The race for Champions League qualification has seldom been as fiercely contested as it will be in the closing weeks of the 2024/25 campaign.

Liverpool is guaranteed a top-four finish, while Arsenal and the unexpectedly strong Nottingham Forest are in great positions to secure spots in Europe’s top competition. However, beneath these leading teams, the situation is in total disarray.

Only five points divide Chelsea, who are in fourth, from Bournemouth in the tenth spot. With numerous ups and downs expected, the race for a top-four finish is set to be fiercely contested up until the season’s end. Many surprising teams will be challenging the big clubs in this thrilling season’s finale.

Every remaining game of the season could be crucial for Champions League qualification. Here are some key matchdays that are likely to play significant roles in deciding the top-four contenders.

If we’re to say all seven sides from Chelsea to Bournemouth in the Premier League table are involved in the top four battle, then Matchday 30 hosts some mammoth encounters.

Fulham are first in action during the midweek round of fixtures and have the extremely tough challenge of visiting Arsenal. Their rivals will be praying that the eighth-placed Cottagers come unstuck across the capital.

Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa are both amongst the scrap and do battle on Wednesday evening, while Newcastle United and Brentford also lock horns the same night. The Magpies have the advantage of a game in hand between now and the end of the season and will be buoyed by their Carabao Cup final triumph before the international break.

Manchester City have the simplest fixture of the lot, hosting struggling Championship-bound Leicester City. Bournemouth also welcome a promoted side to the Vitality Stadium in the form of Ipswich Town.

Chelsea will watch on as all their top four adversaries take to the field, knowing the pressure will be on them at home to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on the Thursday night. That fixture always provides drama, as demonstrated by the 4-3 victory for the Blues earlier this season.

There are two duels between top four hopefuls during Matchday 33, with Aston Villa vs Newcastle an extremely tantalising fixture in Saturday’s late kick-off. Both sides have felt the benefits of Champions League qualification in recent seasons, with the Villans still competing in this year’s competition.

Earlier in the day, south coast sides Brighton and Bournemouth make difficult trips to the capital. The Seagulls face Brentford – who are only eight points from fourth themselves – while the Cherries take on Palace.

Man City will be considered favourites by many to earn entrance into next season’s Champions League but their current form leaves plenty to be desired. A trip to Everton, who earned a draw at the Etihad Stadium earlier this term, will be far from routine.

Sunday provides the other direct battle between top four candidates when Fulham host fellow west Londoners Chelsea. Having beaten the Blues at Stamford Bridge earlier this term, the Cottagers will be keen to take points off Enzo Maresca’s out-of-sorts side.

Mancheser City have the ability to apply some early pressure to their top four competitors at the beginning of Matchday 35 when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers on the Friday. City’s kind run of fixtures during the closing weeks offers them hope despite their underwhelming form.

Fulham will make the unwanted trip to Villa during Saturday’s early kick-off in what has the capacity to be a scorcher in the Midlands, while Bournemouth then occupy the late kick-off slot. The Cherries face a similarly challenging trip, travelling to north London against title chasers Arsenal.

Sunday could prove decisive in the race for Champions League football, beginning with Brighton’s clash with Newcastle. The two sides have already faced one another twice this season and the Seagulls have triumphed in both fixtures, including March’s dramatic FA Cup encounter.

Chelsea then face the toughest test possible later in the day as they welcome league leaders – and potentially by then the new champions – Liverpool to London. The Blues will be hoping that Arne Slot’s side have wrapped up the title come their meeting, perhaps taking their foot off the gas if that’s the case.

The top four picture will look much clearer by the penultimate round of Premier League fixtures and several competitors will almost certainly have fallen by the wayside. But without the help of a trusty crystal ball, it’s impossible to predict who will come up short.

Dates and times of Matchday 37 games have not yet been revealed but Arsenal vs Newcastle immediately stands out as one of the fixtures of the round. The Magpies have an excellent recent record against the Gunners, who could have nothing to play for domestically by mid-May.

Villa also face north London opposition in the form of Tottenham, who they beat at Villa Park in the FA Cup earlier this term. They will have one eye on an all-London affair between Brentford and Fulham, too.

Brighton host Liverpool at some point across the weekend – although the FA Cup final could impact fixtures on Matchday 37 – and Chelsea face Manchester United in a fixture that screams draw. For the Blues, that might not be enough.

Manchester City also host Bournemouth and will be wary of Andoni Iraola’s high-octane outfit. The Cherries beat City for the first time in their history earlier this term at the Vitality Stadium, but lost the closely-contested FA Cup quarter-final between them.

Neutrals will certainly hope the Champions League race has not been decided prior to the final day of the Premier League season, with Matchday 38 promising plenty of drama.

Fulham vs Man City is the only direct fight between current top four hopefuls, which will prove an almighty challenge for both sides. The Cottagers have lost their last 17 matches with City but this current iteration of Pep Guardiola’s side could struggle in the capital, with a nervy 3-2 win at home in this fixture earlier this season suggesting they will find it tough.

Villa are one of three sides with difficult away trips on the cards, visiting the talented but inconsistent Manchester United. Chelsea will be keen to secure their status before the final day considering they visit high-flying Forest, while Brighton battle the unpredictable Tottenham.

Newcastle and Bournemouth have more favourable fixtures, the former hosting Everton and the latter up against Leicester City – who could well be relegated by then.