EPL's thrilling final equation

Down, but are they out? Newcastle United's Moussa Sissoko trudges off. Source: Owen Humphreys / AAP

We've lost Reading and Queens Park Rangers while Manchester United are travelling the country to a regular guard of honour, but the Barclays Premier League is not dead and buried by any means.

After Sergio Aguero’s Premier League winning exploits last season, it’s not like we needed any further example of the crazy things that can happen at this time of year. 

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Man United	35	27	4	4	43	85
2	Man City	34	21	8	5	30	71
3	Chelsea	34	19	8	7	33	65
4	Arsenal	35	18	10	7	30	64
5	Tottenham	34	18	8	8	17	62
6	Everton	35	15	14	6	14	59
7	Liverpool	35	14	12	9	25	54
8	West Brom	34	14	6	14	2	48
9	Swansea	34	10	12	12	-1	42
10	West Ham	35	11	9	15	-8	42
11	Fulham	35	10	10	15	-9	40
12	Stoke	35	9	13	13	-10	40
13	Southampton	35	9	12	14	-10	39
14	Norwich	35	8	14	13	-21	38
15	Sunderland	35	9	10	16	-12	37
16	Aston Villa	35	9	10	16	-22	37
17	Newcastle	35	10	7	18	-23	37
18	Wigan	34	8	8	18	-23	32
19	QPR	35	4	13	18	-27	25
20	Reading	35	5	10	20	-28	25

But Doncaster Rovers and Brentford did exactly that in League One on the weekend, with a finish you had to see to believe. 

Are we heading that way in the Barclays Premier League? 

The script writers are poised with their pens; Chelsea’s London derby with Tottenham Hotspur on May 9 will be a veritable six-pointer, while the final round of the season has thrown up Wigan Athletic against Aston Villa. If survival is on the line it's sure to be so tense it will be unwatchable for those fans. 

Tensions go into overdrive. We don’t want to see a repeat of the weekend scenes where Wolverhampton Wandereres fans stormed the pitch after their side continued their free-fall to sit on the cusp of back-to-back relegations. That reaction is unacceptable, but if you want a portrayal of the tension in the air, you’ve got it right there.  

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPOTS

Manchester City: Swansea (a), Reading (a), Norwich (h) 

Arsenal: QPR (a), Wigan (h), Newcastle (a)

Chelsea: Manchester United (a), Tottenham (h), Aston Villa (a), Everton (h)

Tottenham: Southampton (h), Chelsea (a), Stoke City (a), Sunderland (h)

Everton: Liverpool (a), West Ham (h), Chelsea (a)

A month ago, Tottenham had the race of the top-four on their watch, but have come out of a run against Everton, Manchester City and Wigan worse for wear.

Their London rivals have been there to capitalise. 

Chelsea have a visit to Old Trafford this week before hosting Spurs, while Arsenal’s run is against desperate relegation-mired clubs. 

"If we win our games, it will be enough," Arsene Wenger said after the draw with Manchester United. 

"And I'm convinced we will be there. There is no room for dropping points but the other teams are in the same position. We know we cannot drop points."

Mikel Arteta added: "It will come down to nerve and be about who is the most clinical at the right moments.

"When it gets to the last games, the teams who are the most clinical win. We have seen that over the last few weeks. It will be a battle for everyone. There is pressure on us like there is for the other teams. Every team in the Premier League is playing for something – relegation or Europe. It will be interesting."

Chelsea’s equation includes Friday morning (EST)’s Europa League semi-final second-leg against Basel. 

"You could say the game against United is pivotal — but I think it is really down to the Tottenham game," Frank Lampard said. 

"I think it will go to the wire but if we get the right results against United and Tottenham we’ll put ourselves in a healthy position."

That will include a tasty clash against former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas. With the PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale on their books, they’ll know anything but a top-four finish is tantamount to saying goodbye to their talisman. 

EUROPA LEAGUE

There’s life in this race just yet – but remember, it’s a race for fifth spot. Swansea City (Capital One Cup winner) and Wigan (FA Cup finalist against Manchester City) have already secured two spots in the second tier of European football. 

