Premier League

Football writer Ben Bloom has predicted the line-ups of Premier League clubs in action in Matchweek 36.

More starting XIs and team graphics will be added throughout Friday as managers hold their pre-match press conferences.

See: Injury updates for every club and player

See: Who's suspended or close to a ban

Liverpool v Chelsea predicted line-ups

Liverpool: Alisson remains out, but Giorgi Mamardashvili returned to first-team training on Friday, so could take Freddie Woodman’s place if fit enough. Alexander Isak is also back in partial training, with Arne Slot saying “we will see how much we can use him” on Saturday. Florian Wirtz is back after missing some training through illness, but Mohamed Salah remains out. Milos Kerkez could be recalled at left-back, while Jeremie Frimpong will hope to continue in an advanced role. Joe Gomez and Rio Ngumoha are waiting in the wings.

Chelsea: The Blues lost Robert Sanchez and Jesse Derry to head injuries last weekend. Neither are ready to return, which means Filip Jorgensen will start in goal. Calum McFarlane is “hopeful” that Reece James and Levi Colwill will be involved, but Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are “unlikely to be available”. Colwill returned to action off the bench last weekend and could well earn his first start of the season, but James has not featured since mid-March. The shortage of attacking options could see Liam Delap recalled to the starting line-up, while Andrey Santos is challenging for Romeo Lavia’s spot.

Brighton v Wolves predicted line-ups

Brighton: Mats Wieffer lasted just 18 minutes against Newcastle and will require a late fitness test ahead of this match. The same applies to Diego Gomez, who has missed the last two games with a knee injury. James Milner and Solly March are both available again, while Fabian Hurzeler suggested Lewis Dunk could return after shaking off a niggling knee issue. Maxim De Cuyper provides an alternative full-back option.

Wolves team news to follow

Fulham v Bournemouth predicted line-ups

Fulham: Sander Berge and Raul Jimenez have both missed periods of training this week due to illness, but are hoping to be involved here. Kevin is also available, although Marco Silva said he is “not in his best physical condition”. Harrison Reed filled in for Berge last weekend, while Tom Cairney is another option if the Norwegian does not make it. Rodrigo Muniz, Oscar Bobb and Josh King could all come back into the team if required.

Bournemouth: Justin Kluivert is expected to return to a matchday squad for the first time since early January but will need time to reach full fitness. Lewis Cook is also back in training, but not expected to feature here. Unbeaten in 15 league games, wholesale changes appear unlikely, although Adam Smith seems the likely replacement for Alex Jimenez. Tyler Adams will hope to keep Ryan Christie out of the starting XI, while Rayan will expect to retain his spot over David Brooks and Amine Adli.

Sunderland v Man Utd predicted line-ups

Sunderland: Dan Ballard’s suspension opens the door for one of Lutsharel Geertruida or Luke O’Nien to come into the side, with Nordi Mukiele potentially moving into the middle from right-back. Romaine Mundle is the only other absentee, which means Nilson Angulo and Bertrand Traore are available again after injuries. Habib Diarra lost his place last weekend; his return could hinge on whether the versatile Trai Hume is again deployed higher up the pitch or returns to defence.

Man Utd: Michael Carrick did not provide any update on Benjamin Sesko at his pre-match press conference, so the assumption is that the striker is fine despite a shin issue causing his half-time substitution last weekend. Patrick Dorgu is an option after featuring off the bench for the first time since January, while Sesko’s potential absence could also open the door to Amad Diallo or Mason Mount. Lisandro Martinez is available again after suspension and will expect to replace Ayden Heaven at the back.

Man City v Brentford predicted line-ups

Man City: Speaking on Friday, Pep Guardiola suggested Rodri “still doesn’t feel completely comfortable”, and will require a late fitness test to determine his availability. Guardiola also confirmed Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias are back in training and “can help us in the last part of the season”, although not here. Assuming Rodri does not play, Nico O’Reilly is an option to take Nico Gonzalez’s spot in central midfield. Mateo Kovacic is an alternative. Aside from that, few changes are expected.

Brentford: Jordan Henderson “will be involved” after missing Brentford’s last four games, but it seems unlikely that he will start. There must be a fair chance that Keith Andrews opts for five at the back, as he did when welcoming Man City earlier in the season. That switch would likely see Dango Ouattara dropped, although Kevin Schade has not been on top form of late, so could lose his spot instead. The returning Vitaly Janelt will likely aim for minutes off the bench alongside Henderson.

Burnley v Aston Villa predicted line-ups

Burnley: Mike Jackson opted for five at the back last week, so must decide whether to stick with that system or switch to a four-man defence. Should he opt for the latter, Bashir Humphreys is the most likely to miss out. Hannibal Mejbri may well be in line to return to the starting XI after returning off the bench last time out. Lesley Ugochukwu, Marcus Edwards and Florentino Luis are options if Jackson wants to make further changes.

Aston Villa: Unai Emery’s much-changed team fell flat against Tottenham last weekend, but the first-choice XI thrashed Nottingham Forest to make the UEFA Europa League final. Team selection here will depend on whose legs are tired, but some rotation is to be expected after Thursday’s exertions. Any one of Lamare Bogarde, Douglas Luiz or Victor Lindelof could accompany Youri Tielemens in the middle. The involvement of Jadon Sancho, Ross Barkley and Tammy Abraham will depend on which other players are given a rest.

Crystal Palace v Everton predicted line-ups

Crystal Palace: Palace fielded their first-choice side for Thursday’s UEFA Conference League semi-final, and they play again in the Premier League on Wednesday. That midweek sandwich means rotation will be high on the agenda for this match, so expect a team similar to last weekend’s Premier League outing. Oliver Glasner could feasibly swap out the vast majority of his starting XI, but it remains to be seen whose legs he opts to keep for this. Central midfield appears the most likely place for rotation, in addition to Jorgen Strand Larsen leading the line.

Everton: Isrissa Gueye’s absence last weekend saw Tim Iroegbunam handed a rare start, which may well occur again given the Senegal midfielder remains out for this match. In fact, there is every chance David Moyes sticks with the same XI that came so close to defeating Man City, although Thierno Barry’s double off the bench must boost his hopes of a recall in place of Beto.

Nott'm Forest v Newcastle predicted line-ups

Nott'm Forest: Nottingham Forest were forced to put a number of injured players on the bench for their UEFA Europa League semi-final second-leg defeat on Thursday, with Vitor Pereira later stating that he did not know if any of Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangare, Dan Ndoye, Murillo and Ola Aina will be available for this match. Jair Cunha is another doubt. That long list of potential absentees will require some shuffling of Pereira’s pack, with a host of fringe players in with a shout. A starting XI is very difficult to predict.

