PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH PREVIEWS – SUNDAY MAY 15

(All matches kick off at 1500)

We already know that Leicester City are champions and that Aston Villa, Norwich City and Newcastle United are the relegated teams. The issues to be settled this weekend centre around the battle to secure places in the two European football club competitions.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

1 Leicester City 80pts

2 Tottenham Hotspur 70pts

3 Arsenal 68pts (Goal difference +25)

4 Manchester City 65pts (Goal difference +30)

5 Manchester United 63pts (Goal difference +12)

The top three will go straight through to the group stage of next season’s UEFA Champions League. Leicester and Tottenham will be there, and they will be joined by Arsenal if they gain at least a draw from this weekend’s matches. Otherwise, Manchester City can grab third place with a win.

The team finishing in fourth place will secure a place in the final qualifying round of the Champions League. Discounting the mathematical improbability of sixth placed West Ham making up a goal difference deficit of 15, Manchester United are the only team that could force their way into the top four, but this would require them to win and Manchester City to lose, given City’s goal difference advantage.

Arsenal v Aston Villa

Positions: Arsenal 3^rd, Aston Villa 20^th

Form (league matches only – earliest matches first):

Arsenal

DDWDWD (10pts)

Aston Villa

LLLLLD (1pt)

• Arsenal have turned into something of a draw specialist during their nine match unbeaten run, and Villa finally managed to secure a draw in their last match to end an 11 match losing run. But given the way Villa’s time in the Premier league has ended with a whimper, Arsenal must be strongly fancied here. Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck starts a nine month injury lay off, but Jack Wilshere may start – is it too late for him to grab a place in the Euros?

Manchester United v Bournemouth

Positions: Man Utd 5^th, Bournemouth 16^th

Form:

Man Utd

LWWDWL (10pts)

Bournemouth

LWLLLD (4pts)

• On recent form, United have to be favourites. They will also have to start the game going all out for the win that could yet take them into the top four, but the atmosphere at Old Trafford may be dented if news comes through that their local rivals are ahead. United’s Marouane Fellaini is still suspended.

Swansea City v Manchester City

Positions: Swansea 11^th, Man City 4^th

Form:

Swansea

DWLLWW (10pts)

Man City

WWDWLD (11pts)

• Swansea have scored seven goals in winning the last two, but will again rest their Euro 2016 bound players. The Manchester side have a poor away record this year, so can they deliver the goods when they need a result to make sure of Champions League qualification? Maybe a draw is on the cards here, despite the expected return to the side of City’s Samir Nasri?

EUROPA LEAGUE

5 Manchester United 63pts (Goal difference +12)

6 West Ham United 62pts (Goal difference +15)

7 Southampton 60pts (Goal difference +15)

8 Liverpool 59pts (Goal difference +13)

The teams finishing fifth and sixth will definitely qualify for the Europa League, so Manchester United know they have some form of European football next year. A win for Southampton or Liverpool would knock West Ham out of sixth place were they to lose, as would a win for Southampton and a draw for West Ham.

If United win next week’s FA Cup final, the seventh placed team will also reach the Europa League, so Southampton could make sure of this with a win. Liverpool would go seventh if they won and Southampton drew.

The fifth placed finisher will go straight through to the group stages of the Europa League, as will the FA Cup winner, or the sixth placed finisher if United win the FA Cup. Other teams will need to contest the final qualifying round.

Liverpool can still secure an additional place in next year’s Champions League by winning Wednesday’s Europa League final against Sevilla. However, this will not hand England a replacement Europa League spot, so there is no way eighth place can deliver European football.

Southampton v Crystal Palace

Positions: Southampton 7^th, Crystal Palace 14^th

Form:

Southampton

LWDWWW (13pts)

Crystal Palace

WDDLLW (8pts)

• Southampton are ending the season in excellent form, playing some hugely entertaining football. Crystal Palace will surely rest players ahead of the FA Cup final, while those that do play may be more concerned about not getting injured, so the Saints start as strong favourites. They may get a further boost if Sadio Mane is deemed fit to return.

