Premier League: Millions left to play for on final day

As Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City fight for the Champions League, other teams will battle for the prize money

Vardy
Leicester's Jamie Vardy is wanted by Chelsea and Everton 
(Image credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Premier League top four: Can Liverpool hold off Man Utd?

28 April

Chelsea and Spurs are guaranteed Champions League football, barring a mathematical miracle that would make Leicester City's triumph last season look pedestrian, so the question boils down to which two teams from Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Arsenal will join them.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

At present Liverpool are third with 66 points and four games remaining, City are fourth with 65 points and five more games, United have 64 points and five games to go. The outsiders are Arsenal with only 60 points, but six games left to play.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0 Games Pts
Chelsea 3378
Spurs 3374
Liverpool 3466
Man City 3365
Man United3364
Arsenal 3260

Liverpool

The Reds may be third in the table but they are vulnerable as both Manchester clubs are within three points and have played a game less. By the time Liverpool face Watford on Monday they could be down to fifth if their two pursuers win at the weekend.

In their favour they have points on the board and a relatively favourable run-in – although Middlesbrough may need something on the final day of the season:

1 May: Watford (A)

7 May: Southampton (H)

14 May: West Ham (A)

21 May: Middlesbrough (H)

Prediction: Ten points – fourth

Man City

The 0-0 draw against Man United was not the end of the world for Pep Guardiola's team, who are already in the top four and could be up to third if they win at the weekend against Middlesbrough.

With Gabriel Jesus fit once again City should rediscover their scoring touch in the final weeks of the season and secure a top four berth:

30 April: Middlesbrough (A)

6 May: Crystal Palace (H)

13 May: Leicester (H)

16 May: West Brom (H)

21 May: Watford (A)

Prediction: 13 points – third

Man United

Jose Mourinho's team are unbeaten in 24 Premier League games and will set a new record if they avoid defeat against Swansea on Saturday. The problem is that United have become adept at avoiding defeat rather than winning. "United's 24-game run is the eighth-best undefeated top-flight streak within a single season in history and stretches back to a 4-0 loss to Chelsea on October 23. Since then they've won 13 and drawn 11," says Sky Sports.

Winning, not drawing, must be the priority for United in the final weeks of the season, but without Zlatan Ibrahimovic that may be easier said than done during a tough run-in. The silver lining is that United are still in the Europa League and could get into the Champions League via that route.

30 April: Swansea (H)

7 May: Arsenal (A)

14 May: Tottenham (A)

17 May: Southampton (A)

21 May: Crystal Palace (H)

Prediction: 11 points – fifth

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has never finished outside the top four, but this increasingly looks like the year in which it will happen. The Gunners have endured a miserable 2017 so far with confusion over the future of their manager and several key players, and disquiet in the stands. The Gunners have recorded three wins in a row and booked a place in the FA Cup final, but the side is a long way from being able to intimidate any of their opponents.

To make matters worse the Gunners face a tough run-in with four of their six games against top ten sides.

30 April: Tottenham (A)

7 May: Manchester United (H)

10 May: Southampton (A)

13 May: Stoke City (A)

16 May: Sunderland (H)

21 May: Everton (H)

Prediction: Nine points – sixth