Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal all are chasing success on the final day of the 2016-17 Premier League season.
The clubs are competing for the third, fourth and fifth places in the final Premier League standings, and they’re seperated by just three points with one game to play. The third and fourth-place finishers will qualify for the UEFA Champions League, while the fifth place finisher must begrudgingly accept UEFA Europa League soccer next season. Each will play its final game Sunday at the same time its rivals play theirs.
Here’s where things currently stand between Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal:
Manchester City (third place, 75 points)
Remaining game: Watford at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 21 (away)
Pep Guardiola’s side has its destiny in its hand as it travels to Vicarage Road for a date with 16th-place Watford. Manchester City will clinch third place with a victory. A draw would clinch at least fourth place for Manchester City.
A draw also would allow Liverpool to overtake and Arsenal to tie Manchester City on points, and a range of scenarios could enter Manchester City into a one-game Champions League playoff for third or fourth place.
Liverpool (fourth place, 73 points)
Remaining game: Middlesbrough at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 21 (home)
The Reds can clinch fourth place with a victory at Anfield over 19th-place Middlesbrough, an already-relegated team.
If the Reds draw against Middlesbrough, Manchester City will clinch third or fourth place, and Arsenal could leapfrog Liverpool into fourth place by beating Everton.
If Liverpool loses 2-0 or 3-1, Arsenal can force a one-game playoff with the Reds by drawing against Everton by 1-1 or 2-2 scores.
Arsenal (fifth place, 72 points)
Remaining game: Everton at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 21 (away)
The Gunners need help from Liverpool’s and Manchester City’s opponents to secure an improbable Champions League return.
Arsenal needs Manchester City to lose 4-0 and must beat Everton 1-0 in order to force a one-game playoff against Manchester City for third or fourth place. But that scenario is unlikely.
Arsenal, more realistically, is hoping for Liverpool to lose or draw against Middlesbrough while sneaking past the Reds with a win over Everton.
Thumbnail photo via LiverpoolFC.com
