EPL: Champions League spot, relegation in focus on final day

Liverpool and Chelsea will fight it out for one last spot in the Premier League's Champions League place, whereas, Southampton and Swansea City will look to avoid relegation.

Published : May 11, 2018 19:53 IST

With the Premier League title sewn up by Manchester City as early as the third week of April, the final day of the season will see Liverpool and Chelsea seeking a place in next season's Champions League, and Southampton and Swansea City struggling to escape relegation.

Sportstar takes a look at the possible scenarios in store before the teams kick-off on Sunday.

Champions League qualification

Tottenham Hotspur (74 points) secured a Champions League berth courtesy a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Wednesday. That leaves just one remaining spot with Liverpool being the front-runner in fourth ahead of Chelsea.

Liverpool (72) hosts Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield, while Chelsea (70) travels to St. James' Park to take on Newcastle. A win for the Reds will seal a top-four place, leaving Chelsea to start next season in the Europa League.

 

A draw for Liverpool and a win for Chelsea will not be enough for the Blues as the Merseyside club has a superior goal-difference (+15). The only scenario by which Antonio Conte's men can leapfrog Liverpool to claim the Champions League play-off place: a Liverpool loss combined with a win for Chelsea.

However, if Liverpool drops to fifth position and manages to pull off a win in the Champions League final later this month, then Chelsea will lose out on the play-off spot to the competition's winner despite finishing fourth.

Europa League places

Arsenal (6th) and Burnley (7th) have confirmed their participation in the 2018-19 Europa League.

Relegation

Southampton earned a vital win over relegation-threatened rival Swansea in midweek and goes into the last game with a three point leverage and favourable goal difference of nine.

 

Carlos Carvalhal's Swansea requires a win against relegated Stoke City and hope the Saints are on the receiving end of a heavy defeat against champion City to avoid dropping to the Championship.

West Bromwich Albion was the second team to be relgated.

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