GOAL US looks at the title race, Aston Villa's push for the Champions League, and Chelsea's European hopes
Is this the week Liverpool finally win the title? Or, more accurately, the one where Arsenal definitely lose it? In truth, Liverpool haven't been very good for quite a while. As CBS Sports analyst and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher told GOAL, they aren't bad champions, but there have been some poor challengers.
And it would be a bit dramatic to blame Arsenal for having the audacity to finish second, while also knocking Real Madrid out of the Champions League. But it does feel like a real gap between the two sides of the same team. If Arsenal lose to Ipswich on Sunday – not likely, but you certainly wouldn't bet against it – then Liverpool will hoist their 20th first division title.
That would essentially wrap up what has been an underwhelming season at the top. In the middle, though, things are getting tasty. Five teams will make the Champions League this year. There are nine teams who with a shot, with six games to play. The likelihood here is that they all take points off each other and no one really makes it with any sort of conviction.
That would make for immense cinema. And it all starts with Aston Villa-Newcastle on Saturday. A Magpies win could see Newcastle lock in their chances. But if Villa edge them at home, then it's all wide open all over again.
Chelsea are also in the mix, and could do with a real turnaround. They made it to the semifinals of the UEFA Conference league, but that can do little to mask the fact that they at home to (Legia Warszawa on Thursday. That's a performance – and a result – they could do with forgetting. There is a chance for redemption against European hopefuls Fulham on Sunday, though.
GOAL US looks at all of those plot points and more in the Premier League Primer, a weekly rundown of what to watch from an American perspective in England's top flight.
Getty ImagesArsenal, and the art of (maybe) throwing it all away
Ask any Arsenal fan, and they might genuinely forget that there's a Premier League game to be played this weekend. That's understandable. The Gunners have just won perhaps their most important tie in recent history, beating Real Madrid comprehensively over two legs in a Champions League quarterfinal. In this case, the cliche really does apply: it doesn't get any bigger than this.
And let's face it, Mikel Arteta just needs to win at this point. If it's to be a first Champions League in club history, few will complain. Still, there is a way this can all be rather soured – albeit momentarily. If Arsenal lose to Ipswich Sunday at 9 a.m. ET, and Liverpool get the job done in their fixture, they will surrender the league title for the third straight season.
Very few will complain if Arteta wins the European Cup and then has the audacity to fail to win the league. But the inevitable might yet become a reality. Suddenly, a European dream seems like the only realistic chance of a successful campaign – just the small matter of a rampant PSG in the way of that.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportAston Villa recovering from a devastating loss
Football is a game of inches. And Ezri Konsa was so, so, so, so close from turning a forgettable Champions League loss into a night for the ages. The Aston Villa center back stretched every sinew in his neck, but simply couldn't get on the end of a cross to complete what might have been a remarkable comeback against PSG in the Champions League.
And with that, Villa's European campaign ended – a quarterfinal spot is a commendable return to Europe for a club that has always sort of belonged there, anyway. But now, there's plenty of work to be done to get them back there.
It is officially confirmed that the top five spots in the Premier League will lead to Champions League qualification. With six games to play, Villa are in seventh, one point off fifth, with four wins in their last five games. In other words, the numbers look pretty good.
The fixture list, however, does not. Newcastle at home, at 12:30pm on Saturday, will be tough. The Magpies are rampant at the moment, and Villa will need Man United loanee Marcus Rashford, as well as former PSG man Marco Asensio, to continue their fine form.
After that, it's Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Tottenham and Manchester United to round it all off. There aren't really any easy games in the Premier League, but that is a pretty nightmarish slate to finish what they hope could be another important step.
Getty Images SportJadon Sancho, Chelsea hero?
A few months ago, we were all scratching our heads wondering how Enzo Marseca – a remarkably underwhelming appointment – had made Chelsea title contenders. Something didn't make sense here. Was Cole Palmer carrying? How could Nico Jackson score goals all of a sudden? Surely, something had to give.
Yep. Palmer has been woeful for a few months now, and Chelsea have slid down the standings from a surprising second to a miserable sixth. They are still very much within a shout here – just one point behind Man City. But they have also won just two of their last five, needed late heroics from Jadon Sancho – yes, you read that right – to salvage a draw against Ipswich at home.
Bleak stuff. Sancho's return to form has been a valuable thing. The winger is a baffling player, so full of quality yet so polarizing for his off-field antics and supposed lack of hard work in training. On his day, he's world-class. He likes to do this every now and then, tease with a handful of world beating performances.
And this could be a timely moment for another. Should he start on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET against Fulham, he will be matched up against Antonee Robinson. The American left back has struggled slightly of late, and admitted that he has played through an injury for months. It's high time for Sancho to shine.
Getty Images SportAmerican ties
+ Chris Richards will be in action for Crystal Palace as they take on Bournemouth on Saturday morning. A better defensive showing will be needed after the Eagles were battered by Newcastle midweek.
+ Tyler Adams will face off against him, in the mix for a Bournemouth side looking to win consecutive games for the first time since January.
