We break down the latest weekend results in the English Premier and Championship Leagues and how they affect not only the title winners, but also the promotion/relegation picture and the race for European competition.
Two Down; One to Go
Leicester City’s historic loss to Liverpool on Sunday sealed their fate. It was their ninth consecutive home loss without a goal, and while relegation was always a possibility, it was only confirmed after the final whistle. They join Southampton in their descent down a rung in the English soccer pyramid.
The Saints have equalled Derby County’s worst-ever points total of 11 with a 93rd-minute salvo from Lesley Ugochukwu, bringing them level with West Ham. Only one more draw, lads. You can do it!
Ipswich Town are facing relegation. Mathematically, they could still stay up. But, physiologically, swine may fly out of my poop chute. It’s just a question of when.
Two Up; Four to Playoff
Two Championship teams secured their promotion to the Premier League. Leeds United defeated Stoke City 6–0 earlier today, with three goals coming in the first 20 minutes. They then sat in the training room, their eyes fixed on the television, watching the later match between second-place Burnley and third-place Sheffield United. When the final whistle blew with the Clarets winning 2–1, Leeds and Burnley had both secured their promotion.
As it stands, Sheffield United and fourth-place Sunderland are at least guaranteed places in the Championship playoff, which will pit the third- through seventh-place teams against each other for the final promotion spot to the Premier League. With two games remaining, there are seven teams in the “fight club” ranked fifth through eleventh, as shown below.
Keep an eye out for games against those seven teams over the next two weeks.
We Have a Champion! (Sort of…)
That’s all, folks! Cue the WB end card and animate a Porky Pig waving goodbye, because everything is over except the trophy elevation and champagne shower for Liverpool. With their (admittedly ugly) victory over Leicester City, they only need an Arsenal loss or win to claim the title. It’s unavoidable given the remaining five games.
A Premier Battle for Europe
With five Champions League spots secured for the Premier League, finishing seventh or higher guarantees a club some lucrative European football. Obviously, the CL is the place to be, and Liverpool has the wheel in hand for the journey.
This leaves four more seats in the EFL sedan. Nottingham Forest, whose form had been erratic in recent games, rebounded with a nail-biting 2–1 victory over Spurs. With that, here’s how the top of the table looks now.
Arsenal and Newcastle have at least secured a place in the UEFA Championship play-offs (do not confuse this with the EFL Championship tier below them), but they would prefer to sit shotgun.
I extend my condolences to my co-host The Qooligan, whose feverish hope that Crystal Palace would qualify was dashed in last week’s two-fer shellacking. However, their nil-nil draw against Bournemouth on Saturday, after falling behind 10 points early, stifled the Cherries’ progress.
Any game between two of these ten teams now carries significant weight.
The FA Cup Variable
The winner of the FA Cup automatically qualifies for the Europa League, so the outcome of that competition may have an impact on the table. Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Manchester City are all in the semifinals.