Newcastle: Eddie Howe confirmed Lewis Miley and Tino Livramento will both miss the remainder of the season, while he does not know if Fabian Schar will return in the final few games. Those absences should see Kieran Trippier come in at right-back. Last weekend’s victory over Brighton was promising, and Howe will likely want to reward his players with a similar set-up. That would mean the attacking talent of Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa all starting on the bench again.

West Ham v Arsenal predicted line-ups

West Ham: West Ham’s tried and tested formula went awry last weekend when Nuno Espirito Santo stuck with the same XI that was unbeaten in three games, only to watch his side then lose at Brentford. A switch to a back three seems a distinct possibility for this visit of the league leaders, with Jean-Clair Todibo coming in for Pablo. Should Nuno decide against that, West Ham may stay unchanged, or minor tweaks in personnel could see Aaron Wan-Bissaka or Callum Wilson involved.

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta confirmed he has no fresh injury concerns after selecting the same starting XIs for last weekend’s Premier League win against Fulham and the midweek UEFA Champions League triumph over Atletico Madrid. It will be interesting to see if he sticks with his winning formula for a third time here, with the likes of Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard all hoping to be given starting places.

Spurs v Leeds predicted line-ups

Spurs: Last Sunday’s dominant performance against Aston Villa’s was precisely what Roberto De Zerbi needed, so there is little need to change anything here. Guglielmo Vicario remains out, Dominic Solanke is “improving very quickly” but unlikely to be available, and Richarlison and Rodrigo Bentancur should be fine despite picking up knocks. All of that suggests an unchanged line-up, unless the likes of Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence or Lucas Bergvall can muscle their way in.

Leeds team news to follow

Kaoru Mitoma has won April's Guinness Goal of the Month for his incredible goal against Tottenham Hotspur.

Brighton & Hove Albion's Japanese winger wins the award for the third time since its inception in 2016/17 to equal the record currently held by Bruno Fernandes and Andros Townsend.

Most Guinness Goal of the Month winners

Player Awards Bruno Fernandes

Kaoru Mitoma

Andros Townsend 3 Miguel Almiron

Kevin De Bruyne

Eden Hazard

Cole Palmer

Pedro

Mohamed Salah

Son Heung-min

Willian

Harry Wilson 2

With Brighton set to go in behind at half-time to Spurs, Mitoma produced an outstanding strike in the third minute of stoppage time to level the score.

He lashed a thunderous volley into the roof of the net with his weaker foot after being found at the back post by Pascal Gross.

Watch: Mitoma's SENSATIONAL goal against Spurs

Mitoma becomes the first Brighton player to win an award this season, and the first in exactly a year after his team-mate Carlos Baleba won April 2025's Guinness Goal of the Month.

Mitoma's strike topped a shortlist of eight April goals following votes from the public and a panel of experts.

We have rarely seen a relegation fight like it. With three games to go, the quest for Premier League safety looks set to go down to the wire and it may be a record amount of points is required to avoid dropping into the Championship.

West Ham United currently occupy 18th, the final relegation spot - Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers have been relegated - despite already having 36 points on the board.

Tottenham Hotspur are one point and one place above them, while Nottingham Forest are 16th on 42 points. Even Crystal Palace (14th) and Leeds United (15th) are not yet mathematically safe with 43 points.

In recent Premier League seasons, all five clubs would be breathing easy by now with such points totals.

No team have gone down with 36 or more points since Newcastle United were relegated with 37 in 2015/16.

In fact, across all the campaigns since the Premier League was reduced from 22 to 20 teams in 1995, the average points tally for the team finishing 18th, and safe, is 34.5.

Forty points have long been viewed as the magic number when it comes to how many are required to stay up. But only once in the past 22 seasons has that actually been needed – when Birmingham City went down with 39 points in 2010/11.

Whichever team end up going down this season, then, will do so with one of the highest points totals of a relegated team in Premier League history.

The club who currently hold that record in a 38-game campaign are West Ham. They dropped into the second tier in 2002/03 after finishing with 42 points.

That year, the Hammers lost only one of their last 11 games, with their 15 points from their final eight matches the most of any side relegated to the Championship.

The next-highest tally a team went down with is 40, Sunderland in 1996/97 and Bolton Wanderers in 1997/98.

The quality of this season’s relegation fight is in sharp contrast to last term, when Leicester City ended up 18th with only 25 points – 13 points off 17th-placed Spurs.

The Foxes were the third team in five years to finish third-bottom with fewer than 30 points, after Luton Town with 26 in 2023/24 and Fulham with 28 in 2020/21.

This year, the teams fighting relegation are all finding form in The Run In.

West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford last Saturday was just their second loss in seven matches.

Spurs won at Aston Villa to make it back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since August and seven points form a possible nine.

Forest are unbeaten in seven top-flight matches with three straight wins, while Leeds have climbed to the brink of safety with three victories from their last four games.

This weekend promises to be another pivotal one in the fight to avoid the drop.

Remaining fixtures

Matchweek Spurs West Ham Nott'm Forest 36 LEE (H) ARS (H) NEW (H) 37 CHE (A) NEW (A) MUN (A) 38 EVE (H) LEE (H) BOU (H)

On Sunday, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Hammers host title-chasing Arsenal at the London Stadium, where they have not lost since January.

Forest will look to keep their undefeated run going when they face Newcastle at the City Ground, while Roberto De Zerbi’s resurgent Spurs entertain Leeds on Monday.

Surely history won’t repeat itself?

Parallels are emerging between Manchester City’s famous 2011/12 Premier League title win after they came back from 3-1 down against Everton on Monday night to escape with a draw.

It was the first time Man City had trailed by two goals after 82 minutes and avoided defeat since drawing 3-3 with Sunderland in March 2012.

That season, Man City chased down a five-point deficit to Manchester United before scoring twice in stoppage time to beat Queens Park Rangers on the final day and win the top-flight title, their first in 44 years, on goal difference. Sergio Aguero’s winning goal to seal the success is one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history.

Watch: Aguero wins TITLE with ICONIC late goal

However, Man City dropping two precious points at Everton has led pundits to believe the Premier League Trophy is Arsenal’s to lose if they win their London derby at West Ham United on Sunday.

"If they get through that unscathed, then you can’t see anything stopping them," former Liverpool striker Michael Owen said.

Jamie Carragher added on Sky Sports that "if Arsenal win that game away next Sunday, they have won the league. The league is won. If they beat West Ham, it is on."

Despite West Ham now sitting in the relegation zone, three points are far from guaranteed for the Gunners.

The Hammers are fighting for safety and Arsenal have a patchy recent record against them, with three defeats and a draw in their last seven encounters.

Derry’s hospital update

Making your Premier League debut as a teenager is the stuff of dreams – but Jesse Derry’s first appearance in the top flight turned into a nightmare when a clash of heads with Nottingham Forest’s Zach Abbott left him needing oxygen on the pitch.

