The English Premier League season is coming into its final stretch and there is drama a plenty at either end of the table.
Most teams have ten matches remaining with Arsenal and Manchester City battling it out for the title.
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While the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are jostling for the Champions League places.
The most intriguing fight comes at the bottom end of the table.
After an anticlimactic end to last season with Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton all officially relegated with four games remaining in a Premier League first, we appear to have a true relegation scrap on our hands.
What makes it such a fascinating watch is that Tottenham are a real chance of going down for the first time in 50 years.
Manchester City are the only ‘Big Six’ club to suffer relegation in the Premier League, but the two times they dropped down to the second tier came well before the club was bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group.
Tottenham could become the second to do so, and adding another layer of intrigue to their potential demise is the fact Australian manager Ange Postecoglou was sacked last season after winning the Europa League.
In between, are a swarm of mid-table teams who could either make a charge towards Europe, or slip close to the relegation places.
Here is the Premier League’s run home!
Spurs go down to Fulham as Arsenal win | 01:05
TITLE RACE
There are only two horses in the race for who will become champions.
The current league leaders have the edge, but will need to hold their nerve as they come around the final bend and head for the finish line.
1. Arsenal – 64 points, +36 goal difference, 29 matches played
Run Home: Brighton (A), Everton (H), Bournemouth (H), Manchester City (A), Newcastle (H), Fulham (H), West Ham (A), Burnley (H), Crystal Palace (A).
The Gunners have played one extra match than City, meaning even though they hold a five-point buffer, if Pep Guardiola’s side win all their remaining games, they will be champions.
Arsenal wobbled last month with draws at Brentford and last-placed Wolves, but bounced back with a thumping 4-1 north London derby victory against Tottenham as well as a 2-1 win at home to Chelsea in their last two starts.
City at the Etihad on April 19 shapes as the decisive match in Arsenal’s run home, but there are potential banana peel games along the way.
Brighton have lost only twice in 14 home matches so far this season, while mid-table opponents Bournemouth, Newcastle and Fulham are all capable of pinching points.
The demands of other competitions will also be a huge factor for the Gunners.
They face Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16 in the Champions League and are heavily tipped to make a deep run given the draw gods have smiled upon them.
If Mikel Arteta’s men defeat the Bundesliga side, awaiting in the quarter-finals will be one of Portuguese outfit Sporting or Norwegian fairytale side Bodo/Glimt.
They cannot meet Barcelona until the semi-finals, while the likes of City and Real Madrid, and PSG and Chelsea, meet in the Round of 16.
Arsenal will also face City in the League Cup final at Wembley on March 22.
They are also still alive in the FA Cup with a fifth round tie against third tier side Mansfield Town.
Multiple pieces of silverware are very much on the cards for Arsenal, but more demands increases the likelihood of a slip up in the league.
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2. Manchester City – 59 points, +32 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Nottingham Forest (H), West Ham (A), Crystal Palace (H), Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H), Burnley (A), Everton (A), Brentford (H), Bournemouth (A), Aston Villa (H).
City appear to have the more testing run home as they face three teams currently in the top six compared to just one for Arsenal.
The likelihood that they will need to be perfect, or as close to it as possible, is a huge ask.
But Guardiola’s squad appear up for the challenge, winning their last four league matches to keep breathing down Arsenal’s neck.
This is also a squad full of proven winners.
They have won the league in six of the last seasons, while Arsenal are gunning to end their 22-year drought after a hat-trick of runner-up finishes in the last three seasons.
City will not just be only able to rely on an Arsenal slip up, however.
Trips to Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth are all potentially tricky assignments.
Plus City also have to juggle the demands of still competing on all fronts.
They have been handed a mighty task in Europe yet again, facing Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout rounds for the fifth season in a row.
While this weekend they also meet familiar foe Newcastle in the FA Cup, having beaten the Magpies in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
The final of that competition will offer City the chance to inflict some psychological damage on Arsenal before they welcome them to the Etihad in the league.
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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIGHT
It is set to be a four team battle for three places in Europe’s top club competition next season.
The success of the English teams in the current edition of the Champions League – with Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle all making it to the Round of 16 – is set to hand a fifth place to the Premier League rather than the traditional top four.
That is welcome news for those in the fight.
Other top ten clubs at present Brentford (43 points), Everton, Fulham (40 points) and Bournemouth (39 points) could make a charge for the Champions League, but it appears that they are more likely to tussle it out for Europa League opportunities.
3. Manchester United – 51 points, +12 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Newcastle (A), Aston Villa (H), Bournemouth (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Brentford (H), Liverpool (H), Sunderland (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (A).
The rebound club of the season.
If the Red Devils continue their form under interim manager Michael Carrick, having gone unbeaten with six wins in seven matches, they will certainly being playing Champions League football next campaign.
United’s absence from Europe this season, combined with early exits from both domestic Cups, has allowed them to focus purely on the league.
The reduced workload is an advantage they hold over the other contenders, but they face a testing run home.
As well as facing three of their top six colleagues, United have tricky away trips to mid table trio Bournemouth, Sunderland and Brighton.
They are not yet signed, sealed and delivered for a Champions League place, but the signs have been very positive since Ruben Amorim was given his marching orders.
