Dan’s EPL predictions – Final Day Glory for Arsenal?

So, the Prem will be decided on the final day for the 10th time in the competition’s history.

Arsenal need to beat Everton and hope West Ham get a result at the Etihad.

Man, City know if they win, they will lift the title for the 4th consecutive year which has never happened before in English Football.

Spurs need a point to seal 5th. If they lose Chelsea can overtake them.

5th is the one position that guarantees a place in the Europa League.

Newcastle can overtake Chelsea in 6th but need to match / better Man United’s result to hang on to 7th.

We still don’t know if 6th qualifies you for the Europa League or UEFA Conference. Or if 7th will be good enough to qualify for Europe at all.

That all depends on the FA Cup Final.

If City win at Wembley, 5th and 6th will be enough for the Europa, 7th grants you a place in the Conference.

If United lift the trophy, 6th would only be good enough for the Conference.

While it’s not guaranteed the promoted sides are the same three who are returning to the Championship, it’s improbable that Luton stay up.

They would have to beat Fulham, hope Forest lose at Burnley and there be a goal swing of 12.

 Arsenal 4-0 Everton 

 I’m surprised that the same Gooners who after our win at Old Trafford were confident we would be Champions, are now giving up just because Man City got three points at the Lane.

Were some that confident Tottenham would do us a favour?

I always felt it was more likely West Ham would give us a helping hand then Spurs, just due to crazy things happening on the final day.

Nothing has changed since we lost to Villa, we need to keep on winning and hope by law of averages City are due some bad luck.

I do think there will be a moment in the day where our hopes are raised before our hearts are broken all over again.

Eventually though the Emirates might hear that the home side are winning comfortably at the Etihad and therefore with the pressure off, we should score more goals late on in our game as then we can play with freedom.

Whatever happens though I hope all Gooners show the class that our Spurs peers lacked this week.

One of the youngest squads in the division have shown maturity this year, have put pride back into the badge, produced a skillset that previous version of Gunners haven’t shown for decades.

At the very least they deserve a standing ovation

Brentford 1-1 Newcastle 

 Newcastle need to better or match Man United’s result to guarantee 7th place and then need to wait for the FA Cup Final to know if that’s good enough for Europe.

Bournemouth Vs Brentford last weekend was the definition of two teams on the beach playing but the Bees might turn it on for their final game of the season.

 Brighton 3 -1 Man United 

To be a big club you need to act like a big club. For a club the size of Man United to need favours elsewhere just to have a chance of playing in the UEFA Conference….someone has to say that is unacceptable.

Understandably it seems Ten Hag is saving certain players for the FA Cup Final.

Even if he beats Man City at Wembley though, I’m not sure that saves his job?

Burnley 1-1 Notts Forest 

 Even if they lose, Forest can only be relegated if there is a 12-goal swing after a Luton win.

Not that they should celebrate too much.

29 points is the lowest total it’s taken to stay up In the Premiership. Even if they hadn’t had points taken away, they still would have the record.

To put that into perspective West Ham were once relegated with 42 points.

Given the money Forest have spent and rules they have broken this shouldn’t be a cause for celebration.

Burnley to play well without having the quality in the final third, which would sum up their season.

Crystal Palace 3-1 Aston Villa 

 Some of my fellow Gooners have asked this week, if the roles were reversed, would we not be mocking Spurs?

Let me answer that question by painting you a picture ….

Imagine Arsenal have just lost a game which costs us a place in the Champions League.

Think of the criticism Arteta would get for a failure to finish in the top 4.

Would those at the Emirates do the Poznan?

Or would they be furious?

When Tottenham beat Aston Villa in March their fate was in their own hands.

Tuesday confirmed they had failed in their objective, yet they were celebrating.

Where else would that happen?

This is a tricky game for Villa and when they lose it might make some of Spurs fans realise what a missed opportunity this was.

 Chelsea 3-0 Cherries 

The way Chelsea have ended this season probably has kept Pochettino in a job.

They remind me of the Arteta’s first couple of years saw him put his faith in youngsters therefore accepting inconsistency.

By some Gooners mindset though because the Blues failed to qualify for Europe last season, 5th or 6th would now be viewed as progress?

Chelsea fans wouldn’t say that.

 Luton 1-1 Fulham 

Many assumed Luton would struggle like Sheffield United and that they should be proud to have taken their relegation battle to the last day. Yet 29 points is enough to stay up this season, easily the lowest points tally in the history of Prem enough to avoid relegation.

2 clubs with points deductions have also stayed up.

That could be an indication of the gap in quality between the topflight and the Championship.

Will be interesting to see how the newly promoted sides fare next campaign.

Rob Edwards was so emotional last weekend; I wonder if has the energy to go again with the Hatters or looks for a new challenge?

Liverpool 3-1 Wolves 

 For a while Liverpool thought this would be a romantic farewell to Jürgen Klopp believing the day would coincide with him lifting his second ever Prem.

I actually predicted last summer that this would be the manager’s final season at Anfield. You could see the German’s demeanour towards the media was changing and I questioned did he have the energy it takes to take on Pep Guardiola for another year?

It highlights the mentality it takes to do what Pep has done for years, almost bordering on obsession to detail.

The Kop will give him the sendoff he deserves.

Man City 4-1 West Ham  

Arsenal knew they had to be flawless in the run in due to the Champions ability to put together a winning sequence meaning I gave up on our title dream during the second half against Aston Villa.

If you had to bet your life on the outcome of this Sunday, of course you would go for a home win but I’m not sure I agree with this notion that the Gunners now need a miracle.

The 9th place team in the table getting a draw at the Etihad is unlikely but not impossible. A team having 90 minutes where they can’t put a ball in the net or a keeper making a mistake is not a miracle.

Luton need a miracle to stay up, that’s what I call a miracle.

I have seen a lot stranger results in football.

It’s not like we need the Hammers to win 3-0! This is the same club who won at the Emirates.

Man City have won the Premiership 4 times on the final day but it’s worth remembering three of those times they had to come from behind to win.

I just sense there will be a moment this weekend where Gooners are allowed to dream before reality resumes.

12 months ago, some in our fanbase didn’t understand how hard it was to get over the line even when ex-players tried to warn them.

I think Pep Guardiola is finally getting the credit he deserves for the standards he’s set. Not just do his players for years cope with must win conditions every few days, they do it with a smile on their faces.

Sheffield United 0 -4 Spurs 

Something tells me that Spurs fans didn’t think they would get the backlash they have received this week.

We all get banter but celebrating a loss that costs your team a place in the Champions League?

All they have done is frustrate a manager who they clearly rate.

That’s three coaches in a roll who with great anger have questioned the ambition and mindset of the club.

That’s an embarrassment and not a coincidence.

Big Ange knows that have a poor start to next season and stopping Arsenal winning the league (because they lost) does not save his job.

I can’t think of another situation on a day your club fails in its objective.

Fail and do the Poznan?

Fail and sing a song?

They better not dare ever ask for a manager to be sacked based on league position because this week tells us that as long as Arsenal don’t win the League, they have had a great season.

Your love for your club should be above your dislike for others.

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