Premier League
Table
CHELSEA moved within just three points of clinching the title after coming back to win 3-1 at relegation-threatened Leicester City last night.
Veteran Didier Drogba and skipper John Terry scored to overturn the Foxes' lead given to them in first half stoppage time by Marc Albrighton.
And, then with 10 minutes remaining, Ramires sealed the win with a bullet of a strike to put the Blues onto 80 points, 13 clear of their nearest rivals Manchester City and Arsenal.
Earlier this week, Chelsea openly celebrated a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium against the Gunners while being criticised by the home fans for being "boring, boring Chelsea".
But, manager Jose Mourinho - who stands in line to win a third Premier League title with a home win over Crystal Palace on Sunday -
defended his team.
"I think boring is 10 years without a title - that's boring," he said. "If you
support a club and you wait, wait, wait for so many years without a
Premier League title, then that's boring."
History tends to be written by the winners and Chelsea deserve credit for their ruthless efficiency. For most of their rivals, though, this has not been a particularly memorable season.
Arsenal, at least, are favourites to retain the FA Cup in the Final on 30 May against Aston Villa - but, despite the signing last summer of £35m Chilean Alexis Sanchez, yet more injuries have meant a sustained title challenge has not followed.
Manchester City, meanwhile, will be especially disappointed by failing to defend their crown for a second time in recent years - and for failing to have put up much of a fight this time either.
Recent away defeats at Burnley and Crystal Palace, and a 4-2 reverse against Manchester United at Old Trafford confirmed the blue half of Manchester will be trophyless, and Manuel Pellegrini's future
looks nothing if uncertain.
Manchester United, currently fourth, will also fail to pick up anything - for the second successive season.
Nevertheless, a sequence between the end of February and start of April of six consecutive wins suggested Louis Van Gaal had made more progress than his predecessor David Moyes.
Indeed, the Red Devils look almost certain to be back in the Champions League next season after the failings of Liverpool at the start and end of this campaign.
The Reds had suffered more defeats by Christmas than in the whole of 2013-14 and, although this was followed by a 13-match unbeaten run, three league defeats in the last five and a Cup semi final loss to Villa have
left manager Brendan Rodgers in trouble.
Liverpool are still fifth for now, level on 58 points with Tottenham Hotspur whose recent form has also been a bit patchy.
Southampton remain just a point behind and, with a far superior goal difference to either Liverpool or Spurs, a seventh-placed finish is the least they deserve from a more than decent effort.
At the bottom, though, it is now beginning to look a bit bleak for Burnley, the Clarets having lost their shooting boots at the worst possible time.
Main striker Danny Ings has failed to find the net since February - but no one else is helping out either. Burnley have scored just once in the last eight games, and are now five points adrift of safety.
Queens Park Rangers are only a point better off and surely need something from their next two games, both of which were away - against Liverpool and Man City.
But, while it would be a surprise if Burnley and Queens Park Rangers escaped, the last relegation spot has turned into a bun fight.
Sunderland currently occupy the dreaded third-from-bottom placing, on 30 points, having won only five times all season - although two of these victories came in the Tyne-Wear derby over Newcastle United.
Relegation jitters are consequently also being felt on Tyneside too. Seemingly safe having reached 35 points at the end of February, the Magpies have sunk to seven consecutive defeats under caretaker manager John Carver, the club's worst run since 1977.
Meanwhile, between the two north east sides, Leicester (31 points), Villa (32), and Hull City (34) have all showed signs of picking up their form.
Prior to their defeat to Chelsea, Leicester had won as many league matches in three weeks - four - as they had in the previous eight months.
And Villa, under Tim Sherwood, won at White Hart Lane and then reached the FA Cup Final with a Christian Benteke-inspired comeback win over Liverpool in the semi.
Finally, by also finding success against Liverpool on Tuesday, Hull recorded back-to-back victories for only the second time this season.
For now, of course, they all remain in trouble and need at least a win - but the spectre of relegation seems to be hanging over the north east more than anywhere else at the moment.
The Championship
Table
WATFORD sealed a place in the Premier League - and so, effectively, did Bournemouth too - after a dramatic penultimate weekend in the Championship.
First, the Hornets won 2-0 away at Brighton & Hove Albion in an early kick-off for their fifth win in a row.
And then they could only sit back and smile as chasers Middlesbrough and Norwich City both failed to follow the leader in the afternoon 3pm kick-offs.
Boro's failure was particularly bizarre. Level at 3-3 against Fulham, having been 2-0 and 3-1 down, manager Aitor Karanka allowed his goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos to go up for a corner.
Fulham dealt with the set-piece, cleared the ball, and seconds later had a 4-3 win as Ross McCormack completed a hat-trick by slotting into an empty net.
A point would have kept Boro in with a shout of automatic promotion on the last day.
But, in going for glory, they have effectively condemned themselves to the playoffs along with Norwich, and two of Ipswich Town, Derby County, Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Ipswich, sitting on 78 points, hold pole position in that race - but must travel to Blackburn Rovers on the last day on which all the kick-offs are set to 12.15pm on Saturday.
Otherwise, the contenders are all at home with Derby, on 77 points, hosting Reading, while the other two teams - Brentford and Wolves, both on 75 points - face relegated pair Wigan Athletic and Millwall.
Of course, Boro's Greek tragedy only ensued because Bournemouth then won easily against Bolton Wanderers on Monday night.
The 3-0 win at Dean Court was as convincing as it sounds, as the Cherries put a cherry on top of an excellent season and
a fairytale rise with three stylish goals from Marc Pugh, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson.
Mathematically, Eddie Howe's men could still be caught by their Teesside rivals - but their three-point lead is backed up by a hefty goal difference of +50, compared to Boro's +31.
