• Burnley 2 Bournemouth 0 Although it is hard to see past Pep Guardiola for the manager of the year award, what Sean Dyche has achieved at Burnley this season – a seventh-place finish and Europa League football on less than a 10th of Manchester City’s budget – makes him a worthy runner-up. Burnley to end their fantastic season on a high with three more points to take their tally to 57 points. Oli Scarff / AFP
    Burnley 2 Bournemouth 0 Although it is hard to see past Pep Guardiola for the manager of the year award, what Sean Dyche has achieved at Burnley this season – a seventh-place finish and Europa League football on less than a 10th of Manchester City’s budget – makes him a worthy runner-up. Burnley to end their fantastic season on a high with three more points to take their tally to 57 points. Oli Scarff / AFP
  • Crystal Palace 2 West Bromwich Albion 0 The revival came too late for West Brom; if only they had put their faith in Darren Moore sooner. Their late-season resurgence will be dented by a rampaging Crystal Palace who are a team transformed under Roy Hodgson, who has discovered a winning formula with Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend in attack. Ben Stansall / AFP
    Crystal Palace 2 West Bromwich Albion 0 The revival came too late for West Brom; if only they had put their faith in Darren Moore sooner. Their late-season resurgence will be dented by a rampaging Crystal Palace who are a team transformed under Roy Hodgson, who has discovered a winning formula with Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend in attack. Ben Stansall / AFP
  • Huddersfield Town 1 Arsenal 0 Arsenal’s away record since the turn of the year is ugly: zero points, the worst in all four divisions in England. Although the players will be keen to send manager Arsene Wenger out on a high, they will come up short against a Huddersfield side that have taken a point each off Manchester City and Chelsea in their last two games. Ben Stansall / AFP
    Huddersfield Town 1 Arsenal 0 Arsenal’s away record since the turn of the year is ugly: zero points, the worst in all four divisions in England. Although the players will be keen to send manager Arsene Wenger out on a high, they will come up short against a Huddersfield side that have taken a point each off Manchester City and Chelsea in their last two games. Ben Stansall / AFP
  • Liverpool 3 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Uefa Champions League finalists Liverpool need only a point to secure another season in Europe’s premier competition. With double player of the year Mohamed Salah still chasing two goals records in a lung-busting campaign – Ian Rush’s goals for Liverpool in a single season (47, Salah has 43) and the number of goals in a 38-game season, currently held jointly by Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Salah, on 31 – the Egyptian will by the end of the match be out on his own. Glyn Kirk / AFP
    Liverpool 3 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Uefa Champions League finalists Liverpool need only a point to secure another season in Europe’s premier competition. With double player of the year Mohamed Salah still chasing two goals records in a lung-busting campaign – Ian Rush’s goals for Liverpool in a single season (47, Salah has 43) and the number of goals in a 38-game season, currently held jointly by Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Salah, on 31 – the Egyptian will by the end of the match be out on his own. Glyn Kirk / AFP
  • Manchester United 3 Watford 0 Manchester United secured second place courtesy of Thursday’s stalemate at West Ham United. Jose Mourinho’s side have limped over the line in doing so, but are up against a Watford side abject away from home. Expect United to get in some good target practice ahead of next week’s FA Cup final against Chelsea. Glyn Kirk / AFP
    Manchester United 3 Watford 0 Manchester United secured second place courtesy of Thursday’s stalemate at West Ham United. Jose Mourinho’s side have limped over the line in doing so, but are up against a Watford side abject away from home. Expect United to get in some good target practice ahead of next week’s FA Cup final against Chelsea. Glyn Kirk / AFP
  • Newcastle United 1 Chelsea 1 Newcastle looked down and out at the turn of the year but have strung together impressive performances and results to end the season on a high. Manager Rafa Benitez deserves great credit for that but if he wants to persuade rogue owner Mike Ashley to give him funds to significantly improve the squad next season he will want to ensure Newcastle end the campaign no worse than their current position of 10th. Chelsea need to win and hope Brighton do them a favour against Liverpool to pinch fourth place from Jurgen Klopp’s side but expect them to fall just short. Daniel Leal - Olivas / AFP
    Newcastle United 1 Chelsea 1 Newcastle looked down and out at the turn of the year but have strung together impressive performances and results to end the season on a high. Manager Rafa Benitez deserves great credit for that but if he wants to persuade rogue owner Mike Ashley to give him funds to significantly improve the squad next season he will want to ensure Newcastle end the campaign no worse than their current position of 10th. Chelsea need to win and hope Brighton do them a favour against Liverpool to pinch fourth place from Jurgen Klopp’s side but expect them to fall just short. Daniel Leal - Olivas / AFP
  • Swansea City 1 Stoke City 0 Swansea picked the wrong time of the season to go on a four-match losing streak and their fate was all but sealed in their losing effort to fellow relegation strugglers Southampton in midweek. Southampton, in 17th are three points and nine goals better off than Swansea, and nothing about the Welsh club’s recent form suggests they are capable of pulling off a miracle. Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
    Swansea City 1 Stoke City 0 Swansea picked the wrong time of the season to go on a four-match losing streak and their fate was all but sealed in their losing effort to fellow relegation strugglers Southampton in midweek. Southampton, in 17th are three points and nine goals better off than Swansea, and nothing about the Welsh club’s recent form suggests they are capable of pulling off a miracle. Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
  • Southampton 0 Manchester City 3 Southampton’s triumph in the winner-takes-all Swansea game was the high point in a campaign full of disappointments. That City, the champions – who can become the first team to reach 100 points in a single campaign – arrive at St Mary’s with Southampton having enough breathing space over 18th-placed Swansea means they can afford an exercise in damage limitation. Lindsey Parnaby / AFP
    Southampton 0 Manchester City 3 Southampton’s triumph in the winner-takes-all Swansea game was the high point in a campaign full of disappointments. That City, the champions – who can become the first team to reach 100 points in a single campaign – arrive at St Mary’s with Southampton having enough breathing space over 18th-placed Swansea means they can afford an exercise in damage limitation. Lindsey Parnaby / AFP
  • West Ham United 1 Everton 0 The talk ahead of this match has focused on the futures of Sam Allardyce and Wayne Rooney at Everton. Allardyce, who replaced Ronald Koeman as manager in November with the club struggling for points, conceded he is still unsure if he will see out final year of his contract despite steering the club to a potential eighth-place finish. Rooney has grown increasingly frustrated with a reduced role in the team under Allardyce and is in discussions about a move to DC United in the MLS. Rooney will not play against West Ham, who can still potentially finish 10th with victory and other results going in their favour. Paul Ellis / AFP
    West Ham United 1 Everton 0 The talk ahead of this match has focused on the futures of Sam Allardyce and Wayne Rooney at Everton. Allardyce, who replaced Ronald Koeman as manager in November with the club struggling for points, conceded he is still unsure if he will see out final year of his contract despite steering the club to a potential eighth-place finish. Rooney has grown increasingly frustrated with a reduced role in the team under Allardyce and is in discussions about a move to DC United in the MLS. Rooney will not play against West Ham, who can still potentially finish 10th with victory and other results going in their favour. Paul Ellis / AFP
  • Tottenham Hotspur 3 Leicester City 1 Leicester have rather fallen over the line after an upturn in fortunes following Claude Puel’s appointment in October. However, a run of one win in seven games means the Frenchman’s stint at King Power Stadium may be even shorter than the one season spent in charge of Southampton. Tottenham are riding high following the midweek win over Newcastle that guarantees Mauricio Pochettino’s side take Champions League football back to their redeveloped White Hart Lane next term. Oli Scarff / AFP
    Tottenham Hotspur 3 Leicester City 1 Leicester have rather fallen over the line after an upturn in fortunes following Claude Puel’s appointment in October. However, a run of one win in seven games means the Frenchman’s stint at King Power Stadium may be even shorter than the one season spent in charge of Southampton. Tottenham are riding high following the midweek win over Newcastle that guarantees Mauricio Pochettino’s side take Champions League football back to their redeveloped White Hart Lane next term. Oli Scarff / AFP

