The English Premier League’s 2024-2025 season ends on May 25, with five teams still having a chance of grabbing the last three Champions League tickets.
Liverpool, which clinched the title four weeks ago, is ready to have the biggest party at Anfield for 35 years, with former captain Alan Hansen to hand over the Premier League trophy to Virgil van Dijk.
Hansen was the last Liverpool captain to lift England’s top-tier trophy in front of a packed Anfield in 1990. When Jordan Henderson lifted the silverware in 2020, there was no crowd due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There will certainly be a party atmosphere as Liverpool’s opponent is Crystal Palace, which last week won its first major trophy – the FA Cup – by beating Manchester City.
While City will end the season without a trophy for the first time in eight years, it will join Liverpool and Arsenal in next season’s Champions League if it beats Fulham.
Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest also have a chance of joining them in Europe’s elite club competition.
Entering the final round of matches, Liverpool has 83 points, followed by Arsenal (71), Manchester City (68), Newcastle, Chelsea and Aston Villa have 66 points each, and Nottingham is a point behind.
The match of the week is Nottingham Forest against Chelsea, with the winner likely earning upwards of £100 million in ticket sales, broadcasting rights, and performance bonuses if they qualify for the Champions League.
Chelsea also has the Europa Conference League final against Real Betis on May 29 (3am, Malaysian time) to worry about, but it is focused on beating Nottingham Forest.
As for the rest of the Champions League contenders, Newcastle is at home to Everton, and Aston Villa travels to Manchester United, which lost the Europa League final to Tottenham in midweek.
Tottenham’s victory in that final was their first trophy since 2008 and ended a 41-year title drought in Europe.
Manchester United and Tottenham have had a torrid domestic season, with the Red Devils 16th in the table and the Lilywhites one rung below.
Tottenham’s Europa League triumph brought much-needed joy to the club, but doubts remain over whether Ange Postecoglou will stay on as manager next season.
Fixtures (Malaysian time)
May 25
Bournemouth vs Leicester (11pm)
Fulham vs Manchester City (11pm)
Wolves vs Brentford (11pm)
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea (11pm)
Manchester United vs Aston Villa (11pm)
Southampton vs Arsenal (11pm)
Newcastle vs Everton (11pm)
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace (11pm)
Ipswich vs West Ham (11pm)
Tottenham vs Brighton (11pm)
