing on their hope of an unlikely place in the Champions League.

A goal difference of -9 highlights their shortcomings in mounting a charge on fourth or fifth, but as they sit level on points with Arsenal, Burnley cannot be ruled out. They are rank outsiders, though, and trips to Liverpool and City mean their European hopes look even more unlikely.

Big Picture

On the surface, Sri Lanka are favourites. They are one spot higher on the rankings (eighth to West Indies' ninth), finished stronger in the World Cup last year - beating West Indies in a thriller. And they are, of course, at home. But the spirit of resurgence in the West Indies side is difficult to overlook. Late last year, they pushed India close, in India. More recently, they swept Ireland in a three-match series at home.

And yet, West Indies being West Indies, they are missing key players for strange reasons. Evin Lewis top-scored in that series against Ireland, but has been omitted from the squad to Sri Lanka because he "came up short in the fitness test", according to CWI chief selector Roger Harper. Shimron Hetmyer, whose spectacular 139 off 106 balls propelled West Indies to their win over India in December is missing for the same reason.

In their two practice matches, however, the West Indies top order built up some decent form, and have not seemed to miss Hetmyer and Lewis terribly. Darren Bravo, who might not have got a place in the squad had either of those batsmen been picked, made an unbeaten 100 off 88 in the first game, before Roston Chase struck 136 off 113 in the more serious warm-up on Thursday.

Sri Lanka's own top order appears reasonably secure, even without Danushka Gunathilaka, who is out with injury. But they will worry, as usual, about the inexperienced attack, that has been inconsistent since the retirement of Lasith Malinga. Legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga has shown glimpses of promise, but needs another good series to really nail his place down. Left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, who has been around the team for years, has not quite made himself a feature in the XI either, though he has been improving steadily in the background.

Form guide

West Indies WWWLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWWW

In the spotlight

Nicholas Pooran didn't have quite as good a series against Ireland as Lewis, but his 112 runs at an average of 56 put him on second at the table, and he has eased himself nicely into this tour with a 41 not out off 38 balls in the first practice match. Perhaps more importantly, Pooran will have good memories of playing Sri Lanka, with his best international innings coming against them during the World Cup - his 118 off 103 balls giving West Indies hope of chasing down a target of 339. He had a minor back complaint in the week leading up to this match, but should be at somewhere near full fitness for this match.

Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur confirmed that Thisara Perera was likely to return to Sri Lanka's ODI XI for this game, owing largely to his bowling, which they see as superior to that of Dasun Shanaka, his competition for the No. 7 spot. Thisara's recent bowling returns, however, haven't been encouraging. He has not taken a wicket in his five most-recent ODIs (though during that sequence, he has occasionally been economical, such as against India in the World Cup, where he conceded only 34 from his 10 overs). With Shanaka in good batting form in the ongoing first-class competition in Sri Lanka, Thisara needs to impose himself on this series to keep Shanaka out of the XI.

Team news

With Brandon King having had two modest outings in the practice games, West Indies may go with Sunil Ambris at the top of the order to partner Shai Hope. With Roston Chase's fingerspin also available, they may feel they do not need more than one specialist spinner - left-arm spinner Fabian Allen, most likely.

West Indies (possible): 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt.), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Sheldon Cottrell

Arthur confirmed that only 12 players are in contention for the first ODI. The only decision Sri Lanka have to make is whether to play Lahiru Kumara as a third specialist seamer, or whether to field wristspinners Lakshan Sandakan and Wanindu Hasaranga together. You suspect they will take the latter option.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

Pitch and conditions

A decent one-day deck is expected at the SSC, where spin almost always plays a role. Although for once Sri Lanka are playing home matches in what is supposed to be the dry season, the arrival of international cricket has as usual brought with it the spectre of rain. There could be showers in the afternoon.

Stats and trivia

• Although Thisara's recent bowling performances have not been heartening, he did have an outstanding 2018, when he took 25 wickets at an average of 20.72.

• If West Indies win the series, they move up to eighth on the rankings, pushing Sri Lanka down to ninth.