| Premier League | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Manchester City | 33 | 25 | 4 | 4 | 87 | 30 | +57 | 79 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 34 | 24 | 4 | 6 | 81 | 39 | +42 | 78 |
| 3 | Newcastle United | 33 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 61 | 27 | +34 | 65 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 33 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 49 | 40 | +9 | 63 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 34 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 66 | 42 | +24 | 59 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 62 | 40 | +22 | 55 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 63 | 57 | +6 | 54 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 34 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 46 | 42 | +4 | 54 |
ERLING HAALAND broke the Premier League record for number of goals in a single season as Manchester City returned top with a 3-0 win over West Ham United on Wednesday.
Haaland's sublime chip over Lukasz Fabianski took him on to 35, one clear of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, whose 34-goal tallies had come in a 42-match campaign.
The Norwegian is now on 51 in all competitions, 12 behind Dixie Dean's all-time English record, with a potential nine games still to play as Man City seek a Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble.
Arsenal had kept up the pressure by beating Chelsea easily at the Emirates on Tuesday - but, having led the title race by eight points on 1 April, a recent winless run has taken it out of their hands.
The Gunners gave away 2-0 leads in successive away draws at West Ham and Liverpool before having to rescue a point at home from 3-1 down late on against Southampton.
All of that came ahead of the clash between the top two at the Etihad Stadium in which Haaland twice turned provider for Kevin De Bruyne as Man City prevailed 4-1 on 26 April.
Man City subsequently went top by beating Fulham 2-1 - and Pep Guardiola's men enjoy a one-point lead, a significant goal difference advantage, and still have a game in hand.
Behind the top two, this season's two League Cup finalists - Newcastle United and Manchester United - currently sit in the remaining Champions League spots, with the Red Devils having won the Final 2-0 at Wembley.
Newcastle, in third, have responded well since that League Cup Final defeat by going on a fantastic run of league form, winning eight of the last nine games.
Indeed, Eddie Howe's men now have the Champions League in sight - at most, it is mathematically only eight points away.
So, certainly, this campaign for the Magpies is in a sharp contrast to the last one when Howe had to rescue a Steve Bruce-trashed side which were placed in 19th on three points upon Bruce's departure in October 2021.
On the subject of contrasts, Man United - who beat Brighton & Hove Albion to reach the FA Cup Final against Man City - are making hard work of their Premier League run-in.
Erik Ten Haag's team have stumbled recently in a draw away at Tottenham Hotspur and a league defeat last night to Brighton.
Nevertheless, they will no doubt back themselves in a campaign during which has been fought on several fronts.
Their eternal rivals Liverpool, in fifth, have had an admittedly disappointing campaign - but remain in contention for a top four placing after making it five wins in a row by beating Fulham 1-0 on Wednesday.
The Reds will also start favourites in each of their remaining four fixtures - but even their best spell of results this season still leaves Jurgen Klopp's men four points adrift having played a game more.
It has now worked out that the teams in fifth and sixth place will qualify for the Europa League while seventh place will be enough for the Europa Conference League.
This is because both Manchester clubs are guaranteed to finish in the European places and win both domestic cup competitions.
Brighton last night jumped into sixth following a dramatic win last night in the ninth minute of stoppage time as Alexis MacAllister kept his cool to thump in a penalty following Luke Shaw's injudicious handball.
The Seagulls have had an especially fine campaign, particularly considering the disruption which could have been caused when Chelsea nabbed Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi arrived midway through the season.
Now, the south coast club still have a backlog of fixtures due to their run to the FA Cup semi finals - and De Zerbi's outfit could finish higher than their present position by using their games in hand.
However, a full assault on the top four looks beyond them, given the severity of their fixtures which include both of the top two.
Tottenham and Aston Villa currently occupy seventh and eighth and face each other at Villa Park on 13 May.
But, regardless of the result of that match, it is surely too late for either side to make it into the top four, particularly Spurs who have lost their way completely at the tail end of this campaign.
The North London club were 5-0 down at Newcastle in 21 minutes in an extraordinary collapse which cost Cristian Stellini his job.
