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Top four rivals set for dramatic finish to Premier League season
LONDON, May 23, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester will stage a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League as the Premier League season comes to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday.
Heading into the final round of fixtures, just one point separates Chelsea in third from Leicester in fifth.
With the top four guaranteed a lucrative berth in the Champions League, worth at least £60 million ($85 million), the stakes are huge for all three clubs.
Champions Manchester City and Manchester United are already certain to finish in the top four, leaving two places on offer.
Chelsea, one point above Liverpool and Leicester, will clinch third place if they win at Aston Villa.
Chelsea seized control of their destiny with a crucial 2-1 win against Leicester on Tuesday.
Even if they do not finish in the top four, Thomas Tuchel’s team could also qualify for the Champions League if they beat Manchester City in the final of this season’s tournament on May 29.
“Honestly, it was the maximum target to reach the top four this season,” said Tuchel, who has revived Chelsea since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard in January.
“Of course you can lose any match in football but listen, there’s a big difference between fear and danger.”
Liverpool can salvage a difficult season plagued by injuries by nailing down fourth when they host Crystal Palace in front of the biggest crowd at Anfield since they ended a 30-year wait to become English champions least season.
Cheered on by 10,000 fans, Jurgen Klopp’s men just need to match Leicester’s result against Tottenham at the King Power thanks to the Reds’ superior goal difference.
Having won seven of their last nine games, the Reds are expected to finish the job and Klopp insists the pressure of the tense finale won’t be a problem.
“I can’t remember a season when it didn’t go to the wire because it was pretty much a final or we had to fight to the last match day for qualification for the Champions League,” Klopp said.
“I am really used to stress until the last match day.”
– Leicester to fall at the last again? –
The Foxes potentially face heartbreak for a second successive season after missing out last year due to a final-day defeat by Manchester United.
Although they won the FA Cup for the first time with their final triumph against Chelsea on May 15, Leicester’s defeat at Stamford Bridge three days later may prove decisive.
They have spent more time in the top four than any other team this season, but now need a favour from Chelsea or Liverpool or to thrash Tottenham by five or more goals to stand a chance of Champions League football.
“The key is to win the game, and get three points,” said Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.
“There are very few games where you are going to get five or six goals in the Premier League, so win the game.”
West Ham need a point at home to Southampton on Sunday to secure sixth place and a Europa League spot.
Tottenham can still pip them on goal difference should they beat Leicester and the Hammers lose.
Manchester City will be presented with the Premier League trophy for the fifth time in 10 years after their clash with Everton in what will be Sergio Aguero’s final game at the Etihad Stadium.
City’s all-time record goalscorer returns to the squad for his farewell, but is only fit enough for a place on the bench.
A series of tributes are planned for Aguero, who has scored 258 goals in 388 games since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
The Argentina forward’s most famous strike handed City the first of those league titles in the past decade when he scored in the 94th minute of the final day of the season against QPR to pip Manchester United on goal difference.
Fixtures (all 1500GMT)
Arsenal v Brighton, Aston Villa v Chelsea, Fulham v Newcastle, Leeds v West Brom, Leicester v Tottenham, Liverpool v Crystal Palace, Man City v Everton, Sheffield United v Burnley, West Ham v Southampton, Wolves v Man Utd.
BSS/AFP/BZC/2040HRS