The 18-year-old had been playing well before he was carried from the field on a stretcher in the 54th minute and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Reassuringly, Derry, who joined Chelsea’s academy last summer after being named Crystal Palace’s Under-18 player of the year, posted on Instagram on Tuesday morning and thanked the medics who treated him.

"A dream come true to start at Stamford Bridge for my Premier League debut," he wrote.

"I’d like to thank all the Chelsea medical staff, everyone at St Mary’s Hospital, my team-mates, and all the fans for their great support. I can’t wait to be back playing in front of everyone very soon."

How De Zerbi revitalised Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur looked like a completely different team as they swept aside an Aston Villa side still chasing a UEFA Champions League place to climb out of the bottom three – and Sky Sports have analysed how Roberto De Zerbi has transformed them in just four games.

They highlight a more efficient press since the Italian’s arrival. Spurs have won the ball back in the final third 5.3 times per game on average — the most of any Premier League side in that period — while their sprints and distance covered have decreased, suggesting smarter running.

De Zerbi has also established a more robust midfield, combining Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha for the first time against Villa. They had more touches of the ball, more passes into the final third and won more tackles and duels than Villa’s midfield trio of Youri Tielemans, Ross Barkley and Lamare Bogarde.

Finally, Sky Sports' report highlights "The De Zerbi factor". The former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach is having a clear uplift on the mentality and confidence of his players.

Ballon d’Or winner at Sunderland

Brazil legend Ronaldinho produced some magical moments playing against English clubs and the England national team, from his breathtaking poke into the bottom corner for Barcelona against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2005 to his looping free-kick over David Seaman that knocked England out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Now fans will get the chance to see him once more when Sunderland host a match between "Ronaldinho & Friends" and "Jermain Defoe’s UK Icons" at the Stadium of Light on Monday 25 May, the day after the Premier League season concludes.

The players who are confirmed to be taking part include former Man Utd full-backs Fabio and Rafael, former Sunderland striker Djibril Cisse and ex-Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

"It has been a long time since Ronaldinho last visited the UK, and he has longed for the chance to play there once more," said event organiser Marcel Nalyan. "When the opportunity with Sunderland arose, he said immediately: 'Let’s do it!'

"From the very beginning, he loved everything about the fans on Wearside, the stadium, and all that comes with it."

Manchester youth derby

For the first time since 1986, Man City and Man Utd will contest a derby in the FA Youth Cup final next week.

The match will be played at Man City’s 7,000-seater Joie Stadium, showcasing the best Under-18 talent in the city.

Man City striker Teddie Lamb is only 16 but has been in prolific form this season and is described in his profile on the club website as possessing "a brilliant ability to hold up the ball, link up play in forward positions and test opposing defenders to their limits".

Promising wingers Ryan McAidoo, 17, and Reigan Heskey, 18, have made first-team debuts. The latter's father is Premier League legend Emile Heskey.

Man Utd forward JJ Gabriel is only 15 years old but has scored 23 goals this season and is one of the standout players in the FA Youth Cup.

Chido Obi, 18, who scored an extra-time winner in the semi-finals, is another major goal threat and has made several appearances for Man Utd's first team.

Man City won the last FA Youth Cup final they played against Man Utd, 40 years ago, when their side included future Premier League players Ian Brightwell, Andy Hinchcliffe, Steve Redmond and David White.

Kobbie Mainoo celebrated signing his new Manchester United deal with a winning goal against Liverpool at Old Trafford to secure UEFA Champions League football next season.

Former Man Utd star Michael Carrick was tasked with qualifying for the UEFA Champions League when he took over as interim head coach in January and it was fitting that the academy graduate he brought back into the team completed the job.

Mainoo, 21, admitted “it was difficult” under former United head coach Rubin Amorim, who suggested he might need to move on loan in December. He did not start a single game under Amorim, but has started 13 out of 13 since he left.

The midfielder’s extraordinary transformation has mirrored Man Utd’s under Carrick.

“He’s played a huge part, the confidence that he puts in not just me but all the players, you want to follow him, fight for him, die for him on the pitch,” Mainoo said of Carrick, a predecessor in the United midfield.

Man Utd took a two-goal lead within 14 minutes – the quickest they had done so against Liverpool in the Premier League.

But Liverpool scored twice within nine minutes of the second half as Dominik Szoboszlai continued to shine. The Hungarian scored a fine solo goal and set up Cody Gakpo, making him the club’s first midfielder to reach double figures for goals and assists since Steven Gerrard in 2014.

For a brief spell a phenomenal Man Utd run was seemingly at risk: the club had not lost a home league match they had been winning at half-time since May 1984.

But Mainoo’s goal – his first goal in the league in 718 days – settled the match and put a six-point gap between them and fourth-placed Liverpool, with only three games to play.

Watch: Mainoo's goal and highlights v Liverpool

Man Utd are due to make a permanent managerial appointment in the summer and Carrick’s audition could barely have gone better.

Since he took over, Man Utd have won 32 points – five more than the next best side, Arsenal.

Spurs moving on up

Tottenham Hotspur's players showed they are beginning to understand Roberto De Zerbi’s high-intensity system as they climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time in almost a month.

Six points from successive matches – after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers the weekend before – are more than the five they accumulated in the 14 Premier League games before them.

De Zerbi cautioned “it’s not finished yet” and does not want his players to forget how they have suffered. “Before Wolverhampton was a very sad situation,” the Italian told TNT Sport. “These memories have to stay in our head every day.”

This win remarkably means they now have the third-best away record this season, with 29 points, behind only league leaders Arsenal (32pts) and Manchester City (31pts).

West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday handed Spurs the opportunity to escape the bottom three, though few would have predicted how well they took it.

The win moved them one point above West Ham into 17th place. And, perhaps significantly, they have a far superior goal difference to their relegation rivals: minus nine to minus 19.

Conor Gallagher picked an ideal moment to score his first Spurs goal to open the scoring – almost two years to the day since his last in the Premier League.

“It’s always a bit of a relief to get that first goal,” Gallagher told TNT Sport. “It’s exactly what we needed. It’s been a perfect night. Hopefully it’s only the start.”

Gallagher said he “can’t speak highly enough” of De Zerbi and his influence on their revival. “He's been so good. Every player in the squad has taken to him; he makes you feel so good. He brings the best out of you.”

De Zerbi returned the compliment: “When Gallagher plays well, we play with 12 players.”

Watch: Full-time reaction by Spurs' players

Villa are still six points above sixth-placed Bournemouth and are almost guaranteed fifth place and UEFA Champions League qualification.

But they struggled in the aftermath of Thursday’s UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg defeat at Nottingham Forest, becoming the first team this season not to have a touch in Spurs’ penalty area in the first 30 minutes of a match, and managing only one in over an hour.

