Chelsea, Aston Villa, Man City, Newcastle and Forest battle for CL place

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Five games remaining 

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It’s been another thrilling English Premier League season, even if the main prize and relegation spots have been decided. Liverpool are champions-elect and they will match Manchester United with 20 English top-flight titles with Arne Slot enjoying a remarkable first season in charge at Anfield. At the opposite end of the table, Southampton and Leicester have been relegated while it’s just a matter of time until Ipswich Town join them.

The most exciting aspect across the final eight games of the season will be the race for the European places and the Premier League could earn as many as ten next season, depending on several permutations. The biggest prize remains Champions League qualification, which can be worth in excess of €100m to clubs. England will receive five Champions League places as they will gain an extra spot based on European performance this season. Based on Liverpool and Arsenal being essentially guaranteed a Champions League place, we’ve analysed the eight clubs vying for three places. 

Remaining fixtures: Brentford (H), Crystal Palace (A), Leicester (H), West Ham (A), Chelsea (H)

Forest have been the surprise package of the season and they are huge favourites to secure a Champions League place next season. Nuno Espirito Santo has worked wonders and several players have flourished this season and it could be a truly special season as they have an FA Cup semi-final on the horizon. Forest ended a worrying run of results with a massive win over Tottenham on Monday night.

Remaining fixtures: Ipswich Town (H), Brighton (A), Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A), Everton (A)

Newcastle’s season will already go down in the history books after winning their first major silverware in over 50 years to spark incredible celebrations in the city. But qualifying for Champions League will be so important to Eddie Howe as it will allow him to spend more freely in the transfer market, which has been a problem in recent years.

Remaining fixtures: Aston Villa (H), Wolves (A), Southampton (A), Bournemouth (H), Fulham (A)

After winning four consecutive Premier League titles, Manchester City have endured a massive drop off this season. Pep Guardiola’s men could still win silverware with the FA Cup and they will still expect to secure Champions League qualification. City’s quest to secure a top five place continues with a monumental clash with Aston Villa tonight.

Remaining fixtures: Everton (H), Liverpool (A), Newcastle (A), Man United (H), Nottingham Forest (A)

At the turn of the year, Enzo Maresca had to field questions about Chelsea being in a title race but they are now firmly in a battle to finish in the top five. The Blues have dropped off in 2025 but they secured a massive late win against Fulham at the weekend. One concern for Chelsea is they face a really tough fixture list in their last four games.

Remaining fixtures: Southampton (A), Newcastle (H), Man City (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A), Tottenham (H)

Villa are enjoying another excellent season under Unai Emery. They exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage after a thrilling tie with PSG and they will travel to Wembley for their FA Cup semi-final. But qualifying for the Champions League remains a massive target but there’s little room for error now ahead of a massive game with Manchester City.