Each Premier League outfit will see a place in the top five with the top flight of England ready for an extra Champions League team.
All eyes have been on the top four for years, but an impressive show in Europe means that a fifth team benefits. The race to become that fifth team is fiercely disputed with Nottingham Forest in the third look nervously over their shoulder while hoping for a happy ending of their fairy -tale season.
Aston Villa may have been beaten well in Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening, but they stay firmly in hunting despite sitting in the tenth. The side of Unai Emery has cracked the top four last term and will be determined to ensure that their Champions League company takes more than a season.
Manchester City and Chelsea, two previous winners of the main prize of Europe, compete with outfits in the south coast such as Brighton and Bournemouth, who can both remember less than two decades ago.
With the title that apparently goes to Liverpool, the race for the top five, is not the destination of the Premier League trophy, where all eyes are likely to be in the last months of the season.
We look at how each team was determined while next season they keep an eye on the wealth of the Champions League.
Nottingham Forest
Much tipped them for relegation, but how they have proven that everyone is wrong when Nuno Espirito Santo leads them on an impressive indictment. Forest has continued to collect the results with their defensive resilience a huge possession. Just like the goals of Chris Wood with the New Zealander who proves that the club has a poacher who will continue to produce in the last third part.
Three losses in their last four games represent part of their worst form of the season and their Champions League heap could be good at a match on the last day against Chelsea in the city.
Chelsea
A much -needed victory over Southampton bought the blues back in the top four, but their amazing drop -off since Christmas, has been a concern. They were in two points of Liverpool before Christmas, but now have difficulty holding a place in Champions League.
The side of Enzo Maresca has continued to mislead and the shape of Cole Palmer has also disappeared, which seems to have had an impact on the entire team. The injury of Nicolas Jackson is leaving the team without their most important striker for the time being and they also have the Europa Conference League to think about, so that they leave the non -commanding Thursday – weekend in the weekend.
Man
Everyone keeps waiting for them to click in gear, but it doesn't happen completely. One week they insist Newcastle and the next week they are surpassed by Liverpool. In a very un-Pep Guardiola movement they spent large in January and Omar Marmoush looks like he has the spark they need. Rodri's absence leaves a huge void, although he could return before the season is off.
Apart from a possible FA Cup this year, a Etihad was immediately, but they just have to secure a spot from Champions League, otherwise it will go from a bad year to a disaster. Imagine that the last season of Guardiola is played with Europa League football. The last game of the season in Fulham can be crucial as the last settlement.
Newcastle
Missing the Champions League last year was forgiven, given that they were competing for the first time and, as new clubs find out, playing midweek and then not an easy task on Saturday. Eddie Howe can reliably lean on the goals of Alexander Isak and the Magpies know that they have the firepower to compete with the best.
They are lacking the consistency that would bring them higher on the table, but that they would see early this season that they can string a series of victories. They are free from European football and that can be crucial, but they know that their future ambitions will be helped enormously due to the income from Champions League.
Bournemouth
Last year Andoni Iraola did an impressive work as an unknown name, this year he is more than exceeded. Bournemouth took a 3-0 win at Manchester United for the second consecutive year and despite the doubters they did not leave.
The cherries have claimed a number of huge scalp and have unlocked a number of real gems in the will of Dean Huijsen, while Justin Kluivert proves a huge hit in the last Tihrd. However, the list of luminaire has not been nice for them – three of their last four games are against Arsenal, Aston Villa and Man City.
Brighton
The seagulls rarely make a bad step when it comes to recruitment and management recovery and Fabian Hurzeler, in combination with the signing of the will of Georginio Rutter, Matt O'RiLey and Yankuba Minteh, Brighton has again in European yacht.
The team has just closed three victories on the bounce this season and have seen some of their closest rivals in the process, and Kaoru Mitoma looks back at its best. In the coming weeks will probably define with games against Fulham, Man City and Aston Villa.
Fulham
The West -Londers went quietly about their company, but Marco Silva proves what a smart operator he is. Explanation victories on people like Chelsea and Newcastle have underlined their references and Fulham has succeeded in making Raul Jimenez look like the striker he was when he lifted it at Wolves a few years ago. All eyes are probably on the last day, when they will accommodate Pep Guardiola and Man City in a potential winner, takes all collision.
Aston Villa
Villa has passed the struggles that Newcastle did in the past term, which is part of the deal when negotiating the Champions League for the first time. She has an impressive European adventure in the last 16, but their Premier League record when returning the Champions League action is bad.
That will have to be tackled if Unai Emery is to keep the team ahead, especially with the European income key to their plans. Big names were added in January with Marcus Rashford to play a key role, although he will be a potentially determining last day when the team plays in Old Trafford.
Comments