In all likelihood, the fifth spot will be a consolation prize for one of the London clubs. 

But this weekend’s Merseyside derby is enormous. Everton are gunning to finish ahead of Liverpool for back-to-back seasons – but a win will also keep the heat on Tottenham, three points ahead of them at the moment. 

There’s still a glimmer of hope for Liverpool, too.

Despite all the Luis Suarez hysteria, Brendan Rodgers’s side could sneak in via the Fair Play quota – which only considers cards issued on the pitch. Suarez’s ban was retrospective. 

The top-three ‘fairest’ leagues are awarded a spot to their ‘fairest’ team. Norway, Sweden and Finland lead at the moment. 

Arsenal lead England’s rankings – but because they’re already qualified, it’ll mean Europa League qualification process for Liverpool. 

RELEGATION

Wigan: West Brom (a), Arsenal (a), Aston Villa (h)

Newcastle: West Ham (a), QPR (a) Arsenal (h)

Aston Villa: Norwich (a), Chelsea (h), Wigan (a)

Sunderland: Stoke (h), Southampton (h), Tottenham (a)

Norwich: Aston Villa (h), West Brom (h), Manchester City (a) 

Southampton: Tottenham (a), Sunderland (a), Stoke (h)

You can hear the sighs of relief at Villa Park after their 6-1 shellacking over Sunderland.

"The most important thing was to win. We started well and got the goal," Villa boss Paul Lambert said on Tuesday.

"First and foremost we had to win the game. We were playing against a Sunderland team bang in form. To get the goals we did, it gives us a great impetus to go to Norwich (at the weekend).

"We have put a lot of teams in the mix, pulled away from Wigan and are playing really well."

How is Paolo Di Canio feeling? 

"This is a medicine that can let us understand that we have to play with desire and commitment, otherwise we have a defeat. It is obvious this is a humiliation that can help. It is not acceptable tonight.''

But Newcastle United, Sunderland and Norwich City are quivering in their boots, with Southampton, Stoke City and Fulham not totally clear yet either from joining Queens Park Rangers and Reading in the nPower Championship. 

Newcastle's capitulation has been a huge concern for their fans - and their foreign legion's lack of cohesion and inspiration shows no signs of abating. Alan Pardew's issued a back me or sack me - there won't be much of a choice if their free-fall continues. 

The Telegraph in England reports that Pardew's French additions haven't shown English football the respect it needs to succeed, and a dressing room split has ensued. 

Veteran striker Shola Ameobi said:

"I think the thing we have to understand as players and a club is that we can't rely on anyone else - you have to go out and grab it and do it yourself.

"This is a team that's supported very vigorously, which is great for us as players, but flip that around and when things aren't going quite as well as you'd like it can become a pressure cooker.

"But that's the game of football and something as players we have to deal with, and the team that deals with it the best - that copes under the severest pressures - is the team that will stay up. "

At least their destiny is in their hands. 

Not so at Wigan, who need a bit of luck to go their way for yet another late-season escape. 

"I know we would all like to be mid-table but I prefer to push the football club forward so that we go in to every game with a meaning. I thought we were magnificent against Tottenham," boss Roberto Martinez said.

"Maybe it’s my Spanish genetics that keep me calm and relaxed. I need my eight hours sleep every night. I can’t work without sleeping. It’s the intensity of the job that’s important, not the stress." 

No stress? How about the tension of this weekend, when Sunderland and Aston Villa look to lure Stoke City and Norwich closer to the drop zone in make-or-break clashes. 

Earlier this season, Fox Sports football’s Robbie Slater told foxsports.com.au about the roller coaster of a relegation dogfight. Make no mistake about this weekend – it will be a pressure-cooker atmosphere. 

You won't be able to take your eyes off it over the next few weeks. 

And those clubs that do, will have a heavy price to pay. 

Watch the Barclays Premier League's conclusion live and in stunning HD on Fox Sports in May.

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