The 2024-25 Premier League title race was wrapped up on Sunday as Liverpool emerged as the frontrunners to seal the title in Arne Slot’s first season with Arsenal constantly threatening the Reds during the run-in, but their European commitments came in the way of a serious title challenge. Despite the title race being over, there is still room for drama as three more spots are available in next season’s Champions League for English teams, and the chasing pack including Manchester City, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa are getting ready for a thrilling month of May fixtures in the Premier League.
Reigning champions Manchester City could never threaten the title race but have emerged as late favorites to finish third as Pep Guardiola’s men yet again peaked during the run-in after getting eliminated from the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid. On the other hand, Newcastle United bounced back in the 2024-25 season by winning the League Cup after missing out on European competitions due to a poor showing in the 2023-24 season, courtesy of their forwards Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon, and Jacob Murphy.
While both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest are on 63 and 61 points, respectively, the two clubs have had seasons very different from what was expected of them. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men defied all expectations as pundits were calling them favorites for relegation, but the Tricky Trees have surprised everybody by being in the race for the Champions League at the fag end of the season. The Blues, marshalled by Enzo Maresca, have also witnessed a resurgence as the West London-based club, currently competing in the UEFA Europa Conference League, might be competing in the Champions League next season.
Aston Villa also remains a serious contender as well as Unai Emery’s men have shocked everybody by fighting on three fronts, making it to the Champions League quarter-final, where they crashed after a 5-4 loss on aggregate against Paris St. Germain, while also losing in the FA Cup semi-final to Crystal Palace. On the league front, the Villans are seventh and still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition next season if the clubs ahead of them falter during the last three matchdays.
Newcastle, led by Eddie Howe, will be competing against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Everton, marking a tricky spell of fixtures for the Magpies, while the Cityzens, led by Guardiola, will be targeting wins against Southampton, Bournemouth, and Fulham in their last three fixtures. Here is the full list of odds:
Manchester City: -5000
Newcastle United: -400
Chelsea: -335
Nottingham Forest: +150
Aston Villa: +350
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