The Premier League\'s Champions League qualification race has intensified with five teams competing for three remaining spots and just three points separating them with five games remaining in the season.
Nottingham Forest currently lead the chase in third place with 60 points following their surprising 2-1 victory at Tottenham on Monday. The win has put pressure on Newcastle United (59 points), Manchester City (58 points), Chelsea (58 points), and Aston Villa (57 points).
England secured an additional Champions League berth for the 2025-26 season by topping UEFA\'s coefficient table, meaning five Premier League teams will qualify instead of the usual four. With Liverpool and Arsenal having secured the first two positions, three spots remain available.
Forest\'s remarkable season continues after narrowly avoiding relegation last year, finishing 17th. Under Nuno Espirito Santo\'s leadership, they\'ve maintained their competitive edge through organization, team cohesion, and Chris Wood\'s 19 Premier League goals.
The remaining fixture list favors Forest with relatively manageable opponents in Brentford (home), Crystal Palace (away), Leicester (home), and West Ham (away) before a potentially decisive final day against Chelsea at the City Ground.
Newcastle face a more challenging schedule, particularly with manager Eddie Howe hospitalized with pneumonia. After hosting relegated Ipswich, they\'ll face Brighton (away), Chelsea (home), Arsenal (away), and Everton (home).
Manchester City\'s Champions League hopes received a boost with their favorable remaining fixtures after Tuesday\'s clash with Aston Villa. City will face Wolves (home), Southampton (away), Bournemouth (home), and Fulham (away).
Chelsea appear to have the most challenging path with only two wins from their last five league games. Their remaining schedule includes Everton (home), Liverpool (home), Newcastle (away), Manchester United (home), and Nottingham Forest (away).
Meanwhile, Tottenham and Manchester United could potentially secure a sixth Champions League spot for the Premier League if either wins the Europa League, despite currently sitting 16th and 14th in the league table respectively.
Via Mark Ogden/ESPN