With only nine games remaining in the Premier League season, the race for Champions League qualification is heating up. While Liverpool and Arsenal are strong contenders for the top two spots, the battle for the remaining Champions League places is wide open, potentially involving up to eight teams.
Nottingham Forest currently holds third place, but questions remain about whether their position truly reflects their performance. Chelsea, in fourth, has shown flashes of brilliance but needs consistency. Manchester City, sitting fifth, is also aiming for a strong finish.
Newcastle, boosted by their recent EFL Cup victory, are in the mix, along with Aston Villa, a Champions League quarter-finalist. Brighton, Fulham, and Bournemouth are also within striking distance of the top five, making for a thrilling end to the season. Let`s examine the remaining fixtures and assess each team`s chances of securing a Champions League spot.
It`s important to note that the Premier League is guaranteed four Champions League qualification spots. However, due to the strong performance of English clubs in European competitions, it`s highly likely that the league will earn a fifth spot. This means potentially five English teams could be playing Champions League football next season, and possibly even more if Aston Villa wins the Champions League or Tottenham or Manchester United win the Europa League this year.
Gameweek 30
- Arsenal 2, Fulham 1
- Wolves 0, West Ham 1
- Nottingham Forest 2, Manchester United 2
- Bournemouth 2, Ipswich 1
- Brighton 1, Aston Villa 1
- Manchester City 3, Leicester 0
- Newcastle 2, Brentford 1
- Southampton 0, Crystal Palace 2
- Liverpool 1, Everton 0
- Chelsea 2, Tottenham 2
Fulham`s struggles against Arsenal may continue, especially with Bukayo Saka`s return strengthening Arsenal`s attack. Fulham could drop to 10th, with Bournemouth poised to overtake them with a favorable home fixture against Ipswich. Avoiding upsets against lower-ranked teams will be crucial in these final weeks. Manchester City is expected to comfortably defeat Leicester.
Chelsea, however, faces a potentially tricky match against Tottenham. While Stamford Bridge hasn`t been a happy ground for Tottenham historically, a strong Tottenham lineup could pose a threat.
Gameweek 31
- Everton 1, Arsenal 1
- Crystal Palace 2, Brighton 1
- Ipswich 2, Wolves 0
- West Ham 2, Bournemouth 2
- Aston Villa 3, Nottingham Forest 1
- Brentford 0, Chelsea 0
- Fulham 1, Liverpool 3
- Tottenham 2, Southampton 0
- Manchester United 0, Manchester City 1
- Leicester 0, Newcastle 2
Aston Villa`s home game against Nottingham Forest is a crucial point in the season. A win for Forest would solidify their position, while a loss could drag them back into the chasing pack. A few poor results could see Nottingham Forest drop closer to 11th place, although that would still represent a successful season for them.
This period could also be when Newcastle strengthens their position in the top five race.
Gameweek 32
- Manchester City 2, Crystal Palace 1
- Brighton 1, Leicester 0
- Nottingham Forest 2, Everton 0
- Southampton 1, Aston Villa 0
- Arsenal 1, Brentford 0
- Chelsea 3, Ipswich 0
- Liverpool 2, West Ham 1
- Wolves 1, Tottenham 0
- Newcastle 3, Manchester United 1
- Bournemouth 3, Fulham 2
Game in hand
- Newcastle 2, Crystal Palace 2
Crystal Palace could potentially enter the European qualification picture with strong results in two challenging away games. However, securing points against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and Newcastle at St. James` Park will be difficult. Newcastle, in particular, might be vulnerable due to a short rest period after playing Manchester United.
Other notable games include Southampton against Aston Villa, which could be an opportunity for Southampton to win. Fulham`s match against Bournemouth might be decisive for their Champions League hopes. Teams outside the top seven are starting to face a significant gap to close to secure Champions League qualification.
Predicted partial table on April 17
| Pos. | Team | Pl. | W | D | L | GD | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Nottingham Forest | 32 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 58 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 57 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 32 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 57 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 54 |
| 7 | Bournemouth | 32 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 51 |
| 8 | Brighton | 32 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 51 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 32 | 13 | 10 | 9 | -3 | 49 |
| 10 | Crystal Palace | 32 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 46 |
| 11 | Fulham | 32 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 45 |
Gameweek 33
- Brentford 2, Brighton 0
- Crystal Palace 2, Bournemouth 2
- Everton 0, Manchester City 1
- West Ham 1, Southampton 0
- Aston Villa 3, Newcastle 2
- Fulham 0, Chelsea 1
- Ipswich 0, Arsenal 2
- Manchester United 2, Wolves 1
- Leicester 1, Liverpool 3
- Tottenham 2, Nottingham Forest 1
Gameweek 33 features crucial matches for Champions League qualification. Aston Villa`s game against Newcastle could open the door for Bournemouth and Brighton if Villa wins. A loss for Villa could solidify the top six. Tottenham could also play a significant role in the top-five race. Despite not being expected to be in contention, Tottenham`s underlying performance metrics suggest they are not far behind Nottingham Forest.
