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The Hindu
The Hindu
Sport
AFP

Premier League: Dogfight at both ends of table

English Premier League logo. (Source: Getty Images)

The Premier League will finally reach the end of its longest season on Sunday with plenty still on the line at both ends of the table.

Manchester United and Leicester face each other in a shootout for a place in the Champions League next season with Chelsea also hoping to secure its place in the top four.

Wolves and Tottenham are vying for one place in the Europa League.

And at the bottom it could not be closer with one goal separating Aston Villa just outside the relegation zone from Watford in the bottom three, while Bournemouth also has a chance of beating the drop.

Leicester fell out of the top four for the first time since September in midweek after a run of three wins in 13 games either side of the coronavirus shutdown.

However, United’s and Chelsea’s failures to win on Wednesday means the door is still open for Brendan Rodgers’s men to salvage all the good work they did early in the season with victory on home soil on Sunday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have looked jaded in the past week in losing 3-1 to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and being held 1-1 at home by West Ham.

Chelsea just needs a point at home to Wolves to seal Champions League football next season, but should Frank Lampard’s men lose, then a draw between Leicester and United would see the latter two finish in the top four.

Whoever misses out on the Champions League between United, Chelsea and Leicester will be guaranteed fifth and a place in the Europa League next season.

Jose Mourinho’s side has won its last three and will be confident ahead of a trip to Crystal Palace, which has lost its last seven games.

Seventh could still be good enough for European football next season, but that depends on Chelsea beating Arsenal in the FA Cup final on August 1.

At the bottom, two of Bournemouth, Watford and Villa will join already relegated Norwich in the Championship next season.

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