Stoke City v West Ham United

Positions: Stoke 10^th, West Ham 6^th

Form:

Stoke

DLLLDL (2pts)

West Ham

DDWWLW (11pts)

• Stoke have recorded another very respectable mid-table finish, but recent results have not been good, and West Ham will expect to take the points here. Stoke’s Stephen Ireland broke his leg in training this week.

West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool

Positions: West Brom 15^th, Liverpool 8^th

Form:

West Brom

LLLDLD (2pts)

Liverpool

WWDLWD (11pts)

• Although Liverpool’s focus may be more on this year’s Europa League final than making sure they qualify for the competition next year, few would back West Brom (no win in eight) with much confidence. Liverpool’s Danny Ings could return after a long absence, as could Jordan Henderson.

OTHER MATCHES

Chelsea v Leicester City

Positions: Chelsea 9^th, Leicester 1^st

Form:

Chelsea

LLWDLD (5pts)

Leicester

WWDWDW (14pts)

Chelsea have not finished the season strongly, and Leicester will fancy ending their miraculous campaign with a win. Danny Drinkwater returns from suspension for Leicester, but Robert Huth does not. John Terry is suspended for Chelsea but their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois should return after an illness.

Everton v Norwich City

Positions: Everton 12^th, Norwich 19^th

Form:

Everton

DDLWLL (5pts)

Norwich

WLLLLW (6pts)

• Two sides who have had a disappointing campaign could serve up a goal feast here – Everton’s problem has been keeping them out rather than scoring, and Norwich hit four on Wednesday night in a futile attempt to stave off relegation. Joe Royle and David Unsworth are in caretaker charge of Everton, who could have Phil Jagielka and Seamus Coleman back from injury.

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur

Positions: Newcastle 18^th, Tottenham 2^nd

Form:

Newcastle

LWDDWD (9pts)

Tottenham

DWWDDL (9pts)

• A five match unbeaten run has not been sufficient to save Newcastle from relegation. But this recent form suggests Newcastle can again get something out of this match, provided the players can shut out the inevitable protests against the Board that will ring out around St James’s Park. Moussa Dembele remains suspended for Spurs.

Watford v Sunderland

Positions: Watford 13^th, Sunderland 17^th

Form:

Watford

DWLWLL (7pts)

Sunderland

LWDDWW (11pts)

• Sunderland are finishing in excellent form, so unless the players relax in the knowledge they are now safe in the league for another season, they must be fancied here.

Departing managers

Sunday’s matches could be a farewell for a number of Premier League managers:

• Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City) – a definite departure. It was announced some months ago that Pep Guardiola would be taking over at the Etihad next season.
• Eric Black (Aston Villa) – Black ended the season in caretaker charge after two permanent managers were sacked by the struggling Birmingham team. Villa will expect to have a new manager for the start of next season as they begin life in the Championship.
• Guus Hiddink (Chelsea) – after a second spell as Chelsea’s interim manager, the Dutchman will be replaced by Antonio Conte for next season.
• Roberto Martinez (Everton) – was sacked on Thursday as a disappointing campaign comes to a close.
• Quique Sanchez Flores (Watford) – Watford’s owners are known for their lack of patience with managers, and the club’s slide down the table in recent weeks has led them to decide it’s time for another change. He will leave after Sunday’s match.
• Rafael Benitez (Newcastle United) – It was always difficult to see him managing in the second tier, and he is understood to have a break clause in his contract should the Magpies be relegated.
• Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) – possibly the least likely of those on this list to lose his job, but some fans remain disgruntled after another season where they failed to mount a serious title challenge.
• Louis van Gaal (Manchester United) – the media have predicted his sacking for most of the second half of the season, but the man described as ‘Red Man Walking’ is still in charge at Old Trafford. If he delivers a Champions League place and possibly the FA Cup as well, will the United board really want to make a change?