One more round before everyone can hit the beach. Five teams have a shot at heading on vacation with a spring in their step, but only three of them will get to. Oh, and there's a couple teams playing at Anfield that are already slathering on the sunblock and ordering another drink with an umbrella in it. Let's run it through.
(all games Sunday, 11am EST)
Game of the weekend: Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea
A winner-take-all cagematch for Champions League qualification, sort of. It also will affect other matches and how much they mean. It's certainly the pivot-point of the weekend. For Chelsea, it's pretty simple. Win and they're in, as in the top five. A draw would make things very dicey, as Villa could leap them with a win at what should be an existential crisis-filled Old Trafford and Manchester United. The Blues aren't going to want to leave it to that chance.
For Forest, a win still might not be enough. If Villa and Newcastle win, then Forest will end in a Europa League spot instead of a Champions League one. For a team that barely survived relegation the past two seasons, that's still a massive achievement and might actually be a better spot for them. We've seen single Champions League campaigns eventually lead teams to go bust with squads that just can't be buffeted in one summer to deal with the added burden. Yet, for Forest, a team that spent so much time in the top five this season and saw their chances hampered by puke-tastic results like drawing with Leicester at home or losing to Everton at home, it'll feel disappointing.
That said, nothing can happen for them without a win. Last day, both teams needing a win more than they have all season, inside a raucous City Ground, it should be something. Chelsea haven't won a league game outside of London since the first week of December. Forest haven't beaten a team that was actively trying or now-relegated since early March. This kind of desperation added to this kind of fraility is the stuff of telenova fever dreams.
And the rest...
Fulham vs. Manchester City
It's not official for City, yet. A loss at Craven Cottage, combined with wins for Newcastle, Chelsea, and Villa would see City slide out of the top five, and a good lot of us pulling oblique muscles giggling until the 4th of July. Fulham probably aren't the ones to author that kind of hilarity, as they've gone off the boil a bit the season's last throes. Sure, they mounted a comeback win against Brentford last week, but were mostly battered through it, and lost four of five before it. Still, they threw a major scare into City back in October, and will have a freedom to do whatever that City won't. City were professional enough against Wolves on Tuesday to get their toes up to the finish line, especially after losing the FA Cup final just three days earlier. It's been an untypical City season, but it couldn't end this untypically, could it?
Manchester United vs. Aston Villa
A Villa win and Chelsea dropping points would see Villa return to the Champions League. The pall that will be over United, after losing the Europa League final and facing what is now just a 16th or 17th-place finish season, could set the planet off its axis. Villa might be nervy, but considering that everyone associated with United will want this to be over as quickly as possible so they can all get away from each other, it shouldn't take too much for Unai Emery's crew to get what they need here and then put on their Nottingham Forest gear.
Newcastle vs. Everton
The point of Everton's season was last week, which was closing up shop at Goodison Park without disaster. Mission accomplished on that front. Newcastle need the win, as they could get passed by Chelsea, Villa, or Forest if they drop points and find themselves in the Europa League come 6pm BST. Jordan Pickford is Sunderland through and through, even if he's the Everton keeper, so he'll be on a personal holy war to keep Newcastle from winning. His teammates? Likely not. An early goal for Newcastle should see them through, back to the Champions League.
And now the games that won't be much more than picnics in the park.
Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace
Will this be the least sober game in recent Premier League history? Liverpool have been partying for a month. Palace have been on one since claiming their first ever major trophy last Saturday. Both sets of fans will be in utter delerium for this one, with Liverpool getting the actual trophy after the match and lifting in front of their fans for the first time in a dog's age. This might be the happiest place on Earth on Sunday. Screw you, Walt.
Bournemouth vs. Leicester
It went a little sideways at the end for Bournemouth, who threatened crashing the top five for a good portion of the season and nabbing a European spot for longer. But they couldn't ride out all their injuries forever, even if finishing around 10th is still quite the accomplishment. We won't see this team in this version again, as Dean Huijsen is already off to Madrid, Milos Kerkez is probably off as well, Andoni Iraola might be offered a bigger job, and some other players may go. Such is life for an overachieving smaller club, so this one should be more of a celebration of all they've done this season.
Ipswich vs. West Ham
Remember when Kieran McKenna was "thisclose" to taking the Manchester United job before the season? How many levels is that funny on now?
Southampton vs. Arsenal
Arsenal ducked this one meaning anything by getting by Newcastle last week. Southampton avoided being the worst ever Premier League team a couple weeks ago. Both will be happy when this one's over, so Arsenal can get to their main job of telling everyone they're not mad. Don't say they got mad.
Spurs vs. Brighton
There is still a couple scenarios where 8th will qualify for the Conference League, both involving Chelsea winning the thing Wednesday, so Brighton will want to lock down that 8th spot that they currently occupy. Spurs haven't cared about the league in months, so why would they after they won the Europa League on Wednesday? Brighton were able to fortify their spot by beating a questionably-sober Liverpool on Monday night, and will get an unquestionably not sober Spurs to lock it in on Sunday.
Wolves vs. Brentford
Brentford are the only team that can take eighth from Brighton, though they would need Spurs to actually care about a league game for the first time in 2025. It would have been more interesting if the Bees hadn't thrown up all over themselves against Fulham last week. Rousing a team to win away from home to claim eighth for merely a chance at the Europa Conference if certain results break their way isn't exactly a "Win one for The Gipper" speech, but it's just about all Thomas Frank will have. Better than nothing, we suppose?