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The Premier League's "Project Restart" has proven to be a success and the challenge of completing the 2019-20 season following the 100-day coronavirus-enforced shutdown has entered its final week. Liverpool have secured the league title, wrapping up their record-breaking first domestic championship since 1990, and Norwich City have suffered relegation to the Championship after just one season back in the top flight. But there are still many issues yet to be resolved as the Premier League concludes on Sunday. - Premier League table | Final day fixtures
- Stream FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only) There's the battle for European qualification -- Champions League and Europa League -- while three clubs are locked in a fight to avoid occupying the two remaining relegation berths. The race for the Golden Boot and Golden Glove are too close to call, while Friday saw the 2019-20 FWA Footballer of the Year announced.
So how will it all shake down by the end of the season? JUMP TO: Champions League race | Europa League battle | Relegation fight | Golden boot | Golden glove CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION Liverpool and Manchester City are already assured of their place in next season's Champions League, but City's success last week in overturning their two-year ban from European competition has left Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United in a three-way battle for the two remaining spots. One point separates the three teams going into the final matchday, with Man United in third on goal difference over Chelsea, and fifth-placed Leicester right behind. United's 1-1 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford on Wednesday means it'll all come down to their head-to-head clash with Brendan Rodgers' side on Sunday. - How Premier League teams qualify for Europe It's anyone's guess who will claim the final two spots: Man United have the edge after Chelsea lost at Liverpool on Wednesday followed by a clash with Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Chelsea and Man United both need a point to book their places in the UCL, but both could still miss out with defeat. Leicester must win to guarantee finishing in the top four. If Chelsea lose at home to Wolves, they can be overtaken by both Leicester and United if that game is a draw. EUROPA LEAGUE QUALIFICATION Arsenal's run to the FA Cup final has complicated the picture in the race for the Premier League's three Europa League spots. The first will go to one of Chelsea, Leicester and Manchester United, with one of those clubs guaranteed to finish fifth, so sixth is now crucial for Wolves and Tottenham. Sixth will guarantee a Europa League place, but the team that finishes seventh will have to wait until the cup final to discover whether it is enough for European qualification. If Chelsea win at Wembley, seventh will be good enough for the Europa League, but if Arsenal lift the cup, they will claim the final spot.
Sheffield United and even Arsenal, in 10th, started the final week with hopes still alive of a top six finish. Yet the battle became much clearer after the midweek fixtures, as Sheffield United lost at home to Everton and Wolves beat Crystal Palace on Monday, with Arsenal losing at Aston Villa on Tuesday. It's down to just two teams, Spurs and Wolves, battling for sixth on Sunday, with Wolves one point above Jose Mourinho's side. WHO WILL BE RELEGATED? Norwich are already sunk but there's still plenty left to play for as three teams fight to avoid joining the Canaries in the Championship next season. Watford were thumped, 4-0, at home to Manchester City and Aston Villa defeated Arsenal 1-0 at Villa Park to set up a tantalizing final matchday.
After Watford's defeat, second-bottom Bournemouth are all but sunk, though they have a slim road to safety. They need to win their final game at Everton and hope both Watford lose at Arsenal and Aston Villa lose at West Ham. A draw for either side means Bournemouth -- who have a 6% chance of avoiding the drop -- are sunk. As for Watford and Villa, one of them will drop; goal difference is -27 and -26 respectively so if they both lose it could come down to who gets the worst result. WHO WINS THE GOLDEN BOOT? Leicester striker Jamie Vardy goes into the final day on 23 Premier League goals -- two clear of Southampton's Danny Ings and three ahead of Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is on 19 goals ahead of the champions' final game against Newcastle, along with Man City's Raheem Sterling, it looks like a four-way fight to the finish for the Golden Boot. Vardy has just one game left in which to boost his tally -- the clash against Manchester United -- and any goal in that one could be enough to win the award and secure Champions League qualification for his club. - Premier League leading scorers
Ings may need a hat trick at home to Sheffield United on Sunday to give himself a genuine chance, especially with Salah, who is aiming for a third successive Golden Boot, having two games remaining in which to close the gap. It might be too tall a task for Aubameyang, with just one game left to catch Vardy having failed to score at Villa Park on Tuesday, but with Man City at home to Norwich, you couldn't completely rule out four goals for Sterling. WHO WINS THE GOLDEN GLOVE? If Burnley's Nick Pope can keep another clean sheet against Brighton at Turf Moor on Sunday, the England goalkeeper can't be beaten in the race for the Golden Glove. Pope is on 15 shutouts for Sean Dyche's team this season, and is one of only two keepers who can end the season with the most clean sheets. Manchester City No. 1 Ederson joined Pope on 15 after City's 4-0 win at Watford, with a game against Norwich to come. Considering the Canaries' form, it's difficult to envisage Ederson even having a shot to save. Liverpool's Alisson Becker has 13 clean sheets so far this season but cannot catch Pope and Ederson, along with Sheffield United's Dean Henderson, Rui Patricio of Wolves, and Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel. WHO WINS FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR? Editors' note: Jordan Henderson was announced as the winner on Friday With the Professional Footballers' Association still to decide whether they will run a vote for the PFA Player of the Year this season, the Footballer of the Year -- voted for by the Football Writers' Association -- could be the only recognised award handed out at the end of a campaign that has been elongated by the coronavirus crisis. The winner will be announced on Friday, and there is no outstanding candidate to succeed Raheem Sterling. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Anfield teammate Sadio Mane are the most likely from Jurgen Klopp's squad, with Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold also in contention. Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is gathering support, however, after racking up 19 assists for Pep Guardiola's team this season. De Bruyne may end up with just the Carabao Cup in terms of major trophies, but with so many Liverpool players splitting the Anfield vote, the Belgium international could yet be crowned Footballer of the Year this week.
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