It took until 61 minutes for a first shot and Villa fans had to wait until the sixth minute of stoppage time to see their team’s first shot on target – a goal from Emiliano Buendía.

“We still have work to do in the Premier League but we still have an advantage to get our huge target to be in the top five,” a disappointed manager Unai Emery said.

Bournemouth dreaming of Europe

A 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace means it is now in AFC Bournemouth’s hands to finish sixth, which could qualify them for next season’s Champions League in a remarkable season underpinned by the savvy recruitment of young players.

Teenagers Junior Kroupi and Rayan, both signed within the last 12 months, scored in a comfortable victory against Palace. Bournemouth are the only side to have two teenagers score in a game this season.

From having never played in Europe, UEFA’s premier competition has become a tantalising prospect after they extended their unbeaten run to 15 games.

Even if Chelsea beat Forest on Monday, Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side will remain a point clear of seventh place.

For sixth spot to earn a Champions League place, Villa must finish in the top five and win the UEFA Europa League.

Kroupi, 19, signed from Lorient last year, scored his 12th Premier League goal of the season, equalling the record for a debutant teenager set by Robbie Fowler, at Liverpool, and Robbie Keane at Spurs.

Watch: All of Kroupi's goals this season

European qualification would be the perfect send-off for Iraola, who leaves in the summer.

Palace, back in action after a Europa Conference League first-leg semi-final victory 800 miles away in Poland against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday, found it difficult to get into the game.

Head coach Oliver Glasner made five changes to rest players but was frustrated by a series of errors.

“Let’s say you have a friend's birthday and your wedding [a few days later], you are more excited for the wedding. This is the same," he said. "Bournemouth’s semi-final was today — ours is Thursday."

Palace failed to have a shot in the first half for the first time in a league game in five years. Even if they had more touches in Bournemouth’s penalty area in the first 45 seconds of the second half than in 45 minutes of the first, it was not enough to get back into a match.

Indeed, Rayan, also 19, sealed it late on with his fourth goal since signing from the Brazilian side Vasco da Gama in January.

Kobbie Mainoo celebrated signing his new Manchester United deal with a winning goal against Liverpool at Old Trafford to secure UEFA Champions League football next season.

Former Man Utd star Michael Carrick was tasked with qualifying for the UEFA Champions League when he took over as interim head coach in January and it was fitting that the academy graduate he brought back into the team completed the job.

Mainoo, 21, admitted “it was difficult” under former United head coach Rubin Amorim, who suggested he might need to move on loan in December. He did not start a single game under Amorim, but has started 13 out of 13 since he left.

The midfielder’s extraordinary transformation has mirrored Man Utd’s under Carrick.

“He’s played a huge part, the confidence that he puts in not just me but all the players, you want to follow him, fight for him, die for him on the pitch,” Mainoo said of Carrick, a predecessor in the United midfield.

Man Utd took a two-goal lead within 14 minutes – the quickest they had done so against Liverpool in the Premier League.

But Liverpool scored twice within nine minutes of the second half as Dominik Szoboszlai continued to shine. The Hungarian scored a fine solo goal and set up Cody Gakpo, making him the club’s first midfielder to reach double figures for goals and assists since Steven Gerrard in 2014.

For a brief spell a phenomenal Man Utd run was seemingly at risk: the club had not lost a home league match they had been winning at half-time since May 1984.

But Mainoo’s goal – his first goal in the league in 718 days – settled the match and put a six-point gap between them and fourth-placed Liverpool, with only three games to play.

Watch: Mainoo's goal and highlights v Liverpool

Man Utd are due to make a permanent managerial appointment in the summer and Carrick’s audition could barely have gone better.

Since he took over, Man Utd have won 32 points – five more than the next best side, Arsenal.

Spurs moving on up

Tottenham Hotspur's players showed they are beginning to understand Roberto De Zerbi’s high-intensity system as they climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time in almost a month.

Six points from successive matches – after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers the weekend before – are more than the five they accumulated in the 14 Premier League games before them.

De Zerbi cautioned “it’s not finished yet” and does not want his players to forget how they have suffered. “Before Wolverhampton was a very sad situation,” the Italian told TNT Sport. “These memories have to stay in our head every day.”

This win remarkably means they now have the third-best away record this season, with 29 points, behind only league leaders Arsenal (32pts) and Manchester City (31pts).

West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday handed Spurs the opportunity to escape the bottom three, though few would have predicted how well they took it.

The win moved them one point above West Ham into 17th place. And, perhaps significantly, they have a far superior goal difference to their relegation rivals: minus nine to minus 19.

Conor Gallagher picked an ideal moment to score his first Spurs goal to open the scoring – almost two years to the day since his last in the Premier League.

“It’s always a bit of a relief to get that first goal,” Gallagher told TNT Sport. “It’s exactly what we needed. It’s been a perfect night. Hopefully it’s only the start.”

Gallagher said he “can’t speak highly enough” of De Zerbi and his influence on their revival. “He's been so good. Every player in the squad has taken to him; he makes you feel so good. He brings the best out of you.”

De Zerbi returned the compliment: “When Gallagher plays well, we play with 12 players.”

Watch: Full-time reaction by Spurs' players

Villa are still six points above sixth-placed Bournemouth and are almost guaranteed fifth place and UEFA Champions League qualification.

But they struggled in the aftermath of Thursday’s UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg defeat at Nottingham Forest, becoming the first team this season not to have a touch in Spurs’ penalty area in the first 30 minutes of a match, and managing only one in over an hour.

It took until 61 minutes for a first shot and Villa fans had to wait until the sixth minute of stoppage time to see their team’s first shot on target – a goal from Emiliano Buendía.

“We still have work to do in the Premier League but we still have an advantage to get our huge target to be in the top five,” a disappointed manager Unai Emery said.

Bournemouth dreaming of Europe

A 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace means it is now in AFC Bournemouth’s hands to finish sixth, which could qualify them for next season’s Champions League in a remarkable season underpinned by the savvy recruitment of young players.

Teenagers Junior Kroupi and Rayan, both signed within the last 12 months, scored in a comfortable victory against Palace. Bournemouth are the only side to have two teenagers score in a game this season.

From having never played in Europe, UEFA’s premier competition has become a tantalising prospect after they extended their unbeaten run to 15 games.

Even if Chelsea beat Forest on Monday, Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side will remain a point clear of seventh place.

For sixth spot to earn a Champions League place, Villa must finish in the top five and win the UEFA Europa League.

Kroupi, 19, signed from Lorient last year, scored his 12th Premier League goal of the season, equalling the record for a debutant teenager set by Robbie Fowler, at Liverpool, and Robbie Keane at Spurs.

Watch: All of Kroupi's goals this season

European qualification would be the perfect send-off for Iraola, who leaves in the summer.