Gameweek 34
- Chelsea 2, Everton 0
- Brighton 2, West Ham 1
- Newcastle 3, Ipswich 0
- Nottingham Forest 1, Brentford 0
- Southampton 0, Fulham 0
- Wolves 1, Leicester 2
- Arsenal 1, Crystal Palace 1
- Bournemouth 2, Manchester United 0
- Liverpool 3, Tottenham 1
- Manchester City 2, Aston Villa 0
Chelsea`s match against Everton is one of their most important games of the season. Chelsea faces a challenging final run of fixtures, including games against Liverpool and Newcastle, potentially making their final game against Nottingham Forest crucial for fifth place.
Manchester City`s game against Aston Villa could effectively end Villa`s top-four hopes. This gameweek is also predicted to be when Liverpool secures the Premier League title.
Gameweek 35
- Manchester City 4, Wolves 1
- Aston Villa 2, Fulham 1
- Brentford 3, Manchester United 1
- Everton 0, Ipswich 1
- Leicester 2, Southampton 1
- West Ham 1, Tottenham 1
- Arsenal 2, Bournemouth 0
- Brighton 2, Newcastle 2
- Chelsea 1, Liverpool 1
- Crystal Palace 1, Nottingham Forest 1
Gameweek 35 is predicted to narrow the Champions League race to four teams competing for three spots. Manchester City`s predicted win against Wolves could create a four-point gap, putting pressure on Newcastle, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest, who all have difficult fixtures.
Brighton and Bournemouth could still maintain their Champions League hopes with wins against Newcastle and Arsenal, respectively. However, for these teams to still be in contention at this stage is already a significant achievement.
Predicted partial table on May 5
| Pos. | Team | Pl. | W | D | L | GD | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Manchester City | 35 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 26 | 66 |
| 4 | Nottingham Forest | 35 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 62 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 35 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 22 | 61 |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 35 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 61 |
| 7 | Bournemouth | 35 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 55 |
Gameweek 36
- Bournemouth 2, Aston Villa 2
- Fulham 1, Everton 0
- Ipswich 1, Brentford 1
- Liverpool 1, Arsenal 2
- Manchester United 1, West Ham 0
- Newcastle 1, Chelsea 1
- Nottingham Forest 1, Leicester 0
- Southampton 0, Manchester City 2
- Tottenham 1, Crystal Palace 2
- Wolves 2, Brighton 1
Gameweek 36 features the first of potentially two key matches for Champions League qualification: Newcastle vs. Chelsea. Newcastle might be slight favorites, but a positive result for Chelsea would keep their top-five hopes alive. Nottingham Forest has opportunities to gain points against Leicester and West Ham, although the West Ham game could be challenging.
Gameweek 37
- Arsenal 1, Newcastle 1
- Aston Villa 1, Tottenham 0
- Brentford 1, Fulham 2
- Brighton 2, Liverpool 2
- Chelsea 3, Manchester United 1
- Crystal Palace 1, Wolves 0
- Everton 2, Southampton 0
- Leicester 1, Ipswich 2
- Manchester City 2, Bournemouth 1
- West Ham 1, Nottingham Forest 1
These predicted results could create significant shifts in the Champions League race. Newcastle drawing with Arsenal might not be beneficial for them. Even if Nottingham Forest draws with West Ham, it would allow Chelsea to potentially secure their position. A draw between Forest and Chelsea on the final day could mean Newcastle needs a high-scoring win to overtake Chelsea, which would be a dramatic scenario.
Gameweek 38
- Bournemouth 2, Leicester 1
- Fulham 1, Manchester City 1
- Ipswich 2, West Ham 2
- Liverpool 3, Crystal Palace 0
- Manchester United 1, Aston Villa 0
- Newcastle 3, Everton 0
- Nottingham Forest 1, Chelsea 2
- Southampton 0, Arsenal 3
- Tottenham 3, Brighton 3
- Wolves 2, Brentford 1
While a draw between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest is possible, the intense scrutiny on the final day might discourage any perceived collusion. Newcastle could aim for a high score against Everton, potentially influencing Chelsea`s approach in their game against Nottingham Forest. A counter-attacking strategy from Nottingham Forest, utilizing players like Callum Hudson-Odoi, could also be a factor.
The final day of the season is likely to feature a direct clash between two top-five contenders, promising an unpredictable and exciting conclusion to the Premier League season.
Predicted final table
| Pos. | Team | W | D | L | GD | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 27 | 9 | 2 | 52 | 90 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 22 | 13 | 3 | 39 | 79 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 22 | 7 | 9 | 29 | 73 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 19 | 11 | 8 | 25 | 68 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 19 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 66 |
| 6 | Nottingham Forest | 19 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 66 |
| 7 | Bournemouth | 16 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 59 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 16 | 11 | 11 | -3 | 59 |
| 9 | Brighton | 14 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 57 |
| 10 | Crystal Palace | 14 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 55 |
| 11 | Fulham | 14 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 53 |
| 12 | Brentford | 14 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 49 |
| 13 | Manchester United | 13 | 8 | 17 | -9 | 47 |
| 14 | West Ham | 11 | 11 | 16 | -17 | 44 |
| 15 | Tottenham | 12 | 7 | 19 | 10 | 43 |
| 16 | Everton | 8 | 14 | 16 | -13 | 38 |
| 17 | Wolves | 10 | 5 | 23 | -24 | 35 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 6 | 10 | 22 | -39 | 28 |
| 19 | Leicester | 6 | 5 | 27 | -49 | 23 |
| 20 | Southampton | 3 | 4 | 31 | -61 | 13 |
