Europe's top table beckons
Results of Premier League fixtures at Vitality Stadium and St James' Park could go a long way towards dictating who will be playing Champions League football next season and who will not.
At the Vitality, Bournemouth host seventh-place Aston Villa in the late kick-off today, while at St James' Park, fourth-place Newcastle United welcome Chelsea, fifth in the standings.
And with England assured of five berths in the Champions League, these clubs have much to play for, as do Manchester City who are third with 64 points, and Nottingham Forest in sixth place with 61, just one point ahead of Villa.
Bournemouth, for heroics punching well above their weight, are eighth on the table, with 53 points.
They are in a good position to secure a spot in European football next season, which will be granted to the top 10, as things stand.
Andoni Iraola, one of the standout managers of this campaign, knows that four points from their remaining three matches might be enough for them to all but nail down a place for continental football next season.
Like Fulham, in 11th place and two points adrift, Bournemouth have Man City still to come, so a decent result against Villa could prove crucial to their ambitions of playing in Europe.
The Cherries' victory over Arsenal last weekend and the drawn game with Manchester United prior to that will have given Iraola's side a massive lift as they intensify their bid to qualify for Europe for the first time.
Success in their endeavours will see Bournemouth play in either the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League next season.
The Vitality Stadium, though, needs some work done to meet UEFA specifications. Failing that, it is understood that Southampton's St Mary's might be an alternative venue.
The Saints, rock bottom at the Premier League, will be relegated at the end of this season.
Unai Emery's Villa squad also know that defeat today will almost certainly scupper their chances of a Champions League place, even if they are only three off fifth-placed Chelsea.
Thus, this fixture has the potential of being a real cracker, and so too does the one at St James' Park.
A win for either Newcastle or Chelsea, one feels, would leave them on the threshold of Champions League qualification.
With both sides on 63 points and three games to go, they will obviously give it all they have got. And why not?
Chelsea were expected to rest a few key players for the second leg of their UEFA Conference League semifinal clash with Djurgarden FC of Sweden on Thursday evening, given the importance of tomorrow's encounter at Newcastle.
The Blues went into that game with a comfortable 4-1 lead from the first leg and with four wins from four.
That confidence level will also have been boosted by their triumph over newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool.
While some have alluded to Liverpool having become complacent after capturing their record-equalling 20th league title the week before, Chelsea's win was still a win, and that is the underlying thing here – it was a case of taking all three important points.
Not only are Newcastle and Chelsea tied on points in fourth and fifth respectively, but they also have the same goal difference: 21.
The Magpies are ahead, though, by virtue of having scored more goals – 66, with 45 conceded, while Chelsea have 62 for and 41 against.
Cole Palmer seems to come good at just the right time for the Blues, having seen his form dip and the goals dry up somewhat over a worrying patch.
He ended a 12-game goal drought against Liverpool last weekend, knocking home a last-minute penalty in their 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
It left many to observe that the lad was looking back to his best again – playing with renewed confidence.
Chelsea will need Palmer and company on top of their game against a side that will be spearheaded by Alexander Isak, one of Europe's leading strikers this season.
And with both sides eyeing continental football, along with the other protagonists, we could be in for a weekend of unbridled action.
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