4. Aston Villa – 51 points, +8 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Chelsea (H), Manchester United (A), West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Sunderland (H), Fulham (A), Tottenham (H), Burnley (A), Liverpool (H), Manchester City (A).
The wheels appear to be falling off for Unai Emery’s side.
The Villans were stunned 2-0 at last-placed Wolves in their most recent outing.
That followed a 1-1 draw at home to relegation threatened Leeds.
Villa have won just three times in the league since the start of the New Year as injuries and poor form have exposed the depth of their squad.
They also face a tough run home with four of their fellow top six sides awaiting.
Plus, they are still in the Europa League and need to manage their league campaign with Thursday night commitments.
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5. Liverpool – 48 points, +10 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Wolves (A), Tottenham (H), Brighton (A), Fulham (H), Everton (A), Crystal Palace (H), Manchester United (A), Chelsea (H), Aston Villa (A), Brentford (H).
The Reds seem to have turned a corner, and are now scoring from corners, with three wins on the bounce.
Arne Slot’s side have a great shot at winning five in a row with Wolves and Tottenham in their next two.
Like the title contenders, Liverpool face a heavy workload this month with their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Galatasaray.
From a league perspective, last season’s champions top five ambitions will be decided by a three-game stretch in May where they take on United, Chelsea and Villa.
6. Chelsea – 45 points, +16 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Aston Villa (A), Newcastle (H), Everton (A), Manchester City (H), Manchester United (H), Brighton (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Liverpool (A), Tottenham (H), Sunderland (A).
The Blues have been their own worst enemies this season, dropping more points from winning positions than anyone else in the league.
They will have to be more ruthless to make the Champions League places with four matches against fellow top six teams to come.
If Chelsea can get on a roll, they could also have a significant say in the title race and the relegation battle.
Hosting Manchester City and London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge mean they could inflict some damage.
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RELEGATION BATTLE
Four teams are vying to avoid being the best-placed team to suffer the drop.
Bottom of the table Wolves (13 points) are goners.
Second last Burnley (19 points) meanwhile need a minor miracle to avoid going straight back down to the Championship.
The Clarets are eight points and substantial goal difference from safety, and have only won four matches for the season.
That leaves a newly promoted side, Ange Postecoglou’s two former clubs and a team with one of the biggest stadiums in England jostling for safety.
15. Leeds United – 31 points, -10 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Sunderland (H), Crystal Palace (A), Brentford (H), Manchester United (A), Wolves (H), Bournemouth (A), Burnley (H), Tottenham (A), Brighton (H), West Ham (A).
Aside from a 4-0 drubbing by Arsenal, Leeds have shown since the turn of the New Year that they are up for the fight.
They have drawn at Anfield, Stamford Bridge, Villa Park and Everton’s new stadium, while they also picked up a point at home to Manchester United.
Leeds have established themselves as tough to play against, but the test on the run home will be if they can score enough against fellow relegation sides.
Their trips to London to take on Tottenham and West Ham in the final three weeks of the season could be massive.
16. Tottenham – 29 points, -5 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Crystal Palace (H), Liverpool (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Sunderland (A), Brighton (H), Wolves (A), Aston Villa (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Everton (H).
The prospect of a Tottenham relegation is very real.
Spurs have not won a league match this calendar year and have only won twice at home all season.
The latter does not bode well considering they face Nottingham Forest and Leeds United in north London in what shapes as six point games, as the cliches goes.
Interim manager Igor Tudor said there are problems everywhere at the club and they need to be addressed quickly.
Tottenham also have European football to contend with.
They face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, but cannot afford to go chips in on the quest for European trophy like Postecoglou did last year.
But Tottenham’s goal difference is significantly better than their relegation rivals and that may come in handy.
17. Nottingham Forest – 27 points, -15 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Manchester City (A), Fulham (H), Tottenham (A), Aston Villa (H), Burnley (H), Sunderland (A), Chelsea (A), Newcastle (H), Manchester United (A), Bournemouth (H).
Forest are another club paying the price for what has been a tumultuous season.
They were 90 minutes away from a Champions League place last season, and now are a chance of being relegated under their fourth manager of the season.
Like Tottenham, Forest have the added workload of European nights as they remain alive in the Europa League’s Round of 16.
They also have a tough run home with four of the top six teams remaining, and only Tottenham from the bottom five.
Australian fans will certainly be smirking if either Forest or Spurs go down after Postecoglou’s sackings.
18. West Ham United – 25 points, -20 goal difference, 28 matches played
Run Home: Fulham (A), Manchester City (H), Aston Villa (A), Wolves (H), Crystal Palace (A), Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H), Newcastle (A), Leeds (H).
The Hammers brought this relegation battle to life with their recent fight back.
They were soundly beaten 5-2 at Anfield in their last start, but West Ham have picked up 11 points in their last seven games.
And they arguably should have collected more in that stretch.
They conceded a stoppage time goal at home to Manchester United to draw 1-1, while they led 2-0 down at Stamford Bridge before letting in three second half goals, including a 92nd winner.
Home clashes with Wolves and Leeds, which is on the last day of the season, will be vital to their survival hopes.
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