With just four matches remaining in the 202X-2X English Premier League season, the final round of fixtures before the campaign’s climax brings high-stakes action across the table, from a historic title chase to a tense relegation battle and a fight for European qualification. This weekend’s slate of games will likely shape the final outcome of multiple key narratives that have defined the season’s closing stretch.
Arsenal’s Push For Historic Title Glory
Arsenal, the north London giants, have reclaimed full control of the Premier League title race, just four matches away from ending a 22-year wait for a top-flight crown and completing a historic domestic and European double. A win this Sunday against relegation-battling West Ham United at the London Stadium would put Mikel Arteta’s side on the cusp of a long-awaited trophy, a milestone the club has not reached since their iconic Invincibles campaign in 2004.
Just one month ago, defending champions Manchester City fought their way back into title contention after a major mid-season slump from Arsenal. However, a costly 3-3 draw against Everton earlier this week has thrown City’s chances of retaining the crown into serious doubt. The Gunners have bounced back from their earlier wobble with consecutive league wins, and a recent 1-0 semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid at a raucous Emirates Stadium secured their place in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, lifting the entire squad’s confidence heading into the final league fixtures.
Currently, Arsenal hold a five-point lead over City, who still have one game in hand, with remaining matches against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace. While West Ham are fighting for their Premier League lives and have not beaten Arsenal at home in league play since 2019, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry — a core member of the 2004 title-winning side — has warned that Sunday’s fixture is a potential banana skin for the league leaders.
“I always thought that City might drop points against Everton and my worry was West Ham away,” Henry told Sky Sports. “So I’m going to stay in my lane and not celebrate too early because nothing is done, but I could see that happening.”
Tottenham’s Fight For Relegation Survival
On Monday night, Tottenham Hotspur will host Leeds United knowing that a win, combined with dropped points for West Ham, would pull them to the brink of Premier League safety at the end of a tumultuous campaign for the north London club.
Since Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi took charge at the end of March, replacing interim manager Igor Tudor after a disastrous run of form under his tenure, Spurs have picked up seven points from three matches, a run of form that suggests the club may have turned a corner after months spent in the relegation zone. Despite the recent improvement, De Zerbi has refused to get ahead of himself, stressing that the job is not finished yet for his side.
“We can’t forget what was the situation before Wolverhampton (a 1-0 win last month),” De Zerbi told TNT Sports. “Before Wolverhampton it was a very sad situation and these memories have to stay in our head every day.”
Tottenham currently sit 17th in the league table, one point above 18th-placed West Ham, and after Monday’s clash with Leeds, they face tough final fixtures against Chelsea and Everton, both of whom still hold ambitions of securing European football next season. For Leeds, a victory on Monday would guarantee their own top-flight status for another campaign, and they could even secure safety before kickoff if other results go their way this weekend.
The Weekend’s Other Key Storylines
Elsewhere, Chelsea face a tough test against Liverpool as they look to halt a catastrophic late-season collapse that has dashed their hopes of Champions League qualification. The west London side have dropped to ninth in the table after six consecutive league defeats, and have not picked up a top-flight win since early March. In their past six league matches, Chelsea have scored just one goal, with their most recent result a 3-1 away loss to Nottingham Forest. Interim manager Calum McFarlane’s side can still end the season on a high with a win over Manchester City in the upcoming FA Cup final, but their recent league form has been an embarrassment for the historically dominant top-flight side.
Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, go into Saturday’s early kickoff close to securing their own Champions League place for next season, making them heavy favorites against a demoralized Chelsea side.
The full list of this weekend’s fixtures (all times in GMT) is:
Saturday (14:00 kickoff unless noted): Liverpool v Chelsea (11:30), Brighton v Wolves, Fulham v Bournemouth, Sunderland v Manchester United, Manchester City v Brentford (16:30)
Sunday (13:00 kickoff unless noted): Burnley v Aston Villa, Crystal Palace v Everton, Nottingham Forest v Newcastle, West Ham v Arsenal (15:30)
Monday: Tottenham v Leeds (19:00)