The last five Premier League rounds compete for the Champions League seat, only 3 points away, or a melee to the last moment

On the evening of May 25, 2025, the 38th round of the Premier League ushered in the most intense final battle in history. Five teams - Manchester City, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest - are only three points apart to compete for the last two UEFA Champions League tickets. This situation is unprecedented, not only full of suspense, but also determines who will laugh to the end and who will be sad again.

Manchester City only needs to beat Fulham to lock in the top three, and the draw almost ensures the qualifying for the Champions League

Manchester City's current situation is the most favorable. As long as they defeat Fulham at home, they can firmly rank in the top three in the standings; even if they draw, they can qualify for the Champions League unless Aston Villa defeats Manchester United by more than 17 goals.

Fulham has not won in the past 23 games against Manchester City, and has recently suffered 17 consecutive losses. Facing such a team, Guardiola's team is obviously full of confidence. More importantly, Manchester City has long been accustomed to fighting under pressure, and their stability is always reassuring whether in the league sprint stage or in key battles.

Newcastle faces Everton at home, and wins into the top five

Newcastle faces Everton at St. James' Park in this round. As long as they win, they can lock in the top five and thus qualify for the Champions League.

Newcastle has performed strongly at home recently and has achieved 6 consecutive victories. However, Alexander Isaac's injury, player physical fitness decline, and Everton's tough midfielder may all become hidden dangers. The atmosphere of the game is bound to be tense, and Newcastle must do its best to avoid accidents.

Chelsea need to beat Nottingham Forest away to gain the initiative

For Chelsea, Champions League qualification is their most eager goal since the change of coaches in 2022. They have invested heavily in recruiting, but have not returned to the top European competition stage so far.

In this round, the Blues challenged Nottingham Forest. Only by winning can you ensure that you will not be squeezed out of the top four. If you draw, Villa can overtake as long as you win; once you lose, you may even be unable to guarantee your qualification for the Europa League.

Chelsea ranked 11th in the Premier League away record this season, and has only won one away game in the past 11 away games. The problem of lack of efficiency on the offensive end still exists. Especially the main striker Nicholas Jackson's condition is sluggish, making the front line even more stretched.

Aston Villa can only get ashore by defeating Manchester United

Villa will challenge Manchester United at Old Trafford in this round. Although they have won there only once since 2009, their poor performance of their opponents scoring just 2 points in the last 8 league rounds has given them the opportunity.

As long as you defeat Manchester United, Villa can basically be qualified for the Champions League without looking at the results of other games.

Nottingham Forest is in the hands of others

Forest is currently in a passive position, and to advance to the Champions League, multiple conditions must be met: defeating Chelsea, and hope that Villa or Newcastle will not be able to win. If both teams above win, Forest must beat Chelsea by a larger score to have hope.

Forest has a solid defense this season and is good at counterattacking, especially for high-level oppressive midfielders. They are expected to show momentum with the support of home fans. However, compared with other competitors, their demand for the Champions League is not so urgent, and this mentality may help them deal with the game more easily.

Who can laugh to the end?

This will be one of the most dramatic final matches in Premier League history:

Manchester City: The situation is the best, just play normally;

Newcastle: Play at home, but be wary of injuries and fatigue;

Villa: Just defeat Manchester United and get ashore, with the greatest chance;

Chelsea: You must win away, with huge pressure;

Forest: Rely on others to make mistakes, but you still have a chance to counterattack.