It was intriguing watching Liverpool v Chelsea on Saturday.
The early Saturday match saw Arne Slot leading his side into this huge game against a Chelsea team that had lost all of their last six Premier League matches.
A win would have guaranteed Champions League football, taking account of their far superior goal difference compared to the closest challengers.
They didn’t win though.
All looked set to fine for them at Anfield as Gravenberch gave Liverpool a 6th minute lead and a day of celebration on the cards at Anfield.
Instead, Arne Slot and his Liverpool players booed off the pitch at the end of the game, as they were lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
Indeed, Arne Slot had been the target of abuse from Liverpool fans increasingly throughout the match, especially due to the negative tactics and substitutions.
Elsewhere, a nightmare scenario developed for Arne Slot. Bournemouth had to win to stand any chance of catching Liverpool but went a man down at Fulham close to half-time, only for the home side to swiftly go down to ten as well. An early Rayan second-half goal was enough to give the Cherries all three points.
That leaves the Premier League table looking like this on Sunday morning:
This is where it then gets very interesting in terms of Champions League qualification.
The top five places in the Premier League will get Champions League qualification.
The sixth placed team will also get Champions League qualification if Aston Villa win their Europa League final against Freiburg AND finish fifth in the Premier League. This won’t apply if they finish fourth in the Premier League, only fifth.
These are the remaining Premier League matches for Liverpool, Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
Burnley v Aston Villa (Sunday 10 May 2pm)
Aston Villa v Liverpool (Friday 15 May 8pm)
Bournemouth v Man City (Tuesday 19 May 7.30pm)
Liverpool v Brentford (Sunday 24 May 4pm)
Man City v Aston Villa (Sunday 24 May 4pm)
Forest v Bournemouth (Sunday 24 May 4pm)
If Aston Villa win against (already relegated) Burnley today and then do the same against Liverpool on Friday, that guarantees Unai Emery’s team a top four finish and Champions League qualification. That would mean no Champions League qualification for the team that ends up sixth, even if Villa lift the Europa League trophy.
If then Bournemouth win at home to Manchester City, it presents a huge final day of the season for Arne Slot and Liverpool.
If the scousers fail to win against Brentford AND Bournemouth win at Forest, the Cherries get Champions League football and…Liverpool don’t!
Brentford have European football aspirations of their own, so they could have everything to play for on that final day.
Bournemouth are now on a run of 16 PL matches unbeaten and when they play Manchester City it will be Andoni Iraola’s very last home match with them. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Bournemouth pull off a huge victory in that match.
Liverpool are now a bit toothless in attack and Arne Slot looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights. I can see Villa winning today at Burnley and then the same against the scousers.
What a final day of the season this could be!