Premier League, there is no shortage of points of interest in the round that sends the 2023-24 edition of the English top league into the archives: predictions.
The spotlight will be almost exclusively on the Emirates Stadium and Etihad Stadium, where the last duel – at a distance – between the two pretenders to the title, Arsenal and Manchester City, engaged respectively against Everton and West Ham, two teams with no more goals, is staged.
But the thirty-eighth and final day of the Premier League offers several points of interest. For as much as the European positions may be fairly crystallized, twists and turns remain around the corner. A desperate feat is needed, in this regard, for Manchester United, which is in danger of being left out of it all (unless it wins the FA Cup in the final with City’s cousins, a rather remote possibility). A midweek recovery win over Newcastle nevertheless keeps alive the hopes of the Red Devils, momentarily eighth and paired on 57 points with the Magpies themselves, who nevertheless remain ahead thanks to better goal difference. Erik ten Hag’s team, which will almost certainly leave in the coming weeks, must necessarily win at home to Brighton and hope that Newcastle does not do the same at Brentford. For both of them two games in any case treacherous despite facing two opponents who have nothing more to say in this tournament: there should be no shortage of goals.
The predictions for the other matches
Chelsea, on the other hand, is more relaxed, at +3 on the Newcastle-Manchester United pair. The Blues, thanks to 4 wins in a row, have secured the sixth place that will almost certainly mean Europa League (everything will depend on the outcome of the FA Cup final between the two Manchesters).
The Londoners should also be able to settle Bournemouth, in a match of at least three goals total. Match with a fairly foregone conclusion is the one between bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United and Tottenham: with Champions League qualification gone, Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs must protect fifth place from the possible onslaught of Chelsea, which is only three points behind. Everything is decided, finally, in the fight not to be relegated: actually, third-last Luton Town is not yet arithmetically in the Championship, but the goal difference with respect to Nottingham Forest (at +3 on the Hatters) is so large that even in the event of a victory over Fulham, relegation would be inevitable. The Tricky Trees, for their part, cannot afford to take any risks and at home to already relegated Burnley will likely avoid defeat.
There is nothing at stake in the matches between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa and Liverpool and Wolverhampton. However, it is worth spending a token on Oliver Glasner’s Eagles, which have been on the upswing in the last period, while the Reds should beat Wolves decisively in Jurgen Klopp’s last match on their bench.
Premier League: possible winners
Newcastle or draw (in Brentford-Newcastle).
Chelsea (in Chelsea-Bournemouth)
Crystal Palace or draw (in Crystal Palace-Aston Villa)
The matches of at least one goal per team
Brighton-Manchester United
Luton Town-Fulham
Chelsea-Bournemouth
Premier League: matches with at least three total goals
Brentford-Newcastle
Burnley-Nottingham Forest
Liverpool-Wolverhampton
Sheffield United-Tottenham