Football

Premier League predictions: Liverpool to seal fourth place ahead of Chelsea

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Steve Luckings
Steve Luckings
Abu Dhabi

May 12, 2018

  • English
  • Arabic

The day English football fans have dreaded, the final games of the season, take place on Sunday.

With Swansea City, who occupy the final relegation place, nine goals and three points worse off than 17th-placed Southampton ahead of their game against already-relegated Stoke City (Southampton are at home to champions Manchester City), we boldly predict the Welsh club's seven-year stay in England's top flight is at an end.

That leaves us with only two games with anything riding on them - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United at home to Chelsea. A point will see Liverpool secure fourth place and with it a place in next season's Uefa Champions League, while Chelsea need three points and hope Brighton can do them a massive favour.

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Read more:

How did The National do? Read our predictions before the start of the season

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Predicting the outcome of games is never easy. And with many teams likely to blood young players and grant those moving on a final farewell, this week is arguably the hardest of them all.

So on that note, here are our final predictions for the final matches of the 2018/19 season. Scroll through the picture gallery above to view them.

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Read more:

Relegation scrap: the star players likely to be plucked from Stoke, West Brom and Swansea

Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to focus on Brighton for now - not Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho says injured Romelu Lukaku may not start the FA Cup final

Wayne Rooney did not ask to leave Everton, says manager Sam Allardyce

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