The 2023-24 campaign climaxes on Sunday, but the reality is that for the vast majority of teams, their fate has already been decided. After Wednesday night, Chelsea are now in the driving seat for a Europa qualifying spot.
Still, should they slip up, Newcastle could capitalise due to their superior goal difference, while the only realistic route for Manchester United will be an FA Cup final win.
At the bottom of the table, Luton Town are destined for second-tier football in 2024-25, barring a catastrophic Forest collapse and a twelve-goal swing.
And Premier League bragging rights will remain in Manchester for the fourth year if City beats West Ham. Arsenal, however, are waiting in the wings, and they could be crowned as Champions if the Hammers can do their London rivals a favour.
These final matches are typically highly anomalous with lots of goals… and this means there will be some good Premier League betting opportunities to target.
Crystal Palace could spring a surprise against an Aston Villa side with nothing to play for. The Eagles have a good history of high-scoring games come the end of the season, and this match, in particular, catches the eye.
Since Oliver Glasner took charge, Palace have become an attacking force, with 16 goals in their last six games and the fourth-highest Big Chances Created (16).
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze, plus Michael Olise, have been in scintillating form to take the team to the cusp of a top-half finish.
Meanwhile, Villa have limped over the line to a Champions League qualifying spot, with 14 goals conceded in their last eight matches and just two clean sheets.
This bodes well for Palace at Selhurst Park, where they have won three on the spin, including victories over the United’s of Manchester and Newcastle.
The Villains’ progress deep into Europe means the squad is carrying several injuries, and having played 14 more games than their counterparts, Unai Emery can be forgiven if he looks to freshen his starting XI.
This should be an exciting, entertaining game, with both teams enjoying a pressure-free end to the campaign.
With hopes of playing in Europe’s elite competition over, Tottenham may find a trip to Bramall Lane more difficult than expected.
Having had weeks to accept their fate, The Blades’ support will be bouncing for their last Premier League match, and hope for one last hoorah.
Spurs’ season has petered out – just one win in six – with losses coming against Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Newcastle to end their Champions League ambitions.
Even the come-from-behind victory over Burnley provided little solace… Sheffield United may be cut adrift at the bottom, but Chris Wilder is already preparing for next season, and his lineup will include a raft of players who are looking to impress.
Chelsea will feel they need to take something against Bournemouth to nail down a place in the Top 6.
Playing for the draw is a risky strategy to implement, so three points must be the aim, and may result in a fifth-place finish if Tottenham lose, which was unthinkable two months ago.
Their opponents will have other ideas, though, as Manager of the Year nominee Andoni Iraola targets a top-half finish while extending the Cherries’ record points tally.
The Blues will end their season at Stamford Bridge, which will offer some advantage, but even during this recent upturn in form, the side still has flaws.
Since Gameweek 31, Chelsea have conceded 15 goals, the seventh highest allowed over that period, underperforming their xGoals Conceded (14.0). However, in contrast, their attack has been on fire: Big Chances - 33 (=1st), xG - 19.36 (2nd), Goals – 26 (2nd) and Big Chances Created – 23 (3rd).
Across the same timeframe, Bournemouth have been better defensively, but goal-scoring has been a little trickier to come by. This is another game I’ve earmarked as an exciting matchup, with goals being the order of the day on my football betting coupon.
And finally, all eyes will be on the race for glory at the top of the table, although in reality, this should be pretty much a formality for City, who have found form and consistent performances when it mattered.
Yes, the Gunners must be commended for taking the race through until the final day, but the scenario is out of their hands, and no one expects The Citizens to drop points: West Ham are given just a 5 per cent chance of victory at The Etihad.
Couple this with the fact that the Hammers have fallen by the wayside in recent weeks despite needing to perform well to qualify for Europe.
Since Gameweek 33, David Moyes’ men have averaged three goals against (15), an underperformance of their xGoals Conceded metric (12.1), which sees them sitting in the bottom four.
Arsenal also have an equally easy fixture on paper, with Everton arriving at The Emirates having won just once in 28 years.
The travelling Toffees have been much sturdier under Sean Dyche, galvanised following two points deductions, but with their status assured, the side should not present too many issues.
Losing the league will not come down to this weekend: failure to beat Fulham home or away is painful to take, while more recently, their capitulation to Aston Villa, on the same weekend Liverpool blew their chances, was enough to give City the belief they needed to bring home an unprecedented fourth title.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
