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| Arsenal and Manchester City both know where they stand and what they must do to become champions but, what is the fate of the guys battling the drop? (Photo credit: Opta) |
It’s crunch time for many teams in the Premier League. The drama at the top is clearly defined: City wins their remaining three games; they become champions again; they drop points anywhere; Arsenal wins their remaining two; and the Gunners win the title.
Liverpool will play in the Champions League, and unless Aston Villa collapses spectacularly, Unai Emery's team will make their first appearance in the elite European competition in over 40 years.
The battle for Europa is on, Spurs is in the driving seat but their engine is running out of strength, they need four points from their remaining three games to guarantee Europa football, it will be a huge anticlimax for Spurs to miss out from Europa.
Newcastle is poised to reach the Europa League; Chelsea is fiercely pursuing them, so they must remain focused; Brighton's visit to St. James's Park presents an opportunity for a straightforward victory for Newcastle. However, their primary focus will be on their performance against Manchester United.er United.
Newcastle cannot afford to take chances; the Blues want their position, and the Magpies must take things seriously against United and Brentford. The Seagulls don't have a lot to fight for, and Brentford may not pose much trouble to Newcastle either.
For Chelsea, it’s quite straightforward: win all your remaining matches and wait for what happens to Newcastle and Tottenham. Six points might be a big ask from Spurs, but Newcastle is achievable; if they can’t usurp the ones above them, they can retain their 7th spot above United.
Manchester United can still make it to Europe; they’re in the final of the FA Cup, which means they win the cup and earn a ticket to Europe. Even if they lose, Manchester City is already in the Champions League, so the Red Devils can still pick up the Europa ticket.
The relegation equation is the worst-kept secret. Everton and Brentford are safe, but Nottingham Forest can make light work of their point deduction by beating Chelsea. Forest just needs to match Luton's results, and they're fine; however, there's Burnley, who is also hoping for survival.
This is a prayer for everyone who enjoys the Premier League. May we never see the mediocrity of the three promoted sides from last season: Sheffield, Burnley, and Luton Town; they were too poor for the league standard.
Luton would hope they can survive, but they must win their remaining two while hoping Nottingham Forest doesn’t pick more than a point in their own remaining two. If Forest beats Chelsea, Burnley can go down with a game to spare; whichever way, it's a matter of when, not if, for Luton and Burnley.