What is left to play for on the final day of the Premier League season?

League survival, Champions League places, Europa League qualification and the Golden Boot, there's plenty to be decided this Sunday.

Matthew Crist

While the destination of the Premier League trophy was all but decided some weeks ago, a number of issues are still to be settled come 4pm on Sunday afternoon at both ends of the table.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Leicester will all be contesting the final two Champions League places while Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Watford will all by vying to avoid joining Norwich City in the Championship next season.

So here’s a look at what is on the line this weekend.

Relegation

With Norwich already doomed, it’s a three-wat scrap to avoid the final two relegation places come Sunday evening.

Villa are 17th on 34 points, Watford are 18th with 34 points and Bournemouth are 19th with 31 points as Aston Villa go to West Ham, Watford are at Arsenal, and Bournemouth go to Everton.

Aston Villa’s victory over Arsenal on Tuesday moved them out of the relegation zone, above the Hornets on goal difference, and puts them in control of their own destiny ahead of their final game of the season against West Ham at the London Stadium- knowing that a win will see them safe.

Watford’s 4-0 thrashing by Manchester City has put their Premier League future in real jeopardy heading into the final day of the season and they now need to better Villa’s result on the final day in order to stay up – or hope that Villa lose by a margin of two goals more than them.

Bournemouth are now three points behind both of their rivals, their only hope of survival being if they beat Everton on the final day, and Watford and Villa lose to Arsenal and West Ham respectively. Goal difference would then be their saviour.

Champions League qualification

With three sides in contention and two places up for grabs, it will all come to a head at 4pm on Sunday as next season’s Champions League places are finally decided.

Despite a disappointing draw with West Ham in midweek, Manchester United only require a point against Leicester City to finish in the top four, thanks, mostly to the Foxes capitulation since lockdown.

Chelsea need just one more Premier League point to secure a top-four place against a Wolves side who were looking like top-four contenders themselves not long ago but are now unable to finish higher than fifth.

Leicester must beat United on the final day to finish in the Champions League spot, which just a few months ago looked to be a certainty.

Europa League qualification

Nuno Wolves

Sixth place is guaranteed a Europa League spot, however, the key here is to avoid seventh spot if possible.

That’s because, if Arsenal win the FA Cup against Chelsea at Wembley on August 1, they will take the Europa League spot off seventh place.

Wolves are currently sixth, a point ahead of Tottenham in seventh and just one goal worse off as they look to make the Europa League for a second successive season.

On the final day of the season, Wolves are at Chelsea, who will be fighting to make the Champions League while Spurs go to a Crystal Palace side with little to play for who have lost their last six matches.

The Golden Boot

Having come within a single goal in 2015/16, Leicester’s Jamie Vardy will be desperate to claim the Golden Boot after another prolific campaign, though he does have competition from four other strikers going into the final day.

Danny Ings is two behind on 21, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has 20, while Mo Salah and Raheem Sterling have 19.

Vardy’s Leicester host Manchester United in a vital top-four clash while Ings’ Saints host Sheffield United, Aubameyang’s Arsenal host Watford, Mo Salah’s Liverpool are at Newcastle, and Sterling’s City host Norwich.

 

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