Which team will clinch the Top 4 position – Leicester City vs Tottenham & Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: 5 Talking Points Before Kick Off

Leicester City vs Tottenham: Line-ups

Leicester City

Tottenham

Leicester In a Must-win Situation

#1

Leicester City must realistically beat Tottenham on the final day of the Premier League season if they are to keep their Champions League hopes alive. A 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, coupled with Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Burnley, leaves Leicester sitting fifth in the table on goal difference with one game remaining.

#2

Leicester will be hoping for either Chelsea or Liverpool to slip up in a dramatic final round of fixtures, or will otherwise need a huge result against Spurs to make up the goal difference on Jurgen Klopp’s champions.

#3

As for Tottenham, Wednesday’s 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa saw West Ham take control of the race for Europa League football, while Harry Kane – who currently leads the Golden Boot race with Mo Salah – is more determined than ever to leave the club this summer, so this could well be his last game in a Spurs shirt.

#4

Jonny Evans, James Justin and Harvey Barnes are out for Leicester, while Cengiz Under has an outside chance of returning from a hip injury. Spurs have problems at full-back with Ben Davies still sidelined and Japhet Tanganga stretchered off with a shin injury against Villa.

#5

The Foxes realistically know they will probably need a huge win with Liverpool facing Crystal Palace, so expect a few goals at the King Power. With Kane gunning for the Golden Boot, he will surely get on the scoresheet – but expect a high-scoring Leicester win.


Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: Line-ups

Liverpool

Crystal Palace

Liverpool Have the Upper Hand

#1

Liverpool’s late show is almost complete, with the Premier League champions one game away from a top-four finish. Crystal Palace stands between Liverpool and Champions League qualification, with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds hitting form at exactly the right time to capitalise on Leicester City’s poor run-in.

#2

Liverpool beat Burnley 3-0 on Wednesday to leapfrog Leicester into fourth place on goal difference, and a +4 advantage means the Reds only have to match Leicester’s result on the final day of the season.

#3

As for Palace, Roy Hodgson is stepping down as manager this summer, and this visit to Anfield is his final game as Eagles boss – so don’t rule out some late drama in the top four race courtesy of a Palace team motivated to give Hodgson a fitting send-off.

#4

Liverpool’s injury list remains substantial, with Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Ozan Kabak, Virgil van Dijk and Ben Davies sidelined. Naby Keita and Diogo Jota are unlikely to be available but have a small chance of being included. As for Palace, Christian Benteke is a doubt along with Luka Milivojevic, Tyrick Mitchell and Scott Dann. Mamadou Sakho, James McArthur, Connor Wickham and Nathan Ferguson are out, while Eberechi Eze has suffered a serious Achilles injury and will be sidelined for months.

#5

Palace will want to send off Hodgson with one final famous away win, but Liverpool’s experience and quality should tell. The Eagles faded late on against Arsenal, and there could be similar late drama at Anfield.

Top-Four Verdict

Of the three teams who can still join Manchester City and Manchester United in the top four with one match remaining, Liverpool is now favourited after winning at Burnley on Wednesday. A win at home to Crystal Palace will guarantee Jurgen Klopp’s side Champions League football unless Leicester City can beat Tottenham Hotspur by five goals more than Liverpool’s winning margin on the day.

Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Leicester in midweek has made them second-favourites, with Leicester reliant on either the Blues or the Reds slipping up while they win.

CHELSEA – CURRENTLY 3RD, 67 POINTS, GOAL DIFFERENCE +23, FACE ASTON VILLA (A)

LIVERPOOL – 4TH, 66 PTS, GD +24, FACE CRYSTAL PALACE (H)

LEICESTER – 5TH, 66 PTS, GD +20, FACE TOTTENHAM (H)