Premier League: Top Five Race Continues

The race to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League is increasing in its intensity, with just two matches left to play in the 2024/25 season.

The 2024/25 Premier League season has been enthralling, and there are just two games left for all twenty of the football clubs in the English top flight. Going into the last games of the campaign, most of the clubs have had their fates decided.

The three clubs to be relegated to the EFL Championship have been determined, with all newly promoted clubs – Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton – having all been relegated. Southampton are finishing at the bottom, whilst Ipswich and Leicester are going to fill 18th or 19th place.

Whilst the top seven has been confirmed, there may be an extra place available in Europe for whoever finishes in 8th place. This is if Manchester City win the FA Cup AND qualify for Europe via the league, and if Newcastle qualify for Europe through their league position after also having won the Carabao Cup this season (The Magpies have already confirmed a European place for next season). This is how there may be an extra spot in Europe, which is currently open to the likes of Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, and Fulham.

Additionally, the title has also been confirmed, with Arne Slot’s Liverpool having won the league already, with this having been confirmed following the Reds’ emphatic and ruthless 5 – 1 triumph against Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur side at Anfield in what is Liverpool’s 20th top flight title, which puts them level with their North West rivals Manchester United.

However, in terms of qualification for the UEFA Champions League, only the Champions Liverpool have officially confirmed their place in the top five. The likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest are still battling for the final four spots in next season’s competition.

Here, we are going to take a look at each of these clubs as they all look to secure their place in European Club Football’s Premier Cup Competition.

Arsenal – 2^nd Place (68 Points)

Remaining Fixtures:

Newcastle United (H) – Sunday 18^th May 2025, 16:30 KO

Southampton (A) – Sunday 25^th May 2025, 16:00 KO

Out of all of the clubs looking to secure their qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are the closest to achieving this outcome. The Gunners only need one point from either of their final two fixtures against fellow top five contender Newcastle United and already relegated Southampton, respectively.

Newcastle United – 3^rd Place (66 Points)

Remaining Fixtures:

Arsenal (A) – Sunday 18^th May 2025, 16:30 KO

Everton (H) – Sunday 25^th May 2025, 16:00 KO

We are now going to look at Newcastle United, who with 66 points from their 36 matches to date find themselves in third place with just two games to go. All the Magpies need to do is win one more match to put them on 69 points, although this is only if Chelsea and Villa BOTH win and if Chelsea also avoid defeat.

They have the opportunity to secure their top spot with a victory this Sunday against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in North London, or by beating David Moyes’ Everton back at home, at St. James’ Park on the final day of the season next Sunday (25th May 2025).

A draw against Arsenal could be enough if Villa lose to Spurs or if Chelsea lose and Nottingham Forest fail to win – so Newcastle’s spot in the Champions League for next season may have already been secured by the time they face Everton at Goodison Park on the final day of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Manchester City – 4^th Place (65 Points)

Remaining Fixtures:

AFC Bournemouth (H) – Tuesday 20^th May 2025, 20:00 KO

Fulham (A) – Sunday 25^th May 2025, 16:00 KO

Next up, we are looking at fourth place Manchester City, led by their Spanish Head Coach Pep Guardiola. A spot in the Champions League can be confirmed this weekend if City beat Bournemouth and if Chelsea and Nottingham Forest fail to win, OR if Aston Villa fail to secure victory against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park on Friday night.

A draw could be enough for City in their game against Bournemouth this weekend if Chelsea or Nottingham Forest fail to win, and if Aston Villa lose. This is because of the Cityzens’ goal difference.

Chelsea – 5^th Place (63 Points)

Remaining Fixtures:

Manchester United (H) – Friday 16^th May 2025, 20:15 KO

Nottingham Forest (A) – Sunday 25^th May 2025, 16:00 KO

Next up is Chelsea, led by Head Coach Enzo Maresca. Whilst the Blues cannot mathematically secure themselves a place in the next season’s UEFA Champions League this weekend. If they win and Villa and Nottingham Forest both lose, their place is effectively confirmed thanks to their superior goal difference compared with both of their Midlands counterparts – the West London club would then have to lose by at least four goals against Forest on the final day if this happened.

Aston Villa – 6^th Place (63 Points)

Remaining Fixtures:

Tottenham (H) – Friday 16^th May 2025, 19:30 KO

Manchester United (A) – Sunday 25^th May 2025, 16:00 KO

Unfortunately for Aston Villa and Unai Emery, their hopes of Champions League football are out of their hands. Villa will realistically need to win both of their remaining two games to have any chance of a top five finish, and even this may not be enough for the West Midlands outfit. They also have a vastly inferior goal difference to the teams around them, except for Forest.

One of Chelsea and Manchester City would have to fail to win at least one of their two remaining matches alongside two Villa victories.

Nottingham Forest – 7^th Place (62 Points)

Remaining Fixtures:

West Ham United (A) – Sunday 18^th May 2025, 14:15 KO

Chelsea (H) – Sunday 25^th May 2025, 16:00 KO

Finally, we move on to Nottingham Forest, who have the least chance to secure a spot in the top five, although it is most certainly still possible for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to secure a UEFA Champions League spot for next season this term. They are currently occupying 7th place with a grand total of 62 points having been successfully accumulated from their 36 Premier League matches so far.

To finish in the top five, Forest will certainly need to, like Villa, win both of their remaining matches against West Ham United away from home this weekend and at home to Chelsea at the City Ground on the final day next weekend.

This would see the Reds go up to 68 points, and in addition to two wins, Forest would have to hope that both Chelsea AND Aston Villa both fail to win at least one of their remaining games, but they do currently have a superior goal difference compared to Villa.

Excitement is building amongst fans of these Premier League clubs ahead of the final two games of the 2024/25 season, with a spot in the UEFA Champions League for next season up for grabs. All eyes will be on who goes on to confirm their place in this competition by securing a spot in the top five.

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