Palace, back in action after a Europa Conference League first-leg semi-final victory 800 miles away in Poland against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday, found it difficult to get into the game.

Head coach Oliver Glasner made five changes to rest players but was frustrated by a series of errors.

“Let’s say you have a friend's birthday and your wedding [a few days later], you are more excited for the wedding. This is the same," he said. "Bournemouth’s semi-final was today — ours is Thursday."

Palace failed to have a shot in the first half for the first time in a league game in five years. Even if they had more touches in Bournemouth’s penalty area in the first 45 seconds of the second half than in 45 minutes of the first, it was not enough to get back into a match.

Indeed, Rayan, also 19, sealed it late on with his fourth goal since signing from the Brazilian side Vasco da Gama in January.

Football writer Ben McAleer looks at the talking points from Saturday’s Premier League action, including key results in the title race and battle to avoid the drop.

Arsenal had the perfect opportunity to open up a six-point lead over rivals Manchester City on Saturday evening, and it was one they grabbed with both hands. Fulham are no pushovers, but the Gunners showed why they remain in the driving seat to secure a first Premier League title in over 20 years.

Mikel Arteta needed his players to lay down a marker to pile the pressure on City. And it didn’t take long for Arsenal to take the initiative as the returning Bukayo Saka fired in a low cross for Viktor Gyokeres, who made no mistake from six yards out.

That goal was the Swede’s 20th of the season as Gyokeres became the first player to bag at least 20 goals across all competitions in their first season at the club since Alexis Sanchez in the 2014/15 season.

The roles were reversed for Arsenal’s second as Gyokeres turned provider for Saka, the winger beating goalkeeper Bernd Leno with a low-near post drive to double Arsenal’s advantage.

Watch: Gyokeres' performance v Fulham

Arteta’s side went in at the break 3-0 ahead with Gyokeres bagging his second - and the north London side’s third - by timing his run to perfection to head Leandro Trossard’s cross past Leno.

Arsenal survived a couple of hairy second-half moments, but their dominant opening 45 minutes ensured a morale-boosting victory ahead of their midweek UEFA Champions League visit of Atletico Madrid. It’s all-square at 1-1 ahead of the second-leg showdown on Tuesday with a place in the final at stake.

"I got a really good feeling on Thursday already when we had a meeting before we got on the plane [after the Atletico game], because we talked about everything that we have to do now," Arteta told the official club website.

"It's about energy and showing how much we want it, and that hunger. And the team clicked immediately, the boys delivered what we planned against a really tough opponent, and we were very efficient.

"Now we have one of the biggest games in the history of this stadium, for sure on Tuesday, in front of our people and we're going to try to make it happen."

City now also need to respond to Arsenal’s comfortable 3-0 victory, a result that improved the club’s goal difference, which could prove decisive.

Pep Guardiola’s side face Everton on Monday at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and then welcome Brentford next Saturday. They could well be level on points with Arsenal by the time Arteta’s side are next in league action.

“I think both the performance and result was important. We controlled the game very well. At this stage we have to win the games that are left,” Gyokeres said after Saturday's win.

And on the title race, he added: "We've never stopped believing and we're not going to. We will keep going.”

In a crunch relegation match, West Ham United made the short trip across the capital in one of three 15:00 BST kick-offs to face London rivals Brentford. The Hammers had a great chance to open up some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone in their bid to beat the drop.

Brentford, meanwhile, headed into their home encounter with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side on a six-game winless run. The Bees, though, delivered a hammer blow to West Ham’s hopes of avoiding relegation.

Konstantinos Mavropanos inadvertently put the ball into his own net after Michael Kayode’s initial effort cannoned off the woodwork. It was the defender’s fourth own goal in a West Ham shirt, more than any other player in the club's history.

The Greek centre-back thought he’d made amends five minutes later after powering El Hadji Malick Diouf's free-kick past Caoimhin Kelleher.

However, Mavropanos’ header was chalked off by VAR and although West Ham had chances to haul themselves level, they were made to pay 10 minutes into the second half.

Brentford's top scorer Igor Thiago made no mistake from 12 yards to bag his 22nd league goal of the season, sending 'keeper Mads Hermansen the wrong way after Dango Ouattara had been fouled by Diouf.

Watch: All of Thiago's goals this season

No player has now scored more penalties in the Premier League than the eight of Thiago since he made his debut in November 2024. The Bees have also scored a competition-high eight penalties this season.

Mikkel Damsgaard, who missed an open goal in the first half, made amends with a sweetly struck 82nd minute effort. There was a touching end to a memorable afternoon for Brentford when Josh Dasilva replaced Damsgaard in the dying embers of Saturday’s 3-0 win to make his first appearance for the Bees in over 800 days.

Watch: Dasilva's heartwarming reception from Brentford fans

“It’s going to be a big challenge for all of us with the impact of this tough day,” Nuno said after the Brentford loss. Your move, Tottenham Hotspur.

Just as Brentford ended a winless run, so too, did Newcastle United as the Magpies welcomed Brighton & Hove Albion to St James’ Park.

Newcastle were stuck on a four-game losing streak ahead of their meeting with the in-form Seagulls. However, Eddie Howe's side drew first blood on home turf as William Osula bagged his fifth league goal of the campaign following some good work by Jacob Murphy.

Murphy was brought down by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who in turn committed his fourth error leading to an opposition goal, a record this season, but the winger recovered well to dig out a cross for Danish striker Osula.

Watch: Murphy's assist for Osula v Brighton

Newcastle were two goals to the good midway through the first half as Dan Burn connected superbly with Bruno Guimaraes' corner. Jack Hinselwood halved the deficit on the hour mark; however, Harvey Barnes settled the clash in second-half stoppage time to end Newcastle’s winless run.

On the 3-1 victory over the Seagulls, head coach Howe said: "A big win for us. It has felt like a run of negative results, we needed a big performance to turn that around and we did that.

"It wasn’t beautiful today, but I thought it was highly effective and I thought the players played really well."

Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers may be relegated, but they’re going down with a fight. Keen to give their fans something to cheer about in their penultimate home game of the season, Rob Edwards' side welcomed Sunderland to Molineux.

However, it was the Black Cats who struck first as Nordi Mukiele headed Granit Xhaka’s corner past Dan Bentley in the 17th minute. Seven minutes later, and the tie swung in the home side’s favour as Sunderland defender Dan Ballard received his marching orders for pulling Tolu Arokodare’s hair.

Here is your daily briefing for the latest Premier League stories on Friday 1 May.

How Carrick and set-pieces have supercharged Fernandes' assist run

Since Michael Carrick’s January appointment, Bruno Fernandes has not only been reinstated to his favoured No 10 role, but he has taken his game to another level.

