With Liverpool running away with the title and Norwich city looking increasingly doomed, the remainder of the English Premier League season looks to be focused on two specific areas of flux within the league table.
Firstly, there are the Champions League places to sort out. Traditionally, the top four teams in each season’s English Premier League qualify for the Champions League next season. However, with UEFA threatening expulsion from Europe in its entirety for Manchester City due to their breaking of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, it could be that fifth place qualifies that team for Europe’s greatest club competition. While the question of why it should be another British team when a club from the EPL has broken the rules is anyone’s guess, but it’s looking likely and that brings other clubs into contention for qualification.
Secondly, relegation from the EPL will hit three teams very hard and while Norwich look doomed, sitting as they are seven points from safety with only 12 games remaining, there are three points separating the five teams above them. Any two of those five teams could drop, with the financial, structural and emotional impact of relegation looming large over those teams at this time. Let’s take a look as some teams who will be looking to keep their heads above water or aim for the top five.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur (Saturday 22nd February, 12.30pm GMT kick-off)