Following their triumph over Middlesbrough, Chelsea sit within one victory of the title. How does the rest of the league stand?
20. Burnley (LW: 20)
Despite speculation otherwise, manager Sean Dyche says there is no pressure on the club to sell England international Michael Keane this summer. Keeping a promising player whose contract is due to run out for nothing rather than selling him at peak value: this is a good roadmap to mediocrity.
19. Stoke (LW: 19)
The Potters remain in the middle of the pack following their draw with Bournemouth, with games against Arsenal and Southampton rounding out their season. Transfer speculation has grown louder at bet365 Stadium, with the team expected to sign Bruno Martins-Indi on a permanent transfer while likely letting the disappointing Giannelli Imbula go to Roma.
18. Southampton (LW: 18)
Following their draw against Liverpool, the Saints stuck in the middle with everybody else … which is exactly where Virgil van Dijk likely will not remain. An assistant manager relayed that the coveted defender will likely depart St. Mary’s after this season, an oft-repeated bit of speculation throughout this year.
17. Sunderland (LW: 2)
After ending a personal scoring drought, Jermain Defoe elaborated on his future, paying tribute to the Black Cats while also being realistic about what was likely his final home game with the club. A free agent in the summer, Defoe was the brightest light on a dim Sunderland team, and one can reasonably expect that he will remain in top flight football, either in England or elsewhere, through next season.
16. Watford (LW: 16)
In a stunning bit of cognitive dissonance, manager Walter Mazzarri insisted that he is not thinking about his future beyond the end of the season. Then again, his team had just lost 3-0 to Leicester, so his present isn’t terribly appealing either.
15. Bournemouth (LW: 15)
In their draw with Stoke, the Cherries did not lose any ground, nor did they separate themselves from a dense pack in the middle of the table. Returning to the club was Rangers loanee, and American international, Emerson Hyndman, whose loan was cut short due to injury.
14. West Brom (LW: 14)
With little left to play for this season, it would be understandable for Albion supporters to turn their focus toward more pressing issues, whether it be the political implications of what their country is doing, watching out for dogs on the M5 or building a sustainable garden at home. However, the club has issued warnings against selling tickets to Chelsea fans ahead of this weekend’s (possibly title-deciding) match, with possible bans put forth as punishment.
13. Everton (LW: 12)
Here’s something that usually works out for Everton: lose a game to a lesser club, fall short of season-long expectations, sign an older player with injury issues. That is exactly the trifecta Everton hit this week by losing to Swansea, guaranteeing a spot in either sixth or seventh and then, improbably, signing Kevin Mirallas — a 29-year-old non-starter with a varied injury past — to a “long-term” contract. Go Toffees!
12. West Ham (LW: 13)
Though not exactly comprehensive, the Hammers’ victory over Spurs gives Slaven Bilic a notable boost ahead of his postseason assessment. The team will finish somewhere around 20 points short of last season’s club-record total, and finding a consistent scoring threat in the summer will be crucial.
11. Chelsea (LW: 7)
By turning the lights out against Middlesbrough, the Blues find themselves within a single win of wrapping up the title. The only thing worse than an early end to the title race? Chelsea being the ones who end it.
10. Leicester (LW: 5)
Craig Shakespeare’s team put in a well-rounded performance against Watford, dodging several good Hornets chances and slotting home three of their own. One of them was at the feet of Riyad Mahrez, who reiterated this week that he expects the club to honor their agreement to allow him to leave this summer.
9. Crystal Palace (LW: 4)
The Eagles fell hard to City but remain in solid standing to beat the break. Fittingly, Mamadou Sakho was nominated for the Fans’ Player of the Year despite having featured only eight times for Palace since moving from Liverpool in January. The team is also reportedly looking into signing keeper David Stockdale from Brighton & Hove Albion, who just gained their first promotion to the Premier League ever.
8. Arsenal (LW: 8)
Directly countering the #WengerOut campaign, Arsene Wenger led his squad to a 2-0 victory over United, exactly what they needed to do with a game in hand on the Red Devils. Afterward, speculation increased that Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe, who has had an outstanding season in France, could be on his way to the Emirates this summer.
7. Swansea (LW: 11)
With their continued presence in the top flight on the line over the next two weeks, the Swans are pulling out all the stops. Players paid for 3,000 tickets for Swansea fans to follow them to Sunderland this weekend, an unprecedented gesture of grace and unity which, funnily enough, their opponents helped enable.
6. Tottenham (LW: 1)
Spurs’ title chase took a lethal blow on Friday when they fell to West Ham. Accordingly, transfer rumors have sprung about in droves, with the latest signaling a Kyle Walker move to Manchester City after the defender was benched for the London derby match against Arsenal two weeks ago.
5. Manchester United (LW: 3)
Jose Mourinho’s week went from bad to worse. After losing to Arsenal, the team directly behind them in the table, United learned of a FIFA inquiry into Paul Pogba’s transfer from Juventus last summer. When FIFA’s breathing down your neck, not only is what you did probably wrong, but you went about it in hilariously sloppy fashion.
4. Liverpool (LW: 9)
A draw against Southampton didn’t help, but Liverpool remain in the top four, with entirely winnable games against West Ham and Middlesbrough in the final two weeks. More a moral boost than anything tangible this season, Sadio Mane is on his way to a full recovery and is expected to begin running next week.
3. Manchester City (LW: 6)
With a 5-0 victory over Palace, City extended their lead over United in the battle for Mancunian supremacy. With a game in hand on Liverpool, City also have the chance to leapfrog the Reds into third. Finally, Pep Guardiola is also allegedly assessing whether the team can bring in former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes from Middlesbrough, saving the Spaniard from relegation.
2. Middlesbrough (LW: 17)
Boro get the “Sunderland Memorial Relegation Pity Ranking” this week after being mathematically eliminated from Premier League contention for next season. The team remains a prime spoiler candidate for the last match day of the season, when they face Liverpool. As Bob Dylan sang, “When you ain’t got nothin’, you got nothin’ left to lose.”
1. Hull (LW: 10)
Since taking over in January, Marco Silva has guided the Tigers from certain relegation to … the brink of relegation. Nevertheless, Hull become the team to watch in the relegation zone, the only question mark remaining. The squad enter a must-win situation against Palace on Sunday, as their final match is against Spurs.