By Sam McGuire
With two games left to play, six teams are battling it out for four places. So, here’s a look at the games to keep an eye on this weekend across Matchday 37.
Europa League focus
Aston Villa have their eyes firmly fixed on a Champions League place. They’ll be hoping to bolster their hopes of a top five finish this Friday against Spurs. Now, this isn’t to say Ange Postecoglou’s side won’t be playing for a win, but Tottenham have the Europa League final next week, a game that will dominate their thinking.
Spurs have nothing to play for in the Premier League. They’re safe from relegation and they can’t really move up the table. Would it be a huge surprise if they name a weakened XI at Villa Park so as to protect players ahead of the final? It would make sense. Tottenham have a horrible away record this season with 17 points from 18 games. They’re bottom of the form table with one point from their last five outings too.
It should be a routine win for Villa. It has to be three points for Unai Emery’s men if they’re to stand a chance of finishing in a Champions League place.
Villa head into this game in good form too. They’re second in the form table with Manchester City (13) being the only team to have taken more points than them (12) in the last five games. The Villans have kept clean sheets in successive matches heading into this game and, to top it off, they have lost just once at Villa Park all season.
A walk in the park for Chelsea?
Another Friday night match sees Chelsea host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
Again, this sees a side chasing Champions League football up against a team fully focused on their upcoming Europa League final. And again, a win should be a formality for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Yes, they lost 2-0 to Newcastle United last time out but they did beat the recently crowned champions just a week prior to that. Chelsea have had good results at Stamford Bridge this term, losing just twice. Maresca’s side could, with a win, move, momentarily at least, up to fourth in the table.
United, like Spurs, are fixated on the upcoming final. It is a route into the Champions League for them, an unlikely ending to a disappointing campaign. The expectation is that Ruben Amorim will name a weakened XI for the trip on Friday night. If this is the case, it should make for an even easier straightforward three points for those in blue.
A win that would heap pressure onto the other teams battling it out for a place in the top five this term.
Forest in freefall
Nottingham Forest have been in freefall recently, there’s no other way to dress it up. They’ve picked up just five points from five matches. This has seen them go from being a shoo-in for a Champions League finish to potentially missing out on Europe altogether.
At the time of writing, they are seventh in the table but just a point off the pace.
If results go against Nuno Espírito Santo’s side this weekend, they could head into the final game of the season with nothing to play for, finding themselves four points off the pace. It’d be a nightmare scenario considering just a couple of weeks ago, third place looked to be sewn up for Forest.
They need a win.
They’re up against a West Ham team with nothing to play for. But they’re a West Ham side who have drawn with Spurs and beaten Manchester United in their last two Premier League matches. This does make them a little dangerous.
They don’t need the win but players do need to perform if they’re to catch the eye of Graham Potter ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. Changes are expected this summer. These games are a chance to stake a claim in a new-look West Ham team.
The best of the rest
This is a big one. Arsenal host Newcastle United at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
A win for Mikel Arteta’s side guarantees them second place in the Premier League this season. It’d be the third time they’ve finished as runners-up and it should be viewed as a successful campaign, even if many had them down as title favourites.
A loss, however, would see them fall one point behind Newcastle with one game remaining.
In fact, a loss for the Gunners could see them finish the weekend level on points with Manchester City and just two points ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa heading into the final weekend of the campaign.
It is a pressure they really didn’t need. Especially after being perceived to be in a title challenge for most of the season.
Arsenal aren’t in the best of form with just one win in their last five but they did come from two goals down at Anfield last weekend to claim a point. They may be down but there’s still some fight in this team.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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