| Premier League | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Manchester City | 36 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 90 | 22 | +68 | 92 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 36 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 84 | 20 | +64 | 91 |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 36 | 23 | 1 | 12 | 65 | 36 | +29 | 70 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 36 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 60 | 39 | +21 | 68 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 69 | 49 | +20 | 66 |
| 6 | Manchester United | 36 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 64 | 51 | +13 | 65 |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 46 | 44 | +2 | 54 |
| 8 | Leicester City | 36 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 51 | 47 | +4 | 51 |
| 9 | Everton | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 50 | 44 | +6 | 50 |
| 10 | Watford | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 51 | 52 | -1 | 50 |
MANCHESTER CITY moved closer to the first ever domestic treble in English football history after literally inching to a win against Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday.
Sergio Aguero did enough to force the ball over the line by just 29mm as the defending champions earned a hard-fought though ultimately merited victory in Lancashire.
Pep Guardiola's men thus won their 14th Premier League match out of 15 in this calendar year with their only blip coming in defeat to Newcastle United at St James Park in January.
Liverpool visit Tyneside on Saturday night still a point behind despite their own phenomenal unbeaten run which goes back to 3 January when the Reds suffered their only league defeat this season, away at Man City.
Indeed, between each other, the two sides have won a total of 183 points - and, with neither having blinked under pressure yet, it feels almost inevitable at this stage that both sides will win their remaining two games.
Remarkably, that we would leave Liverpool as runners-up on 97 points - enough for Jurgen Klopp's men to have won the title in all but one of the 37 seasons since three points for a win were introduced in 1981.
However, if Man City slip up against Leicester City this coming weekend or at Cardiff City, Liverpool could yet win a stunning Premier League-Champions League double.
In Europe too, though, the Reds face a difficult proposition against Lionel Messi and Barcelona, although there are actually two representatives from England in the semi finals.
Finally settled into their new stadium, Tottenham Hotspur - sitting third in the league but well off the title race pace - have also made it into the last four of the European Cup for the first time since 1962.
Spurs have work to do, however, after they went down to a 1-0 defeat at home in the first leg to Ajax Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, fourth-placed Chelsea and fifth-placed Arsenal are in the Europa League semi finals against Eintracht Frankfurt and Valencia respectively.
Of course, the winners of the Europa League now qualify for the next season's Champions League which perhaps explains the fact that both these London teams appear to be stumbling towards the line in the Premier League.
Chelsea have not won since 8 April in the competition while Arsenal have lost four of their last five.
Normally, that sort of form would have let Manchester United move into a top four spot - but this has been no normal campaign at Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho's spell in charge came to its inevitable and bitter end on in December following a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
In came Red Devils legend Ole Gunnar Solksjaer as caretaker - and, relieved from Mourinho's shackles, Man United immediately went on a eight-match winning run in league and cup.
Shortly afterwards, on 28 March, Solksjaer was appointed on a full-time basis - but the last 10 games in all competitions have brought just two wins and seven defeats.
Already, unsurprisingly, big questions are being raised as to whether the Norwegian should have been awarded a stonking three-year contract on the back of what was, essentially, just a classic new manager bounce.
Meanwhile, the red side of Manchester will also have to accept a second season without silverware.
In terms of the best of the rest, seventh place remains up for grabs between four teams - and possibly brings with it the reward of European football if Man City beat Watford in the FA Cup Final.
Wolverhampton Wanderers currently lead this race on 54 points, three clear of Leicester City on 51, with Everton and Watford themselves a further point back.
Notably, none of the four teams play each other in the remaining games so it will be a fair fight, most likely won by Nuno Sanchez Gomes's Wolves in their first season back in the top flight.
The other two promoted clubs have not fared so well. Fulham spent £100m last summer on just about a whole new starting XI.
But the campaign has gone horribly wrong for the Cottagers who were relegated on 2 April following a ninth successive defeat.
Cardiff City, in fairness, have made a decent fist for the most of a difficult season overshadowed by death of Emiliano Sala in a light plane crash just days after the Argentine had signed for a club-record fee of £15 million.
The Bluebirds have also been on the end of some rotten officiating in recent times, most notably in defeats to Chelsea and Burnley.
Nevertheless, a points total of 31 is simply not enough to retain a Premier League place and the South Wales outfit find themselves four points short of 17th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion on 35.
That is Cardiff's deficit despite having beaten the Seagulls on 16 April for their only points in the last six matches.
Brighton were similarly in awful form and eventually went half a dozen league games without scoring until Pascal Gross headed a invaluable equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at the weekend.
At least, Cardiff can console themselves that they have not had a campaign on the pitch quite as torrid as that endured by Huddersfield Town.
The Terriers, in their second Premier League season, have frankly been terrible, winning just three games and 14 points while becoming only the second club in the post-1992 era to be relegated in March after the infamously awful Derby County side of 2007-08.
Huddersfield, indeed, still need one more goal from their final two matches to prevent themselves from matching the Rams' goalscoring record low of 20.
| 16 | Southampton | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 61 | -17 | 38 |
| 17 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 33 | 55 | -22 | 35 |
| 18 | Cardiff City | 36 | 9 | 4 | 23 | 30 | 66 | -36 | 31 |
| R | Fulham | 36 | 7 | 5 | 24 | 34 | 76 | -42 | 26 |
| R | Huddersfield Town | 36 | 3 | 5 | 28 | 20 | 74 | -54 | 14 |
⚽️
| Championship | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| P | Norwich City | 45 | 26 | 13 | 6 | 91 | 56 | +35 | 91 |
| P | Sheffield United | 45 | 26 | 10 | 9 | 76 | 39 | +37 | 88 |
| 3 | Leeds United | 45 | 25 | 8 | 12 | 71 | 47 | +24 | 83 |
| 4 | West Bromwich Albion | 45 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 86 | 59 | +27 | 80 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 45 | 20 | 16 | 9 | 81 | 59 | +22 | 76 |
| 6 | Derby County | 44 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 65 | 52 | +13 | 70 |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | 45 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 47 | 40 | +7 | 70 |
| 8 | Bristol City | 45 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 69 |
NORWICH CITY and Sheffield United will fight it out for the Championship title on the final day after both clubs won promotion to the Premier League on the penultimate weekend of the season.
Daniel Farke's Norwich - on 91 points - are in pole position after beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1 to seal their return to the top flight on Saturday night.
But, although the Blades - who had earlier won 2-0 against bottom side Ipswich Town - are three points behind the Canaries, they hold a slightly superior goal difference.
Chris Wilder's Sheff United had their return to the Premier League confirmed on Sunday after third-placed Leeds United dropped points in a controversial 1-1 draw against fifth-placed Aston Villa.
The draw at Elland Road brought to an end Villa's incredible run of 10 consecutive wins which has seen Dean Smith's men surge from drifting in a mid-table position to a playoff place.
It means, of course, the Villans could yet meet Leeds again in the playoffs in the coming weeks.
First, though, Villa are most likely to meet West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion in the semi finals.
The Baggies are looking for an immediate return to the Premier League - but, while Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez have flourished in attack, a leaky defence has continued to be their downfall.
Leeds, West Brom and Villa then are assured of a playoff spot but sixth place remains up for grabs.
Undoubtedly, the strong favourites are Frank Lampard's Derby County as they enjoy a superior goal difference to seventh-placed Middlesbrough and also have a game in hand tomorrow at Swansea City.
But, if there is a slip-up or two from the Rams, Boro will fancy their chances against Rotherham United on the final day.
Meanwhile, Bristol City, on 69 points after victory in their game in hand at Millwall tonight, could yet steal sixth with last-day victory at Hull City.
For all of the bottom three of the Championship, however, there is now not even slim hope anymore as defeat at West Brom on Saturday meant Rotherham joined Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich in being relegated
Matters are particularly worrying at Bolton where the players - having reportedly not been paid in months - understandably lost their patience with the board and refused to fulfil their fixture at the weekend against Brentford.
Finally, at the bottom, Ipswich must come to terms with the the prospect of third-tier football for the first time in 62 years following a desperate campaign which has featured only four wins.
Relegation also brought to an end an unbroken spell of 17 years that the Tractor Boys have been in the Championship.
| 20 | Reading | 45 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 49 | 66 | -17 | 46 |
| 21 | Millwall | 45 | 10 | 14 | 21 | 48 | 63 | -15 | 44 |
| R | Rotherham United | 45 | 8 | 16 | 21 | 51 | 81 | -30 | 40 |
| R | Bolton Wanderers | 44 | 8 | 8 | 28 | 29 | 76 | -47 | 32 |
| R | Ipswich Town | 45 | 4 | 16 | 25 | 33 | 75 | -42 | 28 |
⚽️
| League One | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| P | Luton Town | 45 | 26 | 13 | 6 | 87 | 41 | +46 | 91 |
| P | Barnsley | 45 | 26 | 13 | 6 | 79 | 37 | +42 | 91 |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 45 | 25 | 12 | 8 | 82 | 50 | +32 | 87 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 45 | 22 | 19 | 4 | 79 | 45 | +34 | 85 |
| 5 | Charlton Athletic | 45 | 25 | 10 | 10 | 69 | 40 | +29 | 85 |
| 6 | Doncaster Rovers | 45 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 74 | 58 | +16 | 70 |
| 7 | Peterborough United | 45 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 68 | 61 | +6 | 69 |
| 8 | Coventry City | 45 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 54 | 52 | +2 | 65 |
LUTON TOWN and Barnsley celebrated promotion to the Championship without kicking a ball tonight after their nearest rivals Portsmouth and Sunderland both lost their midweek games in hand.
Third-placed Porsmouth lost 3-2 at home to Peterborough United who kept alive their own playoff hopes while Sunderland were humbled 2-1 at Fleetwood Town.
Those results leave Pompey four points adrift and the Black Cats six points adrift of the top two who will fight it out for the title on the final day.
Luton - who were only just promoted from League Two last season - have a goal difference advantage and face Oxford United.
By contrast, Barnsley are making an immediate return to the second tier - and the Tykes travel to Bristol Rovers.
Portsmouth, Sunderland and Charlton Athletic are all now confirmed as in the playoffs with the last place to be taken by either Doncaster Rovers or Peterborough.
Between them, the equation is fairly simple - Donny boast the superior goal difference so Posh must beat Burton Albion and hope Rovers fail to win against Coventry City.
But, at the bottom, it is tighter still. At one stage, the relegation battle involved no less than half of the division - and, even now, there are still few worried teams.
Four of them - Southend United, Plymouth, Walsall, and Scunthorpe United - are separated by just one point, with three of them likely to be going down alongside Bradford City.
Certainly, any loser in the Plymouth-Scunthorpe match at Home Park will be relegated - and a draw could leave both teams in trouble depending on how Southend and Walsall get on against Sunderland and Shrewsbury Town.
A decent goal difference means Wycombe Wanderers appear to have done enough regardless - while AFC Wimbledon will be able to say the same with any sort of result at rock-bottom Bradford.
That represents quite a recovery by the Dons who were bottom themselves just a few weeks ago having won just three games between the end of September and February.
But, in the end, the weakest side in League One this term were clearly Bradford.
The Bantams sank to the bottom in the spring amid a sequence of seven successive losses which culminated in relegation in mid-April following defeat at Coventry.
| 18 | Wycombe Wanderers | 45 | 13 | 11 | 21 | 54 | 67 | -13 | 50 |
| 19 | AFC Wimbledon | 45 | 13 | 10 | 22 | 42 | 63 | -21 | 49 |
| 20 | Southend United | 45 | 13 | 8 | 24 | 53 | 67 | -14 | 47 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 45 | 12 | 11 | 22 | 53 | 78 | -25 | 47 |
| 22 | Walsall | 45 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 49 | 71 | -22 | 46 |
| 23 | Scunthorpe United | 45 | 12 | 10 | 23 | 51 | 80 | -29 | 46 |
| R | Bradford City | 45 | 11 | 7 | 27 | 49 | 77 | -28 | 40 |
⚽️
| League Two | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| C | Lincoln City | 45 | 23 | 16 | 6 | 73 | 40 | +33 | 85 |
| P | Bury | 45 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 81 | 55 | +26 | 78 |
| 3 | Mansfield Town | 45 | 20 | 16 | 9 | 69 | 40 | +29 | 76 |
| 4 | Milton Keynes Dons | 45 | 22 | 10 | 13 | 70 | 49 | +21 | 76 |
| 5 | Forest Green Rovers | 45 | 20 | 13 | 12 | 68 | 47 | +21 | 73 |
| 6 | Tranmere Rovers | 45 | 20 | 13 | 12 | 62 | 47 | +15 | 73 |
| 7 | Newport County | 45 | 20 | 10 | 15 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 70 |
| 8 | Exeter City | 45 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 60 | 49 | +11 | 69 |
| 9 | Colchester United | 45 | 19 | 10 | 16 | 62 | 53 | +9 | 67 |
| 10 | Carlisle United | 45 | 20 | 7 | 18 | 67 | 62 | +5 | 67 |
| 11 | Stevenage | 45 | 19 | 10 | 16 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 67 |
LINCOLN CITY's remarkable recent journey enjoyed another landmark moment at the weekend as the Imps became League Two champions in only their second season back in the Football League.
Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Lincoln have won the National League, reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup, won the Football League Trophy, and have now won League Two.
So, it would be fair to say then that the manager responsible for all of the success - Danny Cowley - will be a club legend at Sincil Bank, whatever happens from now on.
Joining Lincoln in League One are Bury after the Shakers took the point they needed from their game in hand tonight at Tranmere Rovers.
Oddly, it looks as if the Shakers can still be caught as they are just two points ahead of both Mansfield Town and Milton Keynes Dons.
However, the Stags and Milton Keynes face each other at Stadium MK on Saturday afternoon in what is effectively a one-off playoff for the remaining automatic promotion place.
To their immense credit, Forest Green Rovers will compete in the playoffs in just their second Football League season, and they will be joined there by Tranmere who they beat in the 2017 National League playoff final.
Meanwhile, the last playoff place remains very much up for grabs. Newport County currently occupy seventh place on 70 points after winning their game in hand tonight against Oldham Athletic to jump all the way up from 11th.
Exeter City are just a point behind in eighth and there is a trio of teams - Colchester United, Carlisle United and Stevenage - who still have a chance on 67 points due to Newport's relatively poor goal difference.
Interestingly, none of the five teams faces another so it really is total guesswork who will finish in that coveted seventh spot at 5pm on Saturday.
By contrast, the fate of Yeovil Town has already been sealed after the Glovers were relegated from the Football League following an eventful 16-year stay which saw the Somerset club venture as high as the Championship for a single season in 2013-14.
The other place remains undecided but is between two clubs only.
Macclesfield Town are aiming to avoid an immediate return to the National League - and, conversely, Notts County are attempting to defend their status as the oldest club in the Football League.
The Silkmen - who face Cambridge United at home on the last day - hold a two-point advantage and also have a much better goal difference than Notts who therefore know nothing but three points at Swindon Town will do.
Even then, though, it is might not be enough for the Magpies.
| 21 | Cambridge United | 45 | 12 | 10 | 23 | 39 | 65 | -26 | 46 |
| 22 | Macclesfield Town | 45 | 10 | 13 | 22 | 47 | 73 | -26 | 43 |
| 23 | Notts County | 45 | 9 | 14 | 22 | 47 | 81 | -34 | 41 |
| R | Yeovil Town | 45 | 9 | 12 | 24 | 41 | 66 | -25 | 39 |
⚽️
| National League | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| C | Leyton Orient | 46 | 25 | 14 | 7 | 73 | 35 | +38 | 89 |
| 2 | Solihull Moors | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 73 | 43 | +30 | 86 |
| 3 | Salford City | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 77 | 45 | +32 | 85 |
| 4 | Wrexham | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 58 | 39 | +19 | 84 |
| 5 | AFC Fylde | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 72 | 41 | +31 | 81 |
| 6 | Harrogate Town | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 78 | 57 | +21 | 74 |
| 7 | Eastleigh | 46 | 22 | 8 | 16 | 62 | 63 | -1 | 74 |
| 8 | Ebbsfleet United | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 67 |
LEYTON ORIENT returned to the Football League after Justin Edinburgh's impressive rebuilding job at the previously ailing east London club.
The Os had to settle for a 0-0 draw against relegated Braintree Town at Brisbane Road on Saturday.
But both of Orient's rivals, Solihull Moors and Salford City, also failed to win their final match of the regular season which meant Edinburgh's men were in no danger of losing their place at the summit.
Surprise package Solihull and big-spending Salford now move onto the playoff semi finals, with their opponents determined in matches between the four teams immediately below them.
Thus, Solihull will play for a place in the final against the winner of AFC Fylde v Harrogate Town while Salford will host the winner of Wrexham v Eastleigh.
Additionally, those initial one-off eliminators are also held at the ground of the team which finished highest - that is, Wrexham and Fylde respectively.
While the season continues for some teams, though, it has long been over for the relegated bottom four of the National League.
Braintree were first to go down on 30 March - although they have improved their form since then.
Meanwhile, Maidstone United, Havant & Waterlooville, and Aldershot swiftly followed, with none of the four teams coming close to matching the points total of fifth-bottom Boreham Wood.
Bizarrely, Braintree may yet be forced to play in the National League North next season due to the propensity of southern-based sides in the sixth tier following the relegation of four southern teams this year.
For, as usual, the foursome will be replaced by two teams from the North and two from South, with the identity of two of those clubs already now known.
Former Football League clubs Stockport County and Torquay United took their first big steps to regaining their place in the 92 by winning their respective North and South divisions.
Otherwise,
the remaining two places will be decided within the next couple of
weeks using the same playoff format as that employed by the top tier in
the non-league pyramid.
| 20 | Boreham Wood | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 53 | 65 | -12 | 52 |
| R | Aldershot Town | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 38 | 67 | -29 | 44 |
| R | Braintree Town | 46 | 11 | 8 | 27 | 48 | 78 | -30 | 41 |
| R | Havant & Waterlooville | 46 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 62 | 84 | -22 | 40 |
| R | Maidstone United | 46 | 9 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 82 | -45 | 34 |
