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A series of mouth-watering clashes over the coming weeks could prove decisive for Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea as they battle for Champions League qualification.
The Red Devils returned to winning form on Saturday with a 1–0 triumph over Chelsea to open up a 10-point advantage over Liam Rosenior's side, who sit sixth—a position that would only earn them Europa League football.
The Blues have managed just one win in their last eight league outings, leaving the door ajar for Aston Villa and Liverpool to close the gap in the race for the top five. A four-point deficit between Chelsea and fifth-placed Liverpool could swell to seven within the next 24 hours, a daunting prospect for the reigning Club World Cup holders.
The campaign is far from decided, however, and a pivotal run of games over the next month could deliver a dramatic conclusion to a surprisingly compelling battle for the remaining Champions League berths.
Man Utd, Aston Villa, Liverpool & Chelsea's Fixtures Compared
Man Utd (58 points) | Aston Villa (55 points) | Liverpool (52 points) | Chelsea (48 points) |
|---|---|---|---|
– | Sunderland (H) – April 19 | Everton (A) – April 19 | – |
Brentford (H) – April 27 | Fulham (A) – April 25 | Crystal Palace (H) – April 25 | Brighton (A) – April 21 |
Liverpool (H) – May 3 | Tottenham (H) – May 3 | Man Utd (A) – May 3 | Nott'm Forest – May 4 |
Sunderland (A) – May 9 | Burnley (A) – May 10 | Chelsea (H) – May 9 | Liverpool (A) – May 9 |
Nott'm Forest (H) – May 17 | Liverpool (H) – May 17 | Aston Villa (A) – May 17 | Tottenham (H) – May 17 |
Brighton (A) – May 24 | Man City (A) – May 24 | Brentford (H) – May 24 | Sunderland (A) – May 24 |
United head back to Old Trafford to face Brentford next before hosting Liverpool. Securing three points against Slot's side would give the Red Devils some cushion over the Reds, who could close to within three points with a victory over Everton on Sunday.
A visit to the Stadium of Light follows before United square off against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in their last home fixture of the campaign. By the time they travel to Brighton, Carrick's squad should already have their Champions League place secured.
Aston Villa's involvement in the title race is a distant memory, yet they remain on course to equal their finest top-flight finish of the 21st century—provided they take care of business against sides they are expected to beat, such as Sunderland and Fulham.
That theme carries into May, when Unai Emery's side face a struggling Tottenham Hotspur and then relegation-doomed Burnley. Positive results against those four opponents are essential, given that Villa close out their season against Liverpool and then away at City.
Even if Champions League qualification is already secured by the time they visit the Etihad, Aston Villa could still find themselves at the heart of a must-watch showdown on the final day should the Premier League title be on the line.
Liverpool, by contrast, face considerably more pressure to hold onto that final top-five spot. A notoriously tough Merseyside derby awaits—the first to be held at the Hill Dickinson Stadium—followed by a stern test against Crystal Palace, a side they have beaten just once in their last six encounters.
The schedule only grows more demanding for the reigning English champions. A trip to Old Trafford comes next, before Liverpool host Chelsea six days later. To compound the difficulty, the Reds must then make the journey to Villa Park, a ground where they have not tasted victory in four years.
A home clash with Brentford in their season finale may look straightforward on paper, but the Bees already got the better of Slot's side in the earlier meeting. Nerves could fray considerably if Liverpool require a win to guarantee their place in European football's top club competition next term.
Chelsea find themselves on the outside looking in. Rosenior's men will need to win virtually every remaining game, beginning with Brighton and Nottingham Forest, just to stand a chance of sneaking into the top five.
Their most significant remaining fixture is the away trip to Liverpool. Claiming all three points against the Reds would represent a massive swing in Chelsea's favour, particularly as their rivals face a tougher run-in to close out the season.
The west London club round off 2025–26 against Spurs and then Sunderland. A high-stakes encounter between a desperate Tottenham and a desperate Chelsea at Stamford Bridge promises to be explosive.