They must win to have any hope of staying up. Everton, Leicester City, and Leeds United can breathe a sigh of relief that only one of them will remain in the 2022-2023 English Premier League (EPL) as the season comes to a close.
With all 30 teams in the EPL set to play their final league games on May 29, all eyes will be on 17th-placed Everton, 18th-placed Leicester City, and 19th-placed Leeds United.
Arsenal and Newcastle United have already qualified for next season’s UEFA Champions League, while Manchester City has won its third straight EPL title. While Manchester United has yet to clinch a UEFA Champions League spot, a draw in either of their two games will secure at least a fourth-place finish.
Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion have also qualified for next season’s UEFA Europa League. Liverpool still has a realistic chance of qualifying for the 스포츠토토 UEFA Champions League, but it’s unlikely to happen as United only need a draw at home to Chelsea on June 26 to qualify for the Champions League.
The race between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur for a UEFA Europa Conference spot next season remains, but it’s not as heated as the race to avoid relegation. Staying in the EPL or dropping down to the League Championship (second tier) is a closer call than qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
Everton has the advantage. With seven wins, 12 draws, 18 losses, and 33 points, Everton is two points ahead of 18th-place Leicester (8 wins, 7 draws, 22 losses, 31 points) and 19th-place Leeds (7 wins, 10 draws, 20 losses, 31 points). But they can’t let their guard down.
A draw at home to Bournemouth in the final game would leave them on 34 points, while a Leicester win in the final game would equalize the points. In that case, Leicester, who are ahead on goal difference, would be in 17th place, so Everton would need to win to stay up.
Naturally, Leicester and Leeds also need to win to stay up. Leicester are at home to West Ham United, while Leeds are at home to Tottenham. All three teams are motivated by the fact that their final games are at home.
However, Leeds are at a disadvantage, not only in terms of points but also in terms of goal difference. Everton and Leicester’s opponents, Bournemouth and West Ham, are evenly matched as they are 15th and 14th respectively. However, the Toffees need to make a last-ditch effort to qualify for the Conference League, even if they are mired in a two-game losing streak. Spurs also need to pick up three points, so they’re certainly motivated.
The scenario in which Leeds could dramatically climb from 19th to 17th is if they win their match against Tottenham and then hope that Everton lose and Leicester don’t win. In this case, Everton would have 33 points, Leicester would have 31 or 32 points, and Leeds would be 17th with 34 points.
For now, the BBC thinks Everton have a good chance of survival. That said, there is a scenario where Everton lose and stay up. The BBC gives Everton a 21% chance of relegation. Leicester, on the other hand, has an 83% chance of relegation and Leeds has a 95% chance of relegation.
But the ball is round. Everton could concede a late winner in the final 10 seconds and lose, and Leeds could win with a theater goal in the last second. The fight for survival is about to get hotter than ever.