Stellini himself had replaced Antonio Conte after the multiple champion had delivered a spectacular rant against the club's ownership and "selfish" players following a 3-3 draw at Southampton.
Yet, within the first 15 minutes of the first game under new caretaker Ryan Mason against Liverpool at Anfield last Sunday, Spurs were 3-0 down again.
This time, in fairness, Spurs battled back to 3-3, but they still then lost to a last-gasp goal.
Meanwhile, Villa have been hamstrung by a poor start to the season and have been far better since Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as head coach at the start of November.
However, as Gerrard left the Villains down in 17th place with just nine points, it is an achievement in itself that Emery's men are even in the conversation.
Some teams struggle for the whole season, though - and Southampton have been stuck in the relegation zone since November and have now been cut somewhat adrift of the other stragglers.
Presently, the Saints - with only six league wins all season - must win three of their last four games to stand any chance of survival.
But, with the number of teams involved above them taken into account, it is a distinct possibility that even maximum points may not be enough.
Second-bottom Everton have also only won six league games this season - and, having secured safety last year with just one match to spare, it looks likely to be an even closer call this time around.
For a start, the Toffees, on 29 points, must make up a point on at least two of the three clubs above them over the last four games. Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Leicester City are all on 30 points.
Forest currently occupy the remaining relegation spot with a rather rotten goal difference of -32 following a difficult start in which a whole slew of new signings struggled to adapt.
Steady improvement followed but a run since February of just one win and three draws in 12 matches has sunk Steve Cooper's battlers back into trouble ahead of a vital game on Monday against Southampton.
Elsewhere, Leeds have suffered severe damage in their goals against column in their more recent matches.
In the month of April alone, the Yorkshire side shipped four goals to Arsenal, five to Crystal Palace, six to Liverpool, and four again to Bournemouth - and the last of those defeats spelled the end of Javi Gracia's short tenure at Elland Road.
The unmistakable Jabba the Hutt-like figure of Sam Allardyce has arrived as the Whites' white knight - but, with three of their last four fixtures coming against teams currently in the top six, he has his work cut out with a squad so low on confidence.
Leicester - who won the Premier League in 2016 and the FA Cup just two years ago - are, on the face of it, surprise relegation candidates.
However, poor transfer business has left the Foxes notably weaker at the back this season - and a slow start was compounded by a more recent run of just one point out of 27 during which the club dispensed of the services of Brendan Rodgers.
In such a tight battle, though, Leicester's comparatively favourable goal difference of -13 might yet be the decisive factor and new man Dean Smith will need to protect it.
West Ham also have the same goal difference of -13 and David Moyes's men have four more points to boot - but, following successive top seven finishes, this season must be regarded as something of a disappointment.
Indeed, despite the coming distraction of a Europa Conference League semi final, the Hammers are still be looking for another Premier League win to secure their place in the top flight for next season.
After all, the Londoners will want to avoid it from getting too nervous ahead of their final day fixture - which happens to be away at Leicester.
| 15 | West Ham United | 34 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 37 | 50 | -13 | 34 |
| 16 | Leicester City | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 46 | 59 | -13 | 30 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 43 | 67 | -24 | 30 |
| 18 | Nottingham Forest | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 30 | 62 | -32 | 30 |
| 19 | Everton | 34 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 27 | 52 | -25 | 29 |
| 20 | Southampton | 34 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 60 | -32 | 24 |
<⚽️>
| Championship | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| C | Burnley | 45 | 28 | 14 | 3 | 84 | 35 | +49 | 98 |
| P | Sheffield United | 45 | 27 | 7 | 11 | 71 | 38 | +33 | 88 |
| 3 | Luton Town | 45 | 21 | 16 | 8 | 57 | 39 | +18 | 79 |
| 4 | Middlesbrough | 45 | 22 | 8 | 15 | 83 | 55 | +28 | 74 |
| 5 | Coventry City | 45 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 69 |
| 6 | Millwall | 45 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 54 | 46 | +8 | 68 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 45 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 65 | 55 | +10 | 66 |
| 8 | West Bromwich Albion | 45 | 18 | 12 | 15 | 57 | 50 | +7 | 66 |
| 9 | Blackburn Rovers | 45 | 19 | 9 | 17 | 48 | 51 | -3 | 66 |
BURNLEY made an immediate return to the Premier League with a record seven games to spare as Vincent Kompany's team completely dominated the Championship.
The Clarets equalled the Championship record of 10 consecutive wins by taking three points from every league fixture between mid-November and mid-February.
And, following a Nathan Tella hat-trick in a 3-0 home win over Preston North End at the end of that sequence, Vincent Kompany's men were 17 points clear of third place with a game in hand.
Still, the unbeaten run went on beyond that and promotion was secured with a 2-0 win over second-placed Sheffield United at Turf Moor on Easter Monday.
There followed an uncharacteristic sequence of two points from nine which prevented a possible tilt at several outright Championship records.
Nevertheless, this merely allowed Burnley to wrap up the title in delicious fashion in the East Lancashire derby against Blackburn Rovers away at Ewood Park.
Manuel Benson delivered the decisive blow with a superb strike in a 1-0 win as Burnley were able to celebrate in style.
For their part, Sheffield United also make a fairly swift return to top-flight action after keeping the length of their absence down to just two seasons.
It looked as if the Blades might be wobbling when they lost four league games out of six between mid-February and mid-March.
But, in truth, Paul Heckingbottom's men maintained a clear gap to their most prominent chasers, Luton Town and Middlesbrough, and complimented their Championship form with an impressive run to the FA Cup semi finals.
Once that pleasant distraction ended in a respectable 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, the Yorkshire side got over the line with room to spare with a 2-0 home win against West Bromwich Albion.
Consequently, the Hatters and Boro must content themselves with a playoff spot - although at least they have avoided the complete dog-fight immediately behind them.
No fewer than five teams head into the final day with hopes of extending their season by finishing in fifth or sixth - and, until last week, the whole of the rest of the top half of the division were in with a shout.
Currently, Coventry City and Millwall sit in the box seats on 69 and 68 points respectively - but the Sky Blues finish the regular season away to a Boro side whose only home league defeat since October came against Burnley.
Meanwhile, the Lions face Blackburn who kept their top six chances alive on Monday with Hayden Carter's late equaliser against Luton.
Indeed, Sunderland, West Brom and Blackburn - all on 66 points - are the teams looking to gatecrash the top six with variable goal differences of +10, +7 and -3 respectively.
To stand any chance, though, they each must win their respective away fixtures against Preston, Swansea City and Millwall.
Meanwhile, matters at the bottom end of the division have now completely resolved themselves over the past week.
The bottom three - Reading, Blackpool and Wigan Athletic - have been relegated with the Tangerines first to go following a 3-2 home defeat to Millwall last Friday night.
Wigan's immediate return to the third tier was confirmed when a stoppage-time by Yakou Meite equaliser for Reading ensured the Latics would be prevented from taking their struggle into the final day.
Ultimately, though, even a win would not have been enough as third-bottom Reading were also relegated last night after 74-year-old Neil Warnock notched up another impressive achievement in his 36-year Football League managerial career.
Huddersfield Town were 23rd when Warnock took charge - but five wins and two draws from the last eight games, including a 1-0 success over Sheffield United last night, have lifted the West Yorkshire club all the way up to 18th.
It also means that Reading return to the third tier for the first time since 2002 - and their supporters can hold their board directly responsible.
On 4 April, the Royals agreed to accept a six-point deduction for failing to satisfy a business plan agreed after a historical breach of the Football League Profit and Sustainability limits.
And now there can be no doubt that those minus points have been a determining factor over whether the Berkshire club had any sort of chance on the final day.
| 18 | Huddersfield Town | 45 | 13 | 11 | 21 | 45 | 62 | -17 | 50 |
| 19 | Queens Park Rangers | 45 | 13 | 11 | 21 | 44 | 69 | -25 | 50 |
| 20 | Rotherham United | 45 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 49 | 60 | -11 | 49 |
| 21 | Cardiff City | 45 | 13 | 10 | 22 | 41 | 55 | -14 | 49 |
| R | *Reading | 45 | 13 | 11 | 21 | 46 | 66 | -20 | 44 |
| R | Blackpool | 45 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 47 | 72 | -25 | 41 |
| R | **Wigan Athletic | 45 | 10 | 14 | 21 | 38 | 65 | -27 | 41 |
* Reading were deducted 6 points for breaching an EFL business plan
** Wigan Athletic were deducted 3 points for failing to pay players and staff on time
<⚽️>
| League One | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| P | Plymouth Argyle | 45 | 30 | 8 | 7 | 79 | 46 | +33 | 98 |
| P | Ipswich Town | 45 | 28 | 13 | 4 | 99 | 33 | +66 | 97 |
| 3 | Sheffield Wednesday | 45 | 27 | 12 | 6 | 80 | 37 | +43 | 93 |
| 4 | Barnsley | 45 | 26 | 8 | 11 | 80 | 45 | +35 | 86 |
| 5 | Bolton Wanderers | 45 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 59 | 34 | +25 | 78 |
| 6 | Derby County | 45 | 21 | 13 | 11 | 67 | 45 | +22 | 76 |
| 7 | Peterborough United | 45 | 23 | 5 | 17 | 73 | 54 | +19 | 67 |
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE and Ipswich Town left Sheffield Wednesday stranded in the ultra-competitive League One promotion race.
The Pilgrims remained top of the standings on 98 points following a 1-0 win over Burton Albion last weekend - while Ipswich, on 97, thrashed Exeter City 6-0.
Kieran McKenna's men were 5-0 at half time as his Tractor Boys made it 37 points from 39 since mid-February - and extended their League One-high tally to 99 goals.
The East Anglia outfit also beat Charlton Athletic 6-0 earlier in April, won 4-0 on four occasions at Portman Road, and 3-0 on seven occasions.
Yet, in order to become champions, they must get a better result at Fleetwood Town than Plymouth on the final day.
That is because Argyle still hold pole position in the title race having survived a mini-wobble in taking just seven points out of 15 in February.
Since then, though, Steven Schumacher's men have won seven out of eight - and the Devon club will be the cream of the crop for certain by beating Port Vale.
At one stage, it looked like Sheffield Wednesday might take advantage of the nerves shown by Plymouth - and, indeed, the Hillsborough club went top following a 23-match unbeaten run which included a sequence of 34 points out of 36.
But it was followed by a run of just one win in eight at the worst possible time - and, instead, the Owls must try their best in the playoffs having lost at that stage to Sunderland this time last year.
Also assured of the playoffs are Wednesday's South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley, as well as Bolton Wanderers - and the final place will be taken by Derby County or Peterborough United.
The Rams hold a two-point advantage and have a slightly better goal difference by three goals ahead of their final day fixture against Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Posh must win away at Barnsley to stand any chance of overhauling the East Midlands club who are spending their first season at this level since 1985-86.
At the bottom, already-relegated Forest Green Rovers have been well adrift of safety for some time - and they will surely be joined by Accrington Stanley.
Accrington not only need to beat Oxford United on the final day but must overturn a significant goal difference deficit on all three of the teams above them and hope that none gets even so much as a point.
Those three other teams still in trouble are Milton Keynes, Cambridge United and Morecambe, with MK currently the only side above the drop zone on goal difference.
That position means a win for MK away at Burton will almost certainly keep them out of the bottom four at the end of the season unless Morecambe beat Exeter by eight more goals.
Finally, Cambridge, who host Duncan Ferguson's Forest Green, are in the worst position of the trio. Mark Bonner's men are a point adrift of MK and Morecambe so will need to win to stand any chance of overhauling both for survival.
| 19 | Oxford United | 45 | 11 | 14 | 20 | 48 | 54 | -6 | 47 |
| 20 | Milton Keynes Dons | 45 | 11 | 11 | 23 | 44 | 66 | -22 | 44 |
| 21 | Morecambe | 45 | 10 | 14 | 21 | 45 | 75 | -30 | 44 |
| 22 | Cambridge United | 45 | 12 | 7 | 26 | 39 | 68 | -29 | 43 |
| 23 | Accrington Stanley | 45 | 10 | 11 | 24 | 38 | 76 | -38 | 41 |
| R | Forest Green Rovers | 45 | 6 | 9 | 30 | 31 | 87 | -56 | 27 |
<⚽️>
| League Two | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| C | Leyton Orient | 45 | 26 | 12 | 7 | 60 | 33 | +27 | 90 |
| P | Stevenage | 45 | 23 | 13 | 9 | 60 | 39 | +21 | 82 |
| 3 | Northampton Town | 45 | 22 | 14 | 9 | 61 | 42 | +19 | 80 |
| 4 | Stockport County | 45 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 64 | 36 | +28 | 78 |
| 5 | Carlisle United | 45 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 65 | 42 | +23 | 75 |
| 6 | Salford City | 45 | 22 | 9 | 14 | 72 | 53 | +19 | 75 |
| 7 | Bradford City | 45 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 60 | 42 | +18 | 75 |
| 8 | Mansfield Town | 45 | 20 | 12 | 13 | 70 | 55 | +15 | 72 |
LONG-TIME leaders Leyton Orient took advantage of a strong start to return to League One for the first time since 2014-15 as deserved champions.
The Os sealed promotion back on 18 April despite losing 2-0 to Gillingham - and followed that up by beating Crewe Alexandra at home by the same scoreline to lift the title in E10.
Orient took 28 points out of the first 30 to set up their promotion charge before also going unbeaten for 12 games between the start of February and mid-April.
And, impressively, Richie Wellens's men have been top since October.
Stevenage join the Os in the third tier for the first time since 2013-14 with promotion coming only 12 months after the Hertfordshire outfit finished fourth-bottom of the Football League.
Additionally, the Boro earned a famous FA Cup comeback win away to Aston Villa in the third round in January with two goals in the last two minutes.
Certainly, it has been a fine season for manager Steve Evans and his men as he notches up another success to his chequered CV.
The third automatic promotion place remains up for grabs - and, for Northampton Town, there is an unavoidable dreaded feeling of deja vu at Sixfields.
Just like last season, the Cobblers are in third place heading into the final day - but, it all went wrong in 2021-22 despite victory over Barrow as Bristol Rovers overcame a goal difference deficit by beating relegated Scunthorpe United 7-0.
This time, Northampton hold a two-point advantage - but anything short of victory on the final day against Tranmere Rovers will allow Stockport County with a chance of avoiding the chaos of the playoffs by beating relegated Hartlepool United.
Northampton or Stockport are at least assured of a place in the top seven - while Carlisle United, Salford City and Bradford City look likely to take the remaining playoff spots.
The Cumbians travel to Sutton United, Salford host Gillingham and Bradford host Orient, all aware that a point will be good enough to maintain a chance of promotion.
Even then, defeat for either side might not matter as the only team which can take advantage are Mansfield Town - and the Stags must win at Colchester United while also making up a goal difference deficit.
At the other end of the table, rock-bottom Rochdale have dropped out of the Football League alongside Hartlepool, despite both of them winning last Saturday.
Hartlepool are no strangers to the National League having already spent four seasons at that level between 2016-17 and 2021-22 - and Crawley Town's upturn in form meant perennial strugglers Pools left it too late for survival this time.
Rochdale, though, have rather momentously lost League status for the first time for 102 years - and join an ever-growing graveyard of Greater Manchester-based clubs.
Bury and Macclesfield Town briefly disappeared off the football map altogether - while Oldham Athletic, Bolton Wanderers and Stockport have come perilously close to following them over the cliff edge.
But, if there is any hope for Rochdale and indeed any other clubs currently in turmoil, it comes from Stockport.
The Hatters have a chance of League One football having recently been out of the Football League for 11 years including a period of six seasons in the sixth-tier National League North.
| 22 | Crawley Town | 45 | 11 | 13 | 21 | 47 | 69 | -22 | 46 |
| R | Hartlepool United | 45 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 51 | 77 | -26 | 42 |
| R | Rochdale | 45 | 9 | 10 | 26 | 45 | 69 | -24 | 37 |
<⚽️>
No comments:
Post a Comment