It is simply not going to happen - and perhaps attention instead can be turned towards the Championship title - as Watford, at home to Sheffield Wednesday, defend a one-point lead over Bournemouth who travel to Charlton Athletic.
Elsewhere, the other midweek match this week saw Rotherham United secure their Championship safety with a 2-1 win at home to Reading.
That safety had been placed in doubt after the Millers
were given a three-point deduction, subject to appeal, for fielding an ineligible player in a 1-0 win over Brighton.
But goals from Matt Derbyshire and Lee Frecklington instead condemned Wigan and Millwall to the third tier regardless of what happens.
It has been a spectacular fall from grace, in particular, for the Latics, their downfall coming less than two years since they won the FA Cup against Manchester City at Wembley.
Meanwhile, Blackpool will remain rooted to the bottom, having won only four times in 48 league and cup games all season.
The Tangerines were relegated as early as Easter Monday, and still require a win on the last day at home to Huddersfield Town to avoid becoming the worst side ever to play in a 24-team second tier.
Amid further, completely justifiable, fan unrest following
the removal of the statue of the legendary Stan Mortensen by chairman Karl Oyston, that would seem unlikely.
And so the halcyon days of the Premier League - only four years ago - must feel like another era altogether at Bloomfield Road.
League One
Table
BRISTOL CITY completed an excellent league and cup double this season after adding the League One title to their win at Wembley in the final of the Football League Trophy.
The Robins gained promotion in style - with a 6-0 away thrashing of FA Cup giant-killers Bradford City - before sealing the championship with a point in a 0-0 draw against Coventry City.
Earlier, in March, Steve Cotterill's men
won the Football League Trophy for a record third time with a 2-0 win over Walsall after goals in the first half hour from Aden Flint and Mark Little.
But, while Bristol City have been ultimately dominant in their triumphs at this level, the second automatic promotion place is still very much up for grabs.
Heading into the last day, Preston North End hold a one-point advantage over Milton Keynes Dons but the Dons have a far superior goal difference.
Preston also host Colchester United - in the relegation zone but still scrapping for their lives - while Milton Keynes are at home to already-relegated rock-bottom Yeovil Town.
Can the Lilywhites hold their nerve and prevent Milton Keynes from an automatic path to the second tier for the first time?
Certainly, whoever comes out second best will be disappointed as they are forced to join Swindon Town, Sheffield United and surprise package Chesterfield in the playoffs.
At the bottom, Yeovil have been relegated for a while - but there is an almighty scrap to avoid the other three places.
Second-bottom Leyton Orient, on 48 points, are in most peril ahead of their match away at Swindon - but, as mentioned already, Colchester - on 49 points - probably have the toughest task of all as they travel to Preston.
Currently just below the safety line, Crawley Town - on 50 points - host Coventry, who themselves, are not yet quite safe on 52.
Notts County, also on 50, travel to mid-table Gillingham - while Crewe Alexandra (52) are away to Bradford, aware that their far inferior goal difference keeps them very much in trouble.
The deciding matches are all played concurrently on Sunday at 12.15pm.
League Two
Table
BURTON ALBION will play in the third tier of the English football system for the first time in history next season after a 2-1 victory away to Morecambe on 18 April.
The Brewers now harbour ambitions of the League Two title ahead of their final day clash away at Cambridge United.
Leading Shrewsbury Town by two points, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side may need to win given their inferior goal difference to the Shrews who face Plymouth Argyle at home.
Regardless of what happens, though, both teams will be playing League One football in August, Shrewsbury having gained promotion on 25 April to bounce back to the higher level at the first attempt.
The third automatic spot is still undecided, however. Southend United currently occupy the spot on 84 points, two points ahead of Bury and three points ahead of Wycombe Wanderers, but with the worst goal difference of the three.
Mind, it is awfully tight - Southend are currently +18, Bury +19 and Wycombe +21 - ahead of the final matches which are on Saturday at 3pm.
Phil Brown's Shrimpers travel to Morecambe to face the Shrimps - while the Shakers of Bury travel to relegated Tranmere Rovers.
Outsiders Wycombe are also on the road to Northampton Town - and will most likely land in the playoffs alongside Stevenage and Plymouth.
Heading out of the Football League altogether are Cheltenham Town and, more shockingly, Tranmere after Hartlepool United pulled off a truly great escape.
Bottom from the end of October until the end of March, Pools confirmed survival last week with a 2-1 home win over Exeter City.
And former Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore must take a lot of credit for the sterling job he has done since his appointment in December.
Instead, then, it is the Merseysiders who have lost their Football League status after a period of 94 years.
And Cheltenham, unbeaten and top at the end of August, have won just five games since to return to Conference level for the first time since 1999.
Conference Premier
Table
BARNET ensured their stay in the Conference would last just two seasons after pipping Bristol Rovers to the only automatic promotion place.
Martin Allen's Bees beat mid-table Gateshead 2-0 on the final day last Saturday to stay ahead of Rovers - who had smashed seven past Alfreton Town.
That awful defeat sent Alfreton down with the worst goal difference in the division as Welling United survived despite a final day loss at home to Southport.
AFC Telford made a swift return to the Conference North (or the National League North as it will be called next season), while Dartford and Nuneaton Town also ended season-long struggles on the wrong side of the relegation line.
In the playoffs for the second promotion spot, Bristol Rovers actually seem to have dusted themselves off and recovered from the disappointment of losing out to Barnet.
The Pirates beat Forest Green Rovers 1-0 away in the first leg ahead of the return match will be played on Sunday at the Memorial Ground.
Meanwhile, the other tie - Grimsby Town v Eastleigh - kicks off this evening and also concludes on Sunday before the Final at Wembley on 17 May.
