A day nobody welcomes and a day everybody frowns upon – the Premier League closing day. Everything decided but one situation, and that’s the race for the top four. Chelsea, Leicester and Liverpool, play for it all on the final day of English top-flight football.
Another season will come to an end after today’s final whistle and already we have our Premier League champions Manchester City, as well as our three relegated teams demoted and determined – Fulham, West Brom, and Sheffield United joins the EFL Championship next season.
The top flight proves too ruthless once again for those coming up from the EFL with two teams from last season’s promotion, the Cottagers and the Baggies, unable to stay up longer than a single term.
Matchday 38 fixtures
Leicester City vs Tottenham
Wolves vs Manchester United
West Ham vs Southampton
Sheffield United vs Burnley
Fulham vs Newcastle
Leeds United vs West Brom
Arsenal vs Brighton
Aston Villa Chelsea
Manchester City vs Everton
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
'We will give everything.' 💪 #AVLCHE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 23, 2021
This is the second time in the past five years two sides have gone straight down following their promotion – with every season having at least one of them going back to where they came from – a worrying stat in many ways.
Turning our attention to Man City; they’ve now made it three Premier League gold medals under Pep since he joined in 2016, with them winning the English title five times in the last 10 years.
Pep Guardiola is making sure he leaves his mark on England’s top-flight and is easily becoming one of the best managers to ever grace the league. However, the fun bits for the day are taking place just below the two Manchester clubs.
The fight to end in third and fourth place in the Premier League standings is going down to the wire and it involves Chelsea, Leicester City and Liverpool.
Three teams have Champions League football in sight for next term. Those three are the Blues, the Foxes, and the Reds. Three points can be the difference between Europa League and Champions League.
Three points can also be the difference between gaining potential world-class targets or settling for what’s left in the market. A win for all three and how things stand on the log will see them stay as it is.
A loss by either of the two who sits in third and fourth place (Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively) and there will be movement between the trio. There is only a point that separates Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Brendan Rodgers – so it is all play for.
Other important matchups besides the top-four race
All English Premier League
The two North London clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham, battle it out with Everton for seventh place. The highest Arsenal and Everton can finish today after 90 minutes of football is in seventh place.
The highest Harry Kane and co. can finish with a West Ham loss and Spurs victory, is in sixth place – the Spurs goal difference is far more superior to that of the Hammers.
A loss for the Gunners or the Toffees, or even both and Leeds United, who are in 10th place and below them, can overtake either of the pair. Leeds cannot finish higher than Spurs, even if they lose to Leicester City.
Other than this, none of the sides in the top half of the table can drop into the lower half. There will be movement but nothing significant at the bottom end – in a sense, it’s a battle for pride in the bottom half.
Wolves (12th, 45 points), Crystal Palace (13th, 44 points), Southampton (14th, 43 points), Newcastle (15th, 42 points), and Brighton (16th 41 points); all these teams can either still drop down in the order or rise into higher positions depending on their results in the last bit of action.
Aston Villa is the only mid-table team who can rest assure and enjoy their day with perhaps some of their youth taking the pitch – win, lose or draw, they stay grounded in 11th place.
They and both Manchester clubs have the freedom to do what they please, as they cannot be moved out of their individual positions.
Here are the Premier League’s closing day predictions…
Expecting goals to be scored in every game but some fixtures will see shared points.
When predicting the final day scores; recent form, reverse fixture results, as well as home sides having their fans back in stadiums, were all taken into account.
For the latter reason alone, It is going to be one of the better days of football. This element of the game has been missing for far too long and we are all pleased to have them back, playing their role in results around England.
Premier League Matchday 38 predictions
Leicester City 2-1 Tottenham
Wolves 2-2 Manchester United
West Ham 2-0 Southampton
Sheffield United 0-2 Burnley
Fulham 1-1 Newcastle
Leeds United 4-2 West Brom
Arsenal 2-2 Brighton
Aston Villa 0-1 Chelsea
Manchester City 3-0 Everton
Liverpool 3-0 Crystal Palace