Premier League finale: Aston Villa, Chelsea, Tottenham, Salah and more | OneFootball

The final weekend of the 2025/26 is almost here and there are several issues still to be resolved at both ends of the table.

Without further ado, read on as we look at several key talking points ahead of Matchday 38, starting with some potentially intriguing Champions League shenanigans.

The joy of six

Aston Villa’s impressive 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday could have significant ramifications for the Premier League.

As a reward for their collective progress in European competitions this season, the English top flight has already been awarded an additional place in the Champions League.

However, Villa’s Europa League triumph has opened the door for a sixth Premier League team to qualify for next season’s competition.

If they lose at Manchester City in their final game and Liverpool defeat Brentford at Anfield, the team that finishes sixth in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League.

Bournemouth or Brighton & Hove Albion can still finish sixth, adding more intrigue to their respective fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.

Underachievers jostle with ‘small clubs’ for European qualification

Chelsea are one of the biggest ‘banter clubs’ in the Premier League, with their clueless owners lurching from one disaster to another.

The Blues head into the final weekend eighth in the standings, a whopping 30 points behind newly-crowned champions Arsenal.

They can still qualify for the Europa League or the Europa Conference League, but face a tricky test against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Given that the Black Cats can also sneak into a European qualification place, Chelsea are unlikely to have things their own way on Sunday.

The irony of the ‘Club World Cup champions’ jostling with so-called ‘smaller clubs’ for a place in Europe is not lost on the wider football community.

Tottenham and West Ham set for nervy finale

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Tuesday night means the battle to avoid relegation will go down to the final day.

Spurs are two points above 18th-placed West Ham with one game to play. They host Everton, while the Hammers are at home to Leeds United.

A draw should be enough for Tottenham to retain their Premier League status, but their home record this season is a major cause for concern.

They have won just twice at home this term (D6, L10), so it would be foolish to think that West Ham are guaranteed to drop into the second tier.

Regardless of the outcome, whichever team finishes 17th will have nothing to crow about in the grand scheme of things.

Fernandes chases Premier League assist record

Bruno Fernandes’ pursuit of the Premier League assist record triggered an angry outburst from former Manchester United star Roy Keane in midweek.

Fernandes has equalled the record of 20 assists set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne, and now has a chance to break it at Brighton on Sunday.

Keane criticised Fernandes’ mindset in his pursuit, calling the narrative surrounding it a ‘circus act’. While he made a fair point, Fernandes will not be concerned.

The Portuguese playmaker has been a standout performer for United this season, and will fancy his chances of breaking the record at the Amex Stadium.

The broader test for Fernandes will be to ram Keane’s criticisms down his throat by helping United win major silverware next season.

Good riddance to selfish Salah

Some Liverpool fans believe Mohamed Salah is a Liverpool legend. They’re wrong.

Salah’s bitter fallout with manager Arne Slot has undoubtedly had a detrimental impact on their season.

His recent social media statement was the latest selfish act by an individual who thinks he is bigger than the club.

Salah cannot hold a candle to true legends of the club, such as Kenny Dalglish, who would never have publicly slated a manager.

The Egyptian has been an excellent player for the Reds, but he does not deserve to be placed on the same pedestal as the club’s true legends.

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What to watch

Three English Football League play-off finals, the Scottish Cup final and the final day of the Premier League season should keep everyone entertained this weekend.