One week after clinching its 20th top tier title, Liverpool has the opportunity to inflict damage on Chelsea’s European hopes when the Reds visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Will the champions be motivated or will they be in cruise control for the remaining four matches? Chelsea can only hope for the latter as the Blues battle for a spot in Europe’s top competition next season.
Chelsea still holds the final ticket for next year’s big dance after Nottingham Forest lost to Brentford 2-0 on Thursday. The Blues are fifth on goal differential over a Forest side which is crumbling down the stretch after the Trees lost for a third time in their last four league matches and lost their FA Cup semifinal last weekend. Nottingham Forest and Chelsea coincidentally meet in the final match of the season on May 25th which could possibly decide the final Champions League berth.
Things will not get easier for the faltering Trees, however, when they face Crystal Palace on Monday. Palace is a dangerous opponent as Aston Villa found out in the FA Cup semifinals. Arsenal will also be in spoiler mode this weekend when the Gunners host Bournemouth. The Cherries have been battling Fulham and Brighton for a likely Europa Conference League berth, the final European ticket on the table for Premier League sides. Brighton hosts Newcastle while Fulham heads to Aston Villa.
Brentford also entered the European conversation by beating Nottingham Forest Thursday to inch within two points of eighth place Fulham. The Bees will host Manchester United on Sunday. The Red Devils are 14th in the league table but can earn a Champions League berth for next season by winning the Europa League where they lead their semifinal after one leg over Athletic Club. The Bees should thus have an edge Sunday with Manchester United being far more interested in the second leg versus Athletic Club next week.
Should Manchester United make the Europa League final, it may well find itself facing another Premier League laggard. Tottenham Hotspur rolled over Bodo/Glimpt in its semifinal first leg and, like Manchester United, will try to advance next Thursday. Spurs London derby versus West Ham on Sunday is thus little more than an annoyance for the 16th place club which will be facing a West Ham side which has not won since February. Newcastle and Villa, meanwhile, are trying to earn Champions League with their Premier League performance. Seventh place Aston Villa could quickly fall out of the chase with a loss to Fulham though they would remain in prime position for the Europa League, a competition that Manager Unai Emery has mastered with other clubs in the past.
Newcastle stands third in the table entering its Sunday match at Brighton, the Magpies having won five of their last six matches. Manchester City is fourth, a point better than Chelsea and Nottingham Forest as the Citizens prepare to face streaking Wolverhampton on Friday. Wolves, one-time relegation battlers, have now won six in a row. Manager Vitor Pereira replaced Gary O’ Neil in December when Wolves were 19th in the table. Periera now has the club up to 13th, 20 points clear of the drop line.
The relegation sides are now set as those three teams play out the balance of their miserable seasons in the top tier. Leicester hosts fellow relegation side Southampton. The third club soon to be departed, Ipswich Town, is at Everton on Saturday.
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