The Premier League title and relegation places may have been wrapped up in April but there is still plenty to play for.
There are crunch games in the tight tussle for a Champions League spot next season, with third-placed Newcastle United playing Chelsea, who are two places below them. Nottingham Forest, the division’s surprise package, host Chelsea on the final day of the season (May 25).
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At the other end of the table, Southampton are still searching for one more point to avoid the ignominy of being the joint-worst team in Premier League history, along with Derby County in 2007-08.
Elsewhere, Manchester City wave goodbye to Kevin De Bruyne, while it could also be farewell to Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool and potentially the end of the road for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.
Here, The Athletic looks at some of the biggest storylines in the final month of the season…
Leicester City vs Southampton (Saturday, May 3)
It has been a long and unforgiving season for Southampton, who have sacked two managers and picked up just 11 points from 34 matches.
After Fulham snatched a stoppage-time winner at St Mary’s last weekend, the search goes on for another point to prevent them from equalling Derby’s unwanted record for the lowest points total in a Premier League campaign.
They have as good an opportunity as any to do that in their next game, against also-relegated Leicester City, who have managed just one point in their past 11 games under Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has endured a miserable time since taking over.
If Southampton fail to eke out a point on Saturday in the clash of the doomed, things look decidedly bleak. Their final three matches are against Manchester City (h), Everton (a) and Arsenal (h).
Ryan Sessegnon’s late goal kept Southampton on 11 points (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Newcastle United vs Chelsea (Sunday, May 11)
Lifting the Carabao Cup in March to finally end their 56-year wait for a trophy represents a successful campaign for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle.
They will be determined to close it out in style by securing Champions League football. The top five in the table will qualify thanks to the Premier League’s position in UEFA’s coefficient rankings.
However, Newcastle have a tricky final four matches. Their run-in begins with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, followed by Chelsea at home, Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and Everton at home on the final day of the season.
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Chelsea are in fifth, two points behind Newcastle, and will be desperate to swap the Conference League for the Champions League next season.
It’s been a confusing and somewhat soulless campaign under Enzo Maresca, but Chelsea are gathering momentum at a crucial time, having notched up two successive victories, including a dramatic late win at Fulham a fortnight ago.
Much like Newcastle, they also have a tough run-in. Sunday’s game with champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge is sandwiched between their Conference League semi-final double-header against Djurgarden, the first leg of which was won emphatically in Sweden. Then it’s Newcastle (a), Manchester United (h) and fellow Champions League contenders Nottingham Forest (a).
Liverpool vs Arsenal (Sunday, May 11)
Halfway into the season, it appeared Liverpool’s home game against Arsenal had all the makings of a thrilling title decider.
But Arne Slot’s side raced clear from Arsenal in second, meaning the fixture is little more than an extended title celebration for Liverpool.
By the time the teams play, Mikel Arteta’s side will either be in a buoyant mood, having edged past Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Champions League final in Munich, or flat, their season of huge promise having failed to deliver silverware.
It will also be interesting to see if it’s the same top two at the same stage next season, or if a resurgent Manchester City — or another potential challenger — can enter the mix.
Arsenal and Liverpool drew 2-2 in October, but the gap between the clubs has widened (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Manchester City vs Bournemouth (Sunday, May 18)
Manchester City’s final home game of the season will see them bid farewell to De Bruyne, who has a strong case to be considered their greatest player.
De Bruyne arrived for £55million ($73m) from Wolfsburg in 2015 and has gone on to enjoy a magnificent decade with City as the conductor in Pep Guardiola’s orchestra, winning 19 major trophies.
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The Belgian playmaker turns 34 next month and is reluctant to call time on his City career.
“I was a bit surprised but I have to accept it,” was how a clearly miffed De Bruyne put it when asked by reporters after the Everton match on April 19 how he felt about his City career ending.
De Bruyne has said he is open to joining another Premier League side, while The Athletic previously reported four MLS teams — Inter Miami, Chicago Fire, New York City FC and DC United — are keen to bring him in.
Against Bournemouth, De Bruyne is sure to receive a wonderful ovation as he graces the Etihad in sky blue for the final time.
De Bruyne has been majestic for Manchester City (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace (Sunday, May 25)
Speaking of emotional farewells, the final game of the season at Anfield could be Alexander-Arnold’s last match for Liverpool.
He joined Liverpool as a six-year-old but is expected to sign for Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer.
Madrid tried to sign Alexander-Arnold in January, submitting a £20m bid, but Liverpool knocked it back as they wanted the defender for the crucial second half of the season.
With his contract up in a couple of months, Real are confident of finalising a deal to sign him on a free transfer.
If he does leave, there will be a mixture of appreciation for a hugely gifted player who won everything at his boyhood club, and disappointment from Liverpool’s supporters that one of their own could not be persuaded to extend his stay.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton & Hove Albion (Sunday, May 25)
Still fighting in the Europa League, Tottenham will be expected to reach the final in Bilbao after beating Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in north London in Thursday’s first leg of the semi-final.
Their European run, which included an impressive away victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-final, has kept their season alive and gives them a chance to win their first silverware since 2008. Lifting the Europa League would also grant them qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Tottenham’s domestic form, however, has been awful. Postecoglou’s side are 16th and have the unwanted club record of a 19th league defeat this season, equalling their tally from 1997-98.
Tottenham went 1-0 up at Anfield, and then conceded five (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Postecoglou has grappled with an injury crisis, while Spurs fans continue to voice their displeasure at the boardroom, claiming that chairman Daniel Levy and the ENIC ownership group have prioritised the commercial side of the club over sporting success.
Yet Postecoglou’s relationship with the Spurs fans has also looked strained this season — the cup to his ear at Stamford Bridge and the angry reaction from the away end after their 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth spring to mind. The mood music suggests Postecoglou could depart this summer.
If that does happen, his farewell game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be at home against Brighton — four days after the Europa League final.
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea (Sunday, May 25)
This is another crunch game between two teams who are right in the scrap for a Champions League spot.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have laboured of late, but will hope to finish what remains a superb season by booking their spot with Europe’s elite next season. Forest, who won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980 under Brian Clough, last featured in Europe’s premier competition in 1980-81.
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Before their final five matches, Nuno issued a rallying cry, calling them “the biggest of our careers”.
“It’s in our hands, that’s a big advantage,” he added, though Thursday’s defeat at home to Brentford — a third loss in four league games — has trimmed their margin for error yet further.
Nuno believes Forest’s destiny is in their own hands (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Potentially standing in their way on the final day are Chelsea, who also have two Champions League titles to their name. They last appeared in the competition in 2023, losing against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa (Sunday, May 25)
Manchester United and Aston Villa look like two clubs moving in opposite directions.
However, it could still be United who end the season with silverware in the Europa League and qualification for the Champions League.
Villa lie seventh, with their remaining four games against teams below them, starting with Fulham at home, then Bournemouth away, Tottenham at home and finally United at Old Trafford.
One player watching their last game of the season with interest will be on-loan striker Marcus Rashford, who had been showing flashes of his best form under Unai Emery after joining in January.
Rashford has enjoyed a change of scenery during his loan spell at Villa (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
Rashford is expected to miss the rest of this campaign with a hamstring injury and was ineligible for the United match in any event, with attention now switching to his future this summer.
One of United’s highest earners, Rashford appears unlikely to return to his hometown club after being jettisoned by Ruben Amorim, who criticised his application in training. He would ideally play for a team in the Champions League next season. As The Athletic has reported, Villa’s loan deal for Rashford includes a £40m option to buy.
(Top photo: Liverpool fans on the roof at Anfield; Getty Images)
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