The Football's On - Episode 29
Jun 7After months of drama and tension, it all comes down to this.
A protracted season - because of the winter World Cup in Qatar - comes to an end this weekend as teams at the top and bottom of the Premier League learn their fate.
The title, of course, has been decided: Manchester City lifted their third in a row last weekend after surging past Arsenal in the final few weeks of the season.
At the other end of the table, Southampton are rooted to the bottom and will play in the Championship come August.
Two of Leeds, Leicester and Everton will join the Saints in the second tier.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Tottenham will both have their sights on seventh place and the Europa Conference League, while Liverpool hold out hope of an unlikely jump up to fourth.
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Top four
Newcastle secured their place in the Champions League next season with a goalless draw against Leicester on Monday night.
Manchester United will hope to follow on Thursday evening as they host Chelsea, needing just a point to guarantee a top-four finish.
Defeat in their last two games, though, and the Red Devils could be caught by Liverpool, who play Southampton on the final day and have a superior goal difference.
As things stand, United look all but certain to get the job done, but a glimmer of hope remains for Jurgen Klopp's Reds.
Top six
With Liverpool likely to take fifth assuming there is no collapse from United, there is one Europa League qualification spot yet to be confirmed.
Brighton look to be comfortable in sixth and need just a point from their last two games to get over the line and secure European football for the first time in their history.
It would take a monumental capitulation from Roberto De Zerbi's side to drop below Aston Villa, who are three points behind and 16 goals worse off.
Brighton do face champions Man City on Wednesday night before making the trip to Villa on the final day, but it would take two extremely heavy defeats to deny the Seagulls Europa League football now.
Top seven
Tottenham's dismal end to the season has left them in danger of missing out on European football altogether.
They are now a point behind seventh-placed Villa heading into the final day and will need to better their result to qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Spurs might have turned their nose up at the idea of playing in that competition at the start of the season - given they were in the Champions League under Antonio Conte - but their decline has been so drastic that any European football would be a boost.
Tottenham travel to relegation-threatened Leeds, who will be desperate for a result in front of a vocal crowd at Elland Road.
If Villa lose to Brighton, a draw would be enough for Spurs to sneak into seventh. But if Villa draw, Tottenham will need to win.
Brentford, after their 3-1 win at Spurs last time out, also have an outside chance of securing European football for the first time ever, but they need to beat Man City and hope both Villa and Tottenham drop points.
Relegation
Everton are in pole position to avoid the drop on the final day after their last-minute equaliser at Wolves last weekend.
The Toffees, who are two points clear of both Leicester and Leeds, host Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
Playing for a draw won't be a sensible approach for Everton, who have a worse goal difference than Leicester.
All three teams involved in the scrap at the bottom are likely to be going all out for a win, then, which could lead to some frenetic football.
Leicester and Leeds know they need to win and that failure to do so would confirm relegation. For both, even a victory might not be enough if Everton beat Bournemouth.
If Everton draw and Leicester beat West Ham at the King Power, the Foxes would survive. If Everton draw, Leicester fail to win, and Leeds beat Tottenham, Everton would stay up on goal difference at the expense of Leeds.
Sam Allardyce's team must win and hope that neither Leicester nor Everton get all three points.