Fernandes has four games left to at least match the Premier League assist record of 20 in a season, set by Thierry Henry in 2002/03 and equalled by Kevin De Bruyne in 2019/20. With four games to play, you’d expect the Manchester United maestro to trump the pair.

Carrick has granted Fernandes the freedom to drift to the right to wreak havoc in the final third. “I float a lot in that zone there now with Michael [Carrick],” Fernandes told Opta Analyst. “He doesn’t want me to just be stuck in the middle, so often asks me to find that pocket [of space].”

And it’s not just from open play where Fernandes is doing damage; the 31-year-old is a dead-ball extraordinaire.

His total of 32 chances created from set-pieces is more than any other player in the Premier League this season, and his 10 assists from set-pieces put him just one short of equalling the record for a campaign.

Most Premier League set-piece assists in a season

Player Set-piece assists Season Steven Gerrard (LIV) 11 2013/14 Bruno Fernandes (MUN) 10* 2025/26 Muzzy Izzet (LEI) 10 2003/04 Chris Brunt (WBA) 9 2014/15 Nicky Shorey (REA) 9 2007/08

Scroll across to see full table

*With four matches to play

“When we talk about set-pieces and needing to hit the ball in the right space, it’s sometimes harder than a standard pass,” Fernandes explained. “The way corners and free-kicks have been, my team-mates ask me and demand where they want the ball. Sometimes I’m going to get it right, sometimes not so much.

“I will tell you that five years ago, I would go to take a corner and just put the ball into the middle of the box and let’s see if someone gets it,” he added. “And nowadays I have to hit a spot, so sometimes it’s even harder to get an assist from a set-piece than it actually is in open play.”

Fernandes has created more chances (114) than any other player in the Premier League this season. Furthermore, the Portuguese playmaker has created over 200 chances more than anyone else in the competition, since his debut in February 2020.

Hurzeler reveals Brighton's innovative MMA tactic

“I don't always want to be known as a club that is nice.”

Fabian Hurzeler was blunt on the reasoning to bring in an MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) coach to help Brighton & Hove Albion on set-pieces. “We brought him in because I think we spoke a lot about set-pieces, about blocking, new trends in the Premier League. We tried to adapt to it as well.”

It seems to have had a positive effect on the Seagulls. They’ve conceded fewer goals from set-piece situations, excluding penalties, (5) than any other team in the Premier League this season.

“There are different ways of using a block, different techniques to win one against one duels, especially at set-pieces. And an MMA fighter always has one-against-one duels,” said Hurzeler.

In a quest to gain an advantage over an opponent, teams are going to greater lengths than ever before. The use of an MMA fighter to improve set-piece proficiency means Brighton's upcoming opponents Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United and Man Utd could be in for a rough 90 minutes.

Why Guardiola chose Stockport over PSG v Bayern Munich

While some settled in for a nine-goal thriller between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola instead travelled to Edgeley Park to watch Stockport County fall to a 2-1 defeat to relegation-threatened Port Vale.

And ahead of the game against Everton, the Manchester City boss was asked why he favoured the League One clash.

“The day before, I saw the calendar, PSG v Bayern Munich and said, 'What a disaster game'," he quipped.

“[The] Managers are not good, Luis (Enrique), Vinny (Vincent Kompany). So, I decided to go to... I'm in love with English football, and I went to see Stockport.”

For a manager locked in a title race and with an FA Cup final looming, the Spaniard seems as relaxed as ever.

The stats that support Rice's Player of the Season chances

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta took the chance to praise key man Declan Rice ahead of his side's meeting with Fulham.

The England international has started all but two league games for the Gunners this season and is a driving force behind their title push.

And should Arsenal go the distance, the Player of the Season shouts will only grow louder.

Rice's stats compared with Arsenal team-mates, 2025/26

Stat Rice Rank in Arsenal squad Chances created 61 1st Big chances created 16 1st Tackles 63 3rd Interceptions 39 2nd Shots blocked 11 2nd Passes 1,936 1st

Scroll across to see full table

"What Declan is doing again is incredible," Arteta said. "To play the amount of games, minutes with the quality that he's shown in every game is something extremely difficult to do, and he's doing it, not only this season, but the last few seasons that he's been with us.

"To show that level of consistency is extremely rare because the demands and the standards are very, very high."

If Arsenal manage to pip City to the post, then the Gunners star will surely be a leading contender for the award.

De Zerbi's hope for 'special' Maddison

Roberto De Zerbi is remaining positive in Tottenham Hotspur's bid to avoid relegation, and key to their hopes could be the fitness of James Maddison.

The creative star hasn’t played a competitive game this season having suffered an ACL injury during the club's pre-season tour of South Korea last August.

Maddison was an unused sub against Brighton and Wolves, raising hopes that he could feature in the final four games of the campaign.

"I don't know, I would like to play with him, because he's a special player, he's a different player, but we have to consider the physical condition, a lot of things," De Zerbi said. "But I think he can be important in the next three games.

"[He brings] experience, personality, calm. Because anyway, if you have much experience, you are calmer. You can consider the timing when you have to speak, when you have to say something or not.

"And I want him to stay inside even if he doesn't play, because when he will be ready to play, I want him 100 per cent inside of the plan of the team."

Football writer Alex Keble analyses where the Matchweek 35 fixtures could be won and lost, including:

- Will Arsenal take a commanding lead in the title race?

- How good will this Man City side look against middle-class opposition?

- Do West Ham need to beat Brentford to avoid the drop?

- Will Villa’s Europa League semi-final give Spurs a big chance?

- Can Brighton capitalise on Newcastle’s poor form to take charge of sixth?

- Can McFarlane end Chelsea’s losing streak or will Forest’s run continue?

- Will Leeds take a golden chance to win the final three points they need?

- Is Man Utd v Liverpool a straight shootout for third place?

- Will Vitality Stadium host the game of the weekend?

- Can Sunderland prevent their brilliant season from petering out?

Will Arsenal take a commanding lead in the title race?

Every Arsenal game is a cup final now, of course, but of the four remaining Premier League matches, this Saturday's meeting with Fulham might just feel like the most significant.

A win would put Mikel Arteta's side in a commanding position, creating a bit of breathing room and a moment to calm the anxiety in what has felt like the most high-pressured title race in a generation.

Throughout the 2025/26 campaign, Arsenal’s greatest challenge has been psychological. It would be huge, then, for the Gunners to move six points clear with them having just two more league matches left to play, piling pressure onto Manchester City at a crucial juncture in the campaign.

Man City play two days later, on Monday, meaning that for a full 48 hours Arsenal will have daylight, while their rivals will know they simply have to continue their winning streak through a run of six games in 21 days.

And it gets better for Arsenal. If they win on Saturday, they can begin to feel confident about the remaining games, too. First, it would be proof they can continue to juggle the title race alongside exhausting UEFA Champions League semi-final matches against Atletico Madrid, and second, it would arguably leave just one tough game to go.

