English Premier League: What's up for grabs on final day
Football
By
AFP
| May 19, 2024
The 2023/24 Premier League season ends on Sunday with the title and European qualification still on the line and the final relegation place still to be rubber-stamped.
AFP Sport looks at the permutations of what is at stake on the final day:
Title race
Manchester City go into their last match against West Ham with a two-point lead, knowing that victory would secure the title for a unprecedented fourth successive season.
If Arsenal beat Everton, a defeat or even a draw would not be enough for Pep Guardiola's men, who have an inferior goal difference by one.
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Arsenal, who also finished second behind City last year, are seeking to become English champions for the first time in 20 years.
European places
Liverpool and Aston Villa are secure in third and fourth -- which guarantee entry into the Champions League, leaving the remaining attention on qualification for next season's Europa League and Conference League.
Tottenham need only a point away to relegated Sheffield United to guarantee fifth place, sending them directly to the Europa League group stage.
Defeat would allow Chelsea, three points behind with a better goal difference, to leapfrog them by beating Bournemouth.
Mauricio Pochettino's Blues would be secure in sixth with at least a point but defeat would open the door to Newcastle, who travel to Brentford.
Manchester United, who play at Brighton, can realistically only climb to seventh due to their negative goal difference.
Erik ten Hag's side need to better Newcastle's result to do so.
However, they would also reach the Europa League by winning the FA Cup.
Should City win that final next week, the cup winners' Europa League group-stage spot would pass to the sixth-placed finishers, with seventh place bringing Conference League football.
Relegation
Sheffield United and Burnley will be joined in the second-tier Championship next season by Luton, barring a spectacular combination of scorelines on the final day.
Luton are three points behind Nottingham Forest and would need a win over Fulham, defeat for Forest against relegated Burnley and a huge swing in goal difference to survive.
If Luton's fate is sealed then all three promoted teams will go straight back down for only the second time in the Premier League era.