Sunday will see the ship off recreation for legend Thiago Silva at Stamford Bridge. Anticipate tears, feelings, smiles, celebrations, and loads of ‘oohhhhh Thiagoooo Siiiiilvaa.’
It’s the ultimate recreation of a rollercoaster season for Chelsea, and lots of different golf equipment within the Premier League. I believe Manchester United and Tottenham followers are going to be happy to see this season out too. Though Chelsea is likely to be considering that they need they might stick with it proper now with the unimaginable momentum we’re build up in current matches.
All video games kick off on the identical time on Sunday in fact, with a league title nonetheless to be received and different vital decider video games happening. It’s fairly good how a lot has gone via to the ultimate day of the season and no membership has actually ran away with something. It’s been so shut all season and so many golf equipment have been actually inconsistent, similar to us.
Chelsea welcome Bournemouth for the 4pm kick off on Sunday, and you’ll watch it (UK) on Sky Sports activities Soccer.
There’s quite a bit to play for, and Chelsea are in an honest place to get Europa League soccer abruptly.
The guests don’t have anything left to play for aside from satisfaction, sitting in eleventh place within the league. They’ll nonetheless end within the prime 10 although in the event that they beat Chelsea, and so they may nonetheless even end in thirteenth place in the event that they lose. So I assume you possibly can say that really, there’s a bit to play for when it comes to finish league place for them. They definitely wont make it straightforward for us.
Bournemouth have, sure you guessed it, been very inconsistent in current video games. They obtained beat by Brentford and Arsenal of their final two video games however beat Brighton 3-0 and Wolves 1-0 earlier than that. They even obtained a degree at residence in opposition to Manchester United, which has helped us massively.
It’s removed from lower and dry for Chelsea, regardless that our residence report has been so significantly better these days. It will likely be a really powerful recreation, and we all know Bournemouth can do some injury and have some excellent gamers like Dominic Solanke, Antoine Semenyo, and Justin Kluivert. They are often very quick and difficult in assault.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea will be very open, so we can be susceptible on counter assaults as soon as once more and Bournemouth can exploit that.
Chelsea will and must be totally up for this although, and they need to have sufficient to get the win at Stamford Bridge. They are going to be doing all they’ll to proceed that momentum and qualify for Europe. They definitely seem like a workforce taking part in with confidence proper now and with the tide on their aspect.
Chelsea even end in fifth place if Tottenham lose to Sheffield United away from residence. Something can occur.
Newcastle are away to Brentford which is not any straightforward away day in any respect. And Manchester United are away to Brighton, and as we noticed final night time, that’s by no means an easy tie to win.
Manchester United is not going to catch us now even when they win (except some loopy scorelines occur) as a result of we’ve a 13+ aim distinction in comparison with their -3. We might be degree on factors in the event that they received and we misplaced, however we might be above them on aim distinction.
Newcastle are a bit extra of a problem as a result of they’ve a greater aim distinction (+21). However they’re 3 factors behind us so it’s fully in our palms anyway. If we win or draw, we end above Toon. But when we lose and so they win (barring any loopy scorelines once more), they are going to end above us.
With Spurs, it’s all a bit nearer when it comes to aim distinction. Nevertheless, we’ve a +3 higher aim distinction than them, placing us in a fantastic place to go above them if we win and so they lose.
There are a lot of variables and what ifs, however it’s largely in Chelsea’s palms.
European qualification will get complicated, so I’ve taken data from an article from NBC Sports activities this morning to hopefully make clear all of it.
Solely eight of the Premier League’s 20 golf equipment may declare a spot in Europe, whether or not the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, or Convention League.
The renovation of the UEFA Champions League implies that some leagues get 5 spots within the group stage, however Premier League golf equipment’ performances in Europe this season have sunk these hopes again to 4 locations.
Fifth place ensures a spot within the Europa League group stage.
The workforce that finishes in sixth will play within the Europa League if Manchester Metropolis win the FA Cup, with the Europa Convention League spot shifting right down to seventh place.
If Manchester United win the FA Cup and end sixth within the Premier League, they are going to qualify for the Europa League with the membership in seventh going to the Convention League.
Nevertheless, ought to Manchester United end exterior of the highest six and defeat Manchester Metropolis within the FA Cup Last, United will go to the Europa League and the workforce ending in sixth can be within the Convention League and whoever finishes in seventh is not going to qualify for Europe.
Arsenal, Manchester Metropolis, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have certified for the Champions League by way of top-four finishes.
Tottenham‘s solely path to Europe is thru the league desk. They’ll end no decrease than seventh.
Chelsea can solely attain the Europa League or Convention League via the league desk. They can not end decrease than eighth.
Newcastle United‘s solely path to Europe is thru the league desk. They at the moment sit seventh, forward of Man United on aim differential and three factors behind Chelsea. They can not end decrease than eighth.
Manchester United can go to the Europa League by successful the FA Cup, and the league desk continues to be a path to Europe as properly. The Purple Devils could go to the Convention League in the event that they fail to win the FA Cup.
West Ham United, Brighton, Wolves, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Burnley, Luton City, Nottingham Forest, and Everton have been eradicated from rivalry for Europe.
So, as I mentioned in my final article detailing our path to Europe a few weeks again, even when we end in sixth, we nonetheless should await the results of The FA Cup remaining to know our European destiny for subsequent season, which is a bit irritating.
Loads rests nonetheless on Manchester Metropolis and United. You’d count on Metropolis to win that recreation, however United obtained a little bit of a lift this week beating Newcastle, and so they can definitely flip up in opposition to Metropolis in a cup remaining which as we all know, something can occur in.
The principle factor is that Chelsea should simply deal with beating Bournemouth on Sunday, and I believe they are going to. I predict Chelsea 2 Bournemouth 1.
By way of lineups, I believe Thiago Silva would possibly get the nod to begin over Benoit Badiashile and I additionally count on him to be handed the captains armband for his ship off recreation.
The one different change I see from the win in opposition to Brighton is Christopher Nkunku beginning over Mykhailo Mudryk, who is not going to be out there attributable to going off with concussion within the Brighton recreation.
So, for the ultimate time this season seeing out an exhausting, entertaining, horrible, good, dangerous, poisonous, nice 2023/24 season, COME ON CHELSEA!!!!
