Power Rankings: MVPs For Champions League Chasers
The Premier League season comes to an end on Sunday with five teams battling it out for a place in next season's Champions League.
Liverpool and Arsenal, who finished first and second respectively, have already booked their place in next season's competition, but who will join them?
We take a look at the contenders and their odds on football betting sites to be playing Champions League football next season.
Top Five Finish Odds
Team | Odds | Betting Site |
Manchester City | 1/25 | |
Newcastle United | 1/5 | |
Chelsea | 4/6 | |
Aston Villa | 5/4 | |
Nottingham Forest | 4/1 |
There promises to be plenty of twists and turns with commentators expected to say "as things stand" a lot.
Throughout the season, we have tracked every player's worth to their team in our power ranking, in association with NetBet.
Each player is given a score based on the goals scored/conceded by their team while they have been on the pitch.
Let's take a close look at which players are proving to be the most valuable for the Champions League chasers.
Current League Positions
Position | Team | Played | Points | GD |
3rd | Manchester City | 37 | 68 | +26 |
4th | Newcastle United | 37 | 66 | +22 |
5th | Chelsea | 37 | 66 | +20 |
6th | Aston Villa | 37 | 66 | +9 |
7th | Nottingham Forest | 37 | 65 | +13 |
City Favourites To Secure Champions League Spot
Manchester City may have lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace, but they bounced back brilliantly to beat Bournemouth 3-1 in Kevin De Bruyne's final City game at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola's side were sixth prior to the game, but the three points propelled them up to third.
Manchester City's Final Game
| Sunday, May 25 | Fulham v Man City | 16:00 |
A win will guarantee a poor season without a trophy ends with qualification for Europe's premier club competition.
A trip to Fulham should be a formality, especially as City have won the last 17 meetings between the two sides.
For the majority of the season, defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias have been the most valuable players for Guadiola.
City are 7/4 to keep a clean sheet in London this weekend.
Newcastle's Fate In Their Own Hands
Newcastle start the final weekend of the season in fourth place, level on 66 points with both Chelsea and Aston Villa directly below them, while Nottingham Forest are a point further back.
The Magpies will fancy their chances of ending their season with a win, as they host Everton, who have nothing to play for.
Newcastle's Final Game
| Sunday, May 25 | Newcastle v Everton | 16:00 |
However, Eddie Howe's side have not beaten the Toffees in any of their last three meetings in the league, with the last two ending all square.
A draw might be enough for Newcastle, but they don't want to leave anything to chance.
Jacob Murphy and Dan Burn are the most valuable players for Newcastle this season, according to our power rankings.
Both have a score of +24, which means that when they have been on the pitch, the Magpies have scored 24 goals more than they have conceded.
Murphy is 4/6 with NetBet to score or assist against Everton and 33/5 to score the opener against David Moyes' side.
Newcastle are 21/20 to keep a clean sheet against the Toffees, either with or without Burn in the defence.
Chelsea
Chelsea will qualify for next season's Europa League if they can beat Real Betis in the final of the Conference League in Wroclaw on Wednesday.
However, they will want to be playing in the Champions League and they can do so if they finish in the top five.
Chelsea's Final Game
| Sunday, May 25 | Nottingham Forest v Chelsea | 16:00 |
The Blues are currently fifth so there is no margin for error for Enzo Maresca's side.
Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella, who scored the only goal last weekend in a 1-0 home win against Manchester United have been the Blues' best players this season.
Palmer has struggled to follow up last season's superb season, when he scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists, but he is 31/50 to score or assist at the City Ground on Sunday.
Cucurella, who shares a power ranking of +21 with Palmer, is 23/10 to keep a clean sheet.
Villa Need Help Elsewhere
Aston Villa fans will have one eye on their final game of the season at home to Manchester United and one eye on the scores elsewhere.
The Villans go into their game with United sixth, knowing they need one of the three sides above them to slip up.
Aston Villa's Final Game
| Sunday, May 25 | Manchester United v Aston Villa | 16:00 |
United lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, which denied them a place in next season's Champions League, so morale within the Red Devils' camp might be low.
Tyrone Mings has missed a lot of the season through injury, but when the defender has been fit, he has proved his worth.
Mings (+15) is Villa's most valuable player according to our power rankings, even though he has only played 14 league games.
Villa are 7/4 to keep United goalless at Old Trafford.
Forest Have It All To Do
Despite the race for a top-five finish is going to the wire, two teams will miss out on the biggest prize.
Nottingham Forest are seventh ahead of their home game with Chelsea, knowing they have to beat the Blues.
Nottingham Forest's Final Game
| Sunday, May 25 | Nottingham Forest v Chelsea | 16:00 |
Chris Wood's 19 goals have put Forest in a great position to bring European football back to the City Ground for the first time since the 1995/96 campaign.
However, the New Zealander's goals have dried up with just two in his last 10 games for the Tricky Trees.
The back-to-back European champions in 1979 and 1980 would love to secure a place in that competition, but their fate is out of their hands.
Ola Aina (+17) is Forest's most valuable player according to our ranking, and with the defender in their side, Nuno Espirito Santo's side are 33/10 to keep Chelsea without a goal this weekend.
Even if Forest win, they may still miss out on a place in the Champions League.
