Key dates in the race for Champions League qualification as Liverpool face daunting triple header | OneFootball

While Arsenal and Manchester City are set to battle it out for the Premier League table, the scramble for Champions League qualification behind them seem near-impossible to call going into the final three months of the season.

Going into matchday 28, Aston Villa are in third place on 51 points, three ahead of Manchester United in fourth, with Chelsea and Liverpool on 45 each (the Blues currently have a superior goal difference of 10).

Intriguingly, all four of those teams still have to play each other once more between now and the end of May, so those head-to-heads look set to make all the difference as to who qualifies for the Champions League (which Gary Lineker is backing the Reds to do) and who misses out.

We’ve picked out the dates of those six crucial fixtures, and you can find fantastic odds on each of those from Rainbow Riches Casino.

Key fixtures in race for Champions League qualification

Aston Villa v Chelsea (4 March)

Villa have the chance to take a huge stride towards Champions League qualification if they can beat Liam Rosenior’s side at home next week, especially should they defeat Wolves tonight and Chelsea lose at Arsenal on Sunday.

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Man United v Aston Villa (15 March)

A controversial defeat in this fixture on the final day of last season cost Unai Emery’s side a Champions League berth for this campaign, so the Villans will feel they have a score to settle at Old Trafford.

However, it’s a much different United they’ll be facing this time around, with the Red Devils resurgent under interim head coach Michael Carrick, and this fixture falls in between a two-legged Europa League tie for the Midlands outfit.

Chelsea v Man United (18/19 April)

Chelsea could still be in three different competitions by mid-April, whereas United are now focused solely on Premier League duties – how significant might that be once the post-Easter run-in begins?

The Blues lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture in September, but they played with 10 men for almost the entirety of that match after a fifth-minute red card for Robert Sanchez. Both teams have changed bosses since then – what was Enzo Maresca v Ruben Amorim is now Rosenior v Carrick.

Man United v Liverpool (2/3 May)

Liverpool face a daunting triple header of fixtures against fellow Champions League chasers in May, starting with the ultimate grudge match at Old Trafford.

The Reds may still be smarting from United’s win at Anfield in October, but the Merseysiders have enjoyed some unforgettable days out at the home of their arch-rivals in recent years. How they could do with another one in the final month of this season.

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Liverpool v Chelsea (9/10 May)

When the Reds faced Chelsea last May, they could simply enjoy the day as newly-crowned Premier League champions. The stakes will be a lot, lot higher for Arne Slot’s side when they host the Blues in the tail end of this campaign.

There’s a possibility that this domestic meeting could come just after the conclusion of a Champions League semi-final between the pair, should they both make it that far and are kept on separate sides of the draw.

Aston Villa v Liverpool (17 May)

By the penultimate weekend of the season, both of these teams could already know their fate, or else it could be effectively a play-off for a Champions League berth for 2026/27.

One of Liverpool’s best performances this term came in their 2-0 win over Villa in November – a repeat of that in May would do very nicely!