Who has the edge in Premier League's race for the top four?

Five teams, four points and two spots best describe the Premier League's race for the top four as it enters the month of March.

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The business end of the season starts with third-place Arsenal through sixth-place Tottenham only separated by four points. Manchester United, Southampton and Liverpool fill in the middle of this delicious Premier League pastry, as only two of the five contenders will earn the right to play in Europe's elite club football competition: the UEFA Champions League.

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Arsenal: 14-6-6, 48 points

The Gunners may be reeling from a humiliating 3-1 home defeat to AS Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday, but Arsenal can ill afford to drop points against Everton on Sunday. Narrowly leading the pack of top-four hopefuls, the third-place Gunners still face testing league fixtures against Liverpool and Chelsea at the Emirates and a late-season skirmish with Manchester United at Old Trafford. With only five away Premier League matches left on its calendar, Arsenal should again qualify for the Champions League – and likely quickly exit in the Round of 16, yet again. It's worth pointing out that three of Arsenal's away fixtures are against relegation contenders Hull City, Burnley and Queens Park Rangers.

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Key Player:

Alexis Sanchez
Sanchez opened his Arsenal account with a goal in the second leg of the Champions League playoff, and the Chilean never stopped scoring. Prior to his current six-game scoreless streak, Sanchez had not gone more than three games without scoring for Arsenal. Sanchez's drought coinciding with Mesut Ozil's return is not a coincidence.

Manchester United: 13-8-5, 47 points

Not playing in Europe should be a massive advantage for Louis van Gaal's squad. However, injuries and questionable tactics have United struggling to hold onto its place in the top four. Unlike other clubs playing in Europe, Manchester United has not had to fight long flights across the continent. While the FA Cup tie against Arsenal may make for an entertaining event, the only true focus of the Red Devils is to book a ticket back into the Champions League in 2015. Anything less would amount to a colossal failure.

Of the final 12 games of the Premier League season, Manchester United plays host seven times and welcomes guests such as Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal. Add in hostile excursions to Anfield and Stamford Bridge, and United will need to sneak away points from teams that may not all look markedly better on paper but certainly do look better on the pitch.

Key Player: Wayne Rooney
Rooney has played every midfield position for Manchester United this season, but Van Gaal appears inspired to finally push Rooney further up the pitch. Since the start of 2015, Rooney has only one goal in 11 starts.

Southampton: 14-4-8, 46 points

Including the 3-2 FA Cup loss to Crystal Palace, Southampton has only collected one win in its last five matches. The Saints recently felt the burn of Liverpool's scorching hot form in a harsh 2-0 defeat at St. Mary's Stadium.

The least distracted of the Champions League contenders, Southampton is no longer taking part in any competition apart from the Premier League. Manager Ronald Koeman holds the strongest advantage in terms of team preparation, and with seven of the final 12 games coming away from home, Koeman will need all the preparation time he is afforded. Saints still have trips to Chelsea and Manchester City coming. However, the only top-seven team yet to visit Southampton is Tottenham.

While St. Mary's is a tough place to play, Saints arguably have a better record on the road than at home. At home, Saints have won seven, drawn three and lost four. Away, Saints have won seven, drawn one and lost four.

Key Player: Graziano Pelle
The Italian striker started with six goals in his first eight league games. Entering Saturday's game against West Bromwich Albion, Pelle has failed to score in his last nine Premier League appearances.

Liverpool: 13-6-7, 45 points

Of the teams vying for a Champions League berth, Liverpool is top of the form table. The Reds have not suffered a Premier League defeat since Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford on Dec. 14, 2014. Since that date, Liverpool has only suffered two defeats across all competitions: 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the second leg of the Capital One Cup semifinal and a 1-0 loss to Besiktas in the second leg of the Europa League round of 32.

Since the December defeat at Old Trafford, Liverpool has played 10 league matches and won seven of them. Across all competitions, Liverpool has won five of its last seven matches, as the Reds look white hot coming into the finish.

Along with the Premier League, Liverpool still has to compete in the FA Cup. An early Europa League exit on penalties may be a blessing in disguise, as the Reds can avoid long flights and a cluttered fixture list late in the season. Liverpool faces tough Premier League fixtures with both Manchester clubs coming to visit Anfield and the Reds still needing to take trips to the Emirates and Stamford Bridge. Of the remaining 12 league games, Liverpool plays six at home and six away.

Key Player: Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge only recently returned from a long-term injury that kept him out of action for the better part of five months. The England international scored 21 goals in 29 Premier League appearances a season ago, so expectations are high that the 25-year-old can spark Liverpool's attack and help continue the Reds' recent run of form.

Tottenham: 13-5-8, 44 points

Tottenham only sits three points back of fourth place with Harry Kane continuing to slay English defenses. Similar to Liverpool, Spurs crashed out of the Europa League in the round of 32. The defeat should also help Tottenham avoid the fatigue of European travel and Thursday games. Tottenham is also involved in a domestic cup, but Sunday's Capital One Cup final against Chelsea will conclude that commitment.

Tottenham's remaining Premier League fixtures feature seven away matches and five home games. Of the away matches, trips to Southampton and Manchester United provide the biggest scares on paper. At home, an early May date with Manchester City in North London should have major implications for the top two, as well as the top four.

Key Player: Harry Kane
Since the start of 2015, Kane has nine Premier League goals in seven appearances.

Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. He has previously written about the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Confederations Cup and regularly provides opinions on the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA