With Arsenal and City still vying for the title, almost everything has to be resolved in the English Championship in the final straight.
By Juan Yague
April, spring, Champions League quarter-finals, nice weather and longer days. In that we are. But when it comes to football season, the moment of greatest ecstasy and worst disappointments approaches. The need for points is pressing for everyone. Some dream and others are overwhelmed. There are still six weeks before everything ends and there are still ambiguities to be cleared up. These are the issues to be resolved in the Premier League:
The champion
Getty
Arsenal or Manchester City. The Gunners remain in the lead with six points and one game more played. And there is still a direct confrontation between the two at the Etihad (ten days from now). It wouldn’t be surprising if the overall goal difference decided on another exciting edition of the competition. A priori, more difficult scheme for Arteta’s. But they have no European competition and their players’ minute load at the World Cup was much less. There is hope in Highbury & Islington. In favor of Guardiola’s men, their extensive experience in situations like this.
The qualifiers of the Champions League
Getty
Newcastle, Manchester United and/or Tottenham. Barring a miracle, this list of candidates will include Arsenal and Manchester City’s companions to the European Cup next season. Newcastle arrive with the best defensive reliability of the three and the best goal average (key in England as equal points prevail over direct balance between two teams). They also have the best dynamics (five straight wins). United recover from a slump in results and plunge into the Europa League and FA Cup as Spurs wander with an assistant to Conte after they sack Conte. Nonsense. But anything can happen.
Europa League and Conference League
Getty Images
With Chelsea and Liverpool looking to blow themselves up every week, everything is open for outsiders from English football to go on an Erasmus trip to Europe. Aston Villa with Emery is unstoppable. De Zerbi’s Brighton & Hove Albion have two games less than many and plenty of reasons to feel they are the protagonists in this season finale. And Brentford will have one last cartridge left if they manage to fix the bad moment they’re going through.
Two giants without ambition
Getty Images
Liverpool and Chelsea are about to throw away the season for good and start playing on Thursday next season. Their fans are not interested in the Europa League and even less in the Conference. But there are salaries to pay and transfers to undertake. It will be necessary to see whether negligence or devotion to duty prevails.
Reject
The most interesting of all. Up to nine teams in ten points with options to lose the category. At the moment Southampton, Leicester City and Forest would be the descendants. But there are still 24 points left (or 27 in the case of an ongoing game) in which anything can happen. Lots of direct duels with six points left to play and a race to save hell that will bring a lot of tension until the last weekend of May.
Source: Goal