Arsenal end the campaign at home to relegated Burnley, the most straightforward fixture of the campaign, and then away at Crystal Palace, who might be preparing for the Europa Conference League final just three days later.

How good will this Man City side look against middle-class opposition?

On paper, this is a very winnable game for Man City, unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League games against Everton (W14 D3) since a 4-0 loss in January 2017. They are also undefeated in their last 11 league games (W8 D3), winning more points (24) and conceding fewer goals (8) than anyone else during that run.

But "on paper" doesn’t mean very much during The Run In. What is of greater interest is Everton's playing style and league position.

Intriguingly, throughout Man City's recent flurry of wins, they have exclusively beaten either "Big Six" sides (Arsenal twice, Liverpool, and Chelsea) or clubs one would expect them to easily defeat (Burnley and Southampton).

The former group consists of teams happy to open up and come onto Man City, creating stretched contests that benefit dribblers like Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku, while the latter group isn’t much of a test at all.

So, with four consecutive Premier League games to come against the division's "middle class" – Everton, Brentford, Palace and Bournemouth – it could be argued that Pep Guardiola’s in-form team are essentially untested for The Run In.

David Moyes' Everton side will hold a solid midblock, soaking up pressure without the ball far more readily than Man City’s "Big Six" opponents and far more effectively than Burnley. Brentford and Palace will do the same.

The result is not a foregone conclusion. How Man City play – the style and confidence, as much as the final score – will have enormous ramifications for what’s to come over the next few weeks.

Do West Ham need to beat Brentford to avoid the drop?

West Ham have won 22 points from their last 13 Premier League games, the sixth-highest tally in the division in that time. This has improved their situation from seven points behind 17th place to two points clear of the drop zone. The form guide is in their favour, and yet this weekend’s trip to Brentford feels like a must-win.

Arsenal (H) and Newcastle United (A) are clearly very difficult matches and, outside of a relegation scrap, West Ham would not realistically be expected to win either game.

It means that failure to beat Brentford on Saturday could leave the Hammers relying on the final-day clash with Leeds United for points – and, by then, even another three points against Daniel Farke's side might not be enough.

Nuno Espirito Santo won’t see it that way, of course. His counter-attacking tactical setup regularly over-performs against clubs whose supposed superiority allows Nuno teams to sit back and play as the underdogs.

However, that theory hasn’t worked in practice this season. West Ham have not won a single match against the Premier League’s current top nine (D6, L10), a record that includes a 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford in October.

That piles pressure onto the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium. Anything short of three points might prove fatal.

Will Villa’s Europa League semi-final give Spurs a big chance?

In ordinary circumstances, a visit to Villa Park would be considered Tottenham Hotspur’s most difficult remaining fixture, but that is complicated by Aston Villa’s Europa League semi-final matches either side of Sunday’s Premier League game.

Villa head coach Unai Emery has been superb at juggling both competitions throughout his career and this season has been no different: his current team have won nine and drawn one of their 12 Premier League matches immediately following a Europa League game in 2025/26.

However, Spurs can consider themselves lucky that Villa are not in good form. Emery’s side have won just two of their last seven Premier League games, losing as many (four) as in their previous 24.

Contrast that with Spurs, whose 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be the catalyst for a revival, and suddenly a trip to Villa Park doesn’t look quite so daunting for Roberto De Zerbi.

It is must-win. Defeat at Villa most likely means that even victory against Leeds in Matchweek 36 would leave Spurs at least level on points with West Ham when they travel to Chelsea for their penultimate fixture.

Supporters are dreading that scenario. They will be hoping Villa are physically and emotionally exhausted from their Thursday-night football.

Can Brighton capitalise on Newcastle’s poor form to take charge of sixth?

Brighton & Hove Albion are in exceptional form, winning 19 points from their last eight Premier League matches to soar up into sixth, a position that will bring Champions League qualification should Villa finish fifth and win the Europa League.

Having won six of their last eight matches, Brighton will be raring to go at St. James' Park and fans will expect their team to capitalise on Newcastle’s poor form. Eddie Howe’s side have lost their last four in a row in the Premier League, a downturn that began after the damaging 7-2 defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Looking at a league table based only on results since 20 February, Brighton are top of the table and Newcastle are all the way down in 17th, on six points from eight games.

This is encouraging for Brighton, who can truly make sixth place their own, emerging head and shoulders above a crowded pack.

That’s because Brighton will have daylight if they beat Newcastle, before back-to-back games against Wolves (H) and Leeds (A) present Fabian Hurzeler’s side with an excellent opportunity of continuing the hot streak until the final day.

Can McFarlane end Chelsea’s losing streak or will Forest’s run continue?

Chelsea have lost, and have failed to score, in each of their last five Premier League games. This of course culminated in Liam Rosenior's departure and the promotion of Callum McFarlane, who promptly guided the team to a 1-0 victory over Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend.

McFarlane taking charge has brought an upturn in energy and performance levels, although a one-off cup tie at Wembley is a very different scenario to a Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge, which is to say Monday’s game is a truer test of whether he can break Chelsea out of their poor form.

Nottingham Forest, juggling Europa League football on either side of this match, are only five points above the relegation zone and very much still scrapping for points. There is confidence in their ranks though, after scoring nine goals in their last game-and-a-half of Premier League action.

Indeed, Forest are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games and have won the second-most points in the division (12) since the beginning of March.

The contrasting recent fortunes of the two sides makes Monday’s headline game arguably the biggest of the weekend; the one contest with just as much on the line for both clubs.

Will Leeds take a golden chance to win the final three points they need?

Leeds have a lot riding on this match. They are already on 40 points, which in most seasons would be enough to survive the drop, but judging by the form of those below, this year 42 or 43 may be required.

In other words, Farke needs just one more win, and his side will not get a better chance than the visit of Burnley, particularly given their strong recent form; Leeds are unbeaten in five Premier League games.

There is a small chance Leeds slip back into trouble almost unnoticed, especially if they were to lose to Burnley, a confidence-sapping result that would make their upcoming fixtures against Spurs and West Ham six-pointers.

Lose all four matches and Leeds would finish on 40 points, while Spurs and West Ham would be guaranteed to have a minimum of 37 and 39 respectively. One more win for both, on top of beating Leeds, would likely relegate Farke’s side.

No need to catastrophise just yet. But there is pressure on this game.

Is Man Utd v Liverpool a straight shootout for third?

It’s rare this fixture has so little riding on it in terms of season targets, but Manchester United and Liverpool both appear safe in the Champions League places. Opta’s "super computer" gives Man Utd a 99.91 per cent chance of qualification and Liverpool a 96.92 per cent chance.

