Nine teams, four spots - Premier League set for European scramble

"Heading into the final day, nine teams still remain hopeful of securing European football with four spots still up for grabs across the three Uefa competitions. Four teams have guaranteed a top-five finish and thereby Champions League football with Liverpool currently favourites to claim fifth place and secure their own spot in the competition. But Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford, Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton and mathematically a least Fulham will all enter the final weekend with a chance of securing some sort of European football, meaning the fight will go down to the wire."

"The permutations might be pretty complicated, but the objective for all nine contenders will be simple on 24 May - win their final game no matter what. The games played so far in the penultimate set of Premier League fixtures have delivered more drama to leave European qualification further tangled. Seventh-placed Brighton could have guaranteed a place in Europe with a win at Leeds United but instead Dominic Calvert-Lewin's dramatic late winner severely dented their chances."

"Brentford missed out on an opportunity to move above the Seagulls after settling for an equally enthralling 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace to stay eighth. Sunderland have pulled themselves back into contention with a stunning 3-1 victory against fellow hopefuls Everton, leapfrogging the Toffees into ninth. There was also a 3-1 win for Newcastle who kept their faint hopes alive by defeating relegation-threatened West Ham to move level on points with 10th-placed Chelsea, who face Tottenham on Tuesday."

"Fulham, 13th, ground out a 1-1 draw against bottom side Wolves. Mathematically, they can still finish eighth and secure European football but their realistic hopes are over given they would require a huge goal dif"

Nine Premier League teams still have hopes of securing European football with four UEFA spots available across three competitions. Four teams have already guaranteed top-five finishes and Champions League places, with Liverpool currently favored for fifth. Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford, Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton, and Fulham can still reach Europe, creating a complex set of permutations. The common objective for all contenders is to win their final match on 24 May regardless of other results. Recent penultimate fixtures increased uncertainty: Brighton lost ground after a late winner for Everton, Brentford drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace, Sunderland beat Everton 3-1 to move into ninth, Newcastle won 3-1 over West Ham to level Chelsea on points, and Fulham drew 1-1 with Wolves, leaving only a mathematical route to Europe.

Read at www.bbc.com