Premier League Match Week 26: 5 Things to Watch For

EPL

EPL fans, there is no need to fret any longer. After a 10 day hiatus, which included FA Cup and Champions League football in between, Premier League play is back this weekend with some juicy matches.

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In a schedule which mirrors that of Match Week 1, a couple of sides will clash in a battle that has top 4 implications, a London Derby will pit two familiar foes against each other, the leaders will seemingly have a walk in the park, and the relegation battle heats up in an important 6 point match. There’s never a dull moment in the EPL, even in fixtures that tilt heavily towards the favorites on paper.

Here is this week’s EPL Fixture List:

[table id=34]

In the table, Chelsea hold a commanding 7 point lead with Manchester City seemingly the only threat standing between the Blues and an EPL title. Meanwhile, the race is red hot for the 4 Champions League spots. Unless Manchester City falls pretty hard, which is possible, there are 2 spots available for 5 realistically competing teams. Manchester United, Southampton, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool are all vying for those coveted places in the table. While there are other routes to next season’s Champions League, such as winning this season’s Champions League or Europa League, finishing top 4 in the table seems most attainable for the remaining parties.

The relegation battle, as it is every year, is also crucially tight near the bottom of the table. Leicester City really needs to put some victories together as they lag at the bottom with 17 points from 25 matches. There is a 4 point gap between them and last season fellow Championship team Burnley. 3 points separate 15 to 19, which includes Sunderland, Hull City, Queens Park Rangers, Aston Villa, and Burnley.

Without further a due, here are some big story lines this matchweek.

Next: Relegation 6 Pointer