However, with just three points separating the two rivals, the winner of this match is likeliest to finish third. That could feel significant for both clubs, beyond winning roughly an extra £2.5 million in prize money and beyond even bragging rights,

Man Utd have won more points (29) than any other side since Michael Carrick’s arrival and his stock will only rise further if he can record a win against Liverpool and make the club the "best of the rest" behind Arsenal and Man City.

Meanwhile, Liverpool, after three consecutive league victories, would be boosted substantially by a victory at Old Trafford.

Will Vitality Stadium host the game of the weekend?

Andoni Iraola is leaving Bournemouth this summer and he could be leaving on the biggest high so far.

The Cherries have never finished above ninth and never won more than 56 points in the Premier League, the total they achieved last season. Currently in seventh, another eight points – taking them to a club-record 57 – should be enough to stay in that position, or even climb further.

Palace have won only 13 points from 13 games immediately following a Europa Conference League match, making Bournemouth slight favourites, although the only thing we can accurately predict is that it will be an excellent watch.

Palace (2.03 metres per second) and Bournemouth (1.88 metres per second) have two of the highest three direct speeds in the Premier League, and have two of the lowest five averages of open-play sequence times (8.16 seconds and 8.26 seconds respectively).

Like the 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture, this should be end to end.

Can Sunderland prevent their brilliant season from petering out?

Wolves v Sunderland is arguably the only fixture of the round with nothing major hanging on it. The story at Molineux will either be the Premier League's 20th-placed side managing to claw themselves above Burnley – which they could do with a victory – or Sunderland getting their first win in three matches.

It’s particularly important for the latter who are in danger of letting a superb campaign peter out, following their 4-3 defeat at Villa and 5-0 loss to Forest.

Remarkably, Sunderland are only six points above Leeds. It would feel disappointing to some supporters if the Black Cats did not at least finish as the best-performing promoted side.

Wolves is their most winnable remaining match. Anything less than three points would threaten to take the shine off an excellent season.

Football writer Alex Keble looks into which teams fighting to avoid relegation, on paper, have the best final four fixtures.

The battle to stay in the Premier League appears to have narrowed down to just four clubs, with Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur the contenders to join Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley who have already had their relegation confirmed.

There will no doubt be twists or turns over the final four Matchweeks, many as dramatic and unexpected as last Saturday’s rollercoaster, when a late Spurs winner at Wolves, alongside West Ham first losing the lead against Everton and then regaining it, saw the two clubs swap back and forth in the "live" league table.

Watch: The chaotic finale in Spurs and West Ham's matches

Remaining fixtures

Matchweek Spurs West Ham Nott'm Forest Leeds 35 AVL (A) BRE (A) CHE (A) BUR (H) 36 LEE (H) ARS (H) NEW (H) TOT (A) 37 CHE (A) NEW (A) MUN (A) BHA (H) 38 EVE (H) LEE (H) BOU (H) WHU (A)

Scroll across on mobile to see full table

Here, we use two different metrics to try to illuminate how the next four weeks might go: the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), a Fantasy Premier League tool based on a complex algorithm that generates a rank for the perceived difficulty of a team's opponent, ranked from one (easy) to five (hard) – and the average points total of each club’s remaining opponents (APO).

The results reveal that Leeds, already ahead of the pack on points, have it best, while there is theoretically little to separate the other three clubs:

Total FDR Ave. points total of opponents Leeds 10 35.00 Nott'm Forest 13 50.00 West Ham 12 50.75 Spurs 12 48.25

It goes without saying that West Ham and Spurs are in the most trouble right now, being a few points behind the rest, although judging by the form of all four clubs – over the last three rounds of games, they have collectively won seven out of 12 matches, losing only once – it looks increasingly likely that more than 40 points will be needed to avoid the drop.

All four clubs, then, need to get more wins on the board. Here’s what the FDR and APO tells us:

Leeds United have the best fixtures – and the most points

Leeds, on 40 points, most likely need just one more win, and their supporters will be encouraged by their low FDR and APO scores relative to their rivals.

In fact, Leeds are the only club who have what could be deemed a ‘‘kind’’ run of games, starting this weekend with a home game against Burnley, who have picked up just two points in their last eight Premier League games.

There’s a reason why only they, and Wolves, have an FDR rating of 1. Burnley at Elland Road is about as straightforward as Daniel Farke could ask for. Win that, and Leeds have almost certainly got enough points.

In fact, if Leeds win on Friday and Spurs lose at Aston Villa on Sunday, Farke’s side would be nine points clear with three matches to go; one point short of being mathematically safe.

Forest have the toughest run and have Europa League semi-finals to think about

Nottingham Forest fans will be looking at a difficult set of games – marginally tougher than West Ham’s and Spurs’, when both FDR and APO are taken into account – to try to find a single victory.

One win would take Forest to 42 points, enough to avoid relegation in every single Premier League season other than 2002/03 when West Ham went down on 42.

It is far from impossible we get a repeat of that scenario, however, and with games away at Chelsea and Manchester United to come, along with negotiating at least two UEFA Europa League matches, Forest are not over the line.

Things can change very quickly, after all. For example, if West Ham beat Brentford and Spurs beat Villa this weekend (and why not, after both won last Saturday?) while Forest lose at Chelsea, Forest would be just two points above the dotted line.

With a semi-final to think about too, Forest might find a lot rests on two tricky home games against Newcastle United and AFC Bournemouth.

The FDR and APO puts Forest in perhaps a surprisingly uncomfortable position. They are definitely not out of it yet.

West Ham’s tough fixtures point to a final-day battle with Leeds

With the highest overall APO and FDR ratings, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side appear to have the toughest set of games, giving hope to Spurs fans that they can bridge the two-point gap to 17th.

There is a decent chance, as we can see, that it will be a straight shootout between West Ham and Spurs, and the order of the fixtures has some relevance here.

For West Ham, a trip to Brentford is not easy and Arsenal at home is as tough as they come, meanwhile Spurs travel to Villa Park between two huge Europa League semi-finals for Aston Villa before hosting Leeds, who may be all-but safe by then.

It’s possible to imagine West Ham and Spurs trading places with two rounds to go. Whatever happens, it feels likely that West Ham’s home game against Leeds on the final day will be must-win, such is the difficulty of their other three matches.

Spurs have more winnable games – especially with added context of opposition distractions

Things do seem mildly more straightforward for Roberto De Zerbi’s team, even if their FDR is the same as West Ham’s and APO only slightly lower.

Villa’s two games against Forest in the Europa League semi-final might make Spurs' game this weekend more winnable, Leeds could be all-but mathematically safe when they arrive in north London in a fortnight, and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge comes the midweek after the FA Cup final, a priority for the Blues.

Then again, by definition no game is easy when you’re near the bottom. The stats show that Forest, West Ham, and Spurs have similarly difficult fixture lists. The battle to avoid the drop should go right to the wire.