The Premier League “project restart” has proven to be a success, with the challenge of completing the 2019-20 season after the forced closure by the 100-day coronavirus that is now entering its final week.
Liverpool have already secured the league title, finishing their first national championship since 1990, and Norwich City has suffered relegation to the Championship after just one season in the top flight. But there are still many problems to solve as the Premier League approaches its final round of games on Sunday.
The battle for the European qualification will last until the last day, and five clubs will meet to avoid occupying the two remaining relegation places. The race for the Golden Boot and the Golden Glove are still too close, while the 2019-20 Soccer Player of the Year will be announced on Friday.
So how will everything shake off at the end of the season?
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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RATING
Liverpool and Manchester City have already secured their place in next season’s Champions League, but City’s success last week in overturning its two-year ban on European competition has left Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United in one Battle three-way for the remaining two locations.
One point separates the three teams that come in the last week, with Leicester fourth ahead of United in fifth by goals scored. It couldn’t be stricter. But by the time United visits Leicester on Sunday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team could be three points away from them. If United beat West Ham at Old Trafford on Wednesday, all goals will count: A big win could be crucial for Leicester needing to win by more than one goal on Sunday to claim a top-four result.
But Leicester and United can still finish in the top four because Chelsea have a tough final week, with a trip to Liverpool on Wednesday followed by a collision with Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
If Chelsea loses at Anfield and doesn’t beat the Wolves, Leicester can face them on the job.
EUROPEAN LEAGUE RATING
Arsenal’s run to the FA Cup final has complicated the picture in the race for all three positions in the Europa League in the Premier League.
The former will go to one from Chelsea, Leicester and Manchester United, with one of those clubs guaranteed to finish fifth, so finishing sixth is now crucial for players like Wolves and Tottenham. But Sheffield United and even Arsenal, currently in 10th place, started last week in hopes of being in the top six.
Sixth will guarantee a place in the Europa League, but the team that finishes seventh will have to wait until the cup final to find out if it is enough for the European classification.
If Chelsea win at Wembley, the seventh will be good enough for the Europa League, but if Arsenal lifts the cup, they will claim last place.
The picture will become much clearer after the midweek matches: Sheffield United and Wolves play at home on Monday and Arsenal travel to Aston Villa on Tuesday, but it could be a four-position battle for the sixth Sunday if everyone wins. this. week.
Who comes down?
Norwich is already sunk and the relegation battle could have ended on Tuesday night if Watford avoids the loss at home to Manchester City and Aston Villa fails to beat Arsenal at Villa Park.
However, Watford lost his last 12 games against City and suffered an 8-0 loss at Etihad earlier this season, four months after losing 6-0 to Pep Guardiola’s team in the FA Cup final. from last year. So the forms guide suggests it will be unfortunate 13 for the Hornets, who surprisingly fired manager Nigel Pearson over the weekend.
If Watford loses, Bournemouth, who is in second place, would enter their last game at Everton knowing that a victory could keep them, depending on Villa’s result against Arsenal and the result of their game at West Ham on Sunday.
Watford travels to Arsenal on Sunday, so consecutive losses would leave them in big trouble.
Villa and Bournemouth must find a win this week to have any chance of survival, but Watford’s daunting last two games give both clubs a glimmer of hope.
1:15
Mark Ogden believes that moving to Arsenal or Man United would have resulted in many more Prem goals and trophies for Jamie Vardy.
CAN JAMIE VARDY Hold On To The Golden Boot?
Leicester forward Jamie Vardy entered the past week with 23 Premier League goals, two ahead of Southampton’s Danny Ings and three ahead of Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. With Mohamed Salah of Liverpool on 19 goals, before the champions’ last two games against Chelsea and Newcastle, it looks like a four-way fight to the finish for the Golden Boot.
Vardy has only one game left to improve his score, the clash against Manchester United, and any goal in that could be enough to win the award and secure the Champions League qualification for his club.
Ings may need a hat trick at home against Sheffield United on Sunday to give himself a genuine opportunity, especially with Aubameyang and Salah, who are aiming for a third consecutive Golden Shoe, with two games remaining to close the gap.
Arsenal face Aston Villa and Watford threatened by relegation this week, making Aubameyang appear to be Vardy’s biggest threat to top the scoring charts.
WHO WINS THE GOLDEN GLOVE?
If Burnley’s Nick Pope can keep another clean sheet against Brighton at Turf Moor on Sunday, the England goalkeeper can’t be beaten in the Golden Glove race. Pope is 15 shutouts for Sean Dyche’s team this season, but He is one of four goalkeepers who can end the season with the cleanest sheets.
Manchester City No. 1 Ederson is 14, but he has games against Watford and Norwich this week where he can take his account to 16. Given the way both teams play, it’s hard to imagine Ederson having a shot to save.
Dean Henderson of Sheffield United and Alisson Becker of Liverpool have 13 clean sheets so far this season and each has two games remaining, giving them a chance to move to the same level as Pope in 15. But in current form It seems to boil down to a race between Pope and Ederson and could end as a draw.
2:06
Mark Ogden argues that Kevin De Bruyne beat the Liverpool stars for Premier League Player of the Year.
CAN KEVIN DE BRUYNE OVERCOME THE LIVERPOOL RIVALS TO BECOME A FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR?
With the Professional Soccer Players Association still to decide whether to vote for the PFA Player of the Year this season, the Soccer Player of the Year, voted by the Soccer Writers Association, may be the only recognized award given at the end of a campaign. lengthened by the coronavirus crisis.
The winner will be announced on Friday and there is no featured candidate to succeed Raheem Sterling.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Anfield teammate Sadio Mane are the most likely of Jurgen Klopp’s team, with Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold also in contention.
Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is gathering support, however, after racking up 18 assists for Pep Guardiola’s team this season. De Bruyne can finish with just the Carabao Cup in terms of major trophies, but with so many Liverpool players dividing Anfield’s vote, the Belgian international could still be crowned Footballer of the Year this week.
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