Race for the Europa League

With Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to City earlier this week, Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League after a lengthy and arduous 41-year wait for European football.

Despite an underwhelming season-end form, Ange Postecoglou will need to steady the ship and earn a victory or, at least, a draw against Sheffield United to guarantee a spot in the Europa League, with Chelsea breathing down their neck.

Mauricio Pochettino’s blues have marshalled a consistent run of victories that has pushed Chelsea to sixth in the division. Tottenham can still gain Europa League qualification if they drop a spot – providing that City comes out victorious over Manchester United in the FA Cup final – providing sixth place with the additional Europa League allocation.

Chelsea supporters will be hoping that the result swings in their favour. However, that seems unlikely since 20th-placed Sheffield has not won a match since early February. Nevertheless, the unpredictable nature of the sport and Tottenham’s poor form will provide Chelsea fans some faith that they can gain automatic promotion on the last day while also keeping an eye on Newcastle United, who could even overtake the Blues if they lose to Bournemouth.

(Credits: Opta Analyst)

Qualification for Europa Conference League in the Balance

Finishing seventh place is still of significance to Newcastle and the Manchester United, since a City win over the Red Devils in the FA Cup pushes the Conference League spot one place down. Of course, United could spoil the party for Chelsea and Newcastle with a win over City in the final that would push the Blues or Magpies down to a Conference League spot. That would result in the team who finished seventh – in this case either Chelsea or Newcastle – would miss out on European football next term.

Having defeated Newcastle 3-2 on Tuesday, United has given themself a chance to move up a position on the final day, whereas Eddie Howe’s team has made it harder for themselves.

From a United fan’s perspective, they will have to produce an away victory over Brighton that will be challenging. However, Howe’s Newcastle also has a tough away proposition in Brentford.

Nevertheless, both groups of fans will undoubtedly have a nervy Sunday evening next week as they keep an eye on each other’s results and pray for the other to falter.

Bottom Half Shuffle

The teams comprising the bottom half of the Premier League table are often only separated by a few points, and that remains the case this season for the clubs between 11th and 14th, featuring Brighton & Hove Albion, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Fulham.

With only four points dividing the teams, expect frequent shuffles during the 90 minutes as results oscillate in different teams’ favour.

Although it does not impact the grand scheme of their seasons, Brentford could replace Everton in 15th place if the former can earn a point or even all three against Newcastle and Arsenal defeats Everton. If the Toffees draw against the Gunners, Brentford will require a victory to overtake them.

The concluding Premier League matches of the season on the final day is an exciting occasion that supporters enjoy due to the last-minute twists and turns that decide the ultimate team rankings.

The 2023/24 showdown will be no different, with the fates of many teams’ league position yet to be determined. Sunday will provide their dramatic storylines with a conclusion that will either leave their fans content or disheartened.