May 15th 2024.
The final day of the Premier League is upon us and it promises to be an exciting one as Chelsea and Manchester United battle it out for a spot in Europe for the 2024-25 season. After their respective victories against Brighton and Newcastle, both teams are determined to secure their place in the top European competitions.
Mauricio Pochettino's men put up a great fight against Brighton, securing a 2-1 win in their penultimate game, while United also came out victorious with a 3-2 scoreline against Newcastle. These results have placed Chelsea in sixth and United in eighth position in the Premier League table, setting the stage for a thrilling final round of games on Sunday.
Chelsea will be hosting AFC Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge for their last match, while United will be taking on Brighton in a trip away from home. With the top four spots already clinched by Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa, the race for Europa League and Europa Conference League spots is between Chelsea, United, Tottenham, and Newcastle.
Speaking of Europa League qualification, it is worth noting that the top four positions have already been secured by the teams mentioned earlier. This means that the fifth-place team, most likely Tottenham at this point, will automatically qualify for the Europa League. However, the spots for sixth and seventh place are a bit more complicated due to United's participation in the FA Cup final against Manchester City later this month.
If United manages to win the FA Cup, they will secure a spot in the Europa League, regardless of their final position in the league table. This would also mean that the team finishing in sixth place will only qualify for the Europa Conference League, and the team in seventh place will miss out on European football altogether. On the other hand, if City wins the FA Cup, the sixth-placed team will earn a spot in the Europa League, and the team in seventh place will qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Now, let's talk about Chelsea's chances of qualifying for Europe. After not featuring in any European competitions this season, there is a lot of pressure on the team to secure a spot for the next season. In fact, there are speculations that their coach, Mauricio Pochettino, might lose his job if they fail to qualify for Europe. The recent win against Brighton has given them a chance to finish fifth, but this would require them to beat Bournemouth and hope for Tottenham's loss to Sheffield United.
However, Chelsea's more realistic goal would be to secure sixth place, which would guarantee them a spot in either the Europa League or Europa Conference League, depending on the outcome of the FA Cup final. The team only needs a point against Bournemouth to secure sixth place, but if they lose and Newcastle beats Brentford, they could drop to seventh and potentially miss out on European football if United wins the FA Cup.
Moving on to Manchester United, things are a bit simpler for them. Regardless of their final position in the league, a win against Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25th will secure them a spot in the Europa League. However, if they lose the final, they will need to finish in sixth place to qualify for the Europa League, while seventh place will earn them a spot in the Europa Conference League.
With their recent victory against Newcastle, United still have a small chance of finishing in sixth place, but it would require Chelsea and Newcastle to lose their final games, which seems highly unlikely due to the goal difference gap. Therefore, their more realistic goal would be to secure seventh place, but even then, they would need to better Newcastle's result on the final day. If Newcastle loses to Brentford, a draw against Brighton would be enough for United to clinch seventh place, but if Newcastle and Brentford draw, United will need to win their game.
It's safe to say that the final day of the Premier League will be full of twists and turns as Chelsea and Manchester United fight for a spot in Europe. The pressure is on for both teams to perform, and we can expect some exciting football as the top European competitions await. Stay tuned for more updates on Chelsea and Manchester United, as well as all the latest news, exclusives, and analysis. Sign up now to stay informed!
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