With only nine Matchweeks remaining of the 2024/25 Premier League season, football writer Ben Bloom looks at what's at stake, with the title, race for Europe and relegation battle still all to be decided.
When players return to club duties later this week following the final international break of the season, it will officially mark the start of the Premier League Run In.
Over the course of 55 days, from Tuesday 1 April until Sunday 25 May, no fewer than 91 Premier League matches will take place to determine the champions, European qualifiers, relegated sides and more.
Throw in the latter stages of the FA Cup and various UEFA competitions, and it promises to be a packed end to the season. Here, we look at some of the biggest things still to be played for.
The title race
It is not difficult to see why many pundits have suggested the title race is effectively over. Never in Premier League history has a team come from as far back as Arsenal or Nottingham Forest are currently behind Liverpool to win the title at such a late stage of the season.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
30 | +43 | 73 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
30 | +30 | 61 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
30 | +15 | 57 |
The biggest gap to be clawed back by a team without games in hand was eight points; in 2011/12, Manchester City overhauled that advantage, held by Manchester United with six matches remaining.
With nine top-flight fixtures to play, Arsenal must claw back a 12-point deficit and Forest would have to come from a further four points behind. It is unlikely, especially given Liverpool have lost only one league match all season. But never say never.
Liverpool will be hoping to get over the line and win what would be only a second Premier League title, and first since the COVID-affected season that they were unable to celebrate properly with their fans.
The race for Europe
It would be a major surprise if both Liverpool and Arsenal did not finish in the top four, while Forest have given themselves a handy points buffer in their quest to do likewise. Beneath them, it is far more congested.
A mere five points separate the remainder of the table's top half, with every club from fourth-placed Chelsea to AFC Bournemouth in 10th harbouring hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
30 | +17 | 52 |
| 5 |
Man City
MCI
|
30 | +17 | 51 |
| 6 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
29 | +10 | 50 |
| 7 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
30 | -1 | 48 |
| 8 |
Brighton
BHA
|
30 | +3 | 47 |
| 9 |
Fulham
FUL
|
30 | +4 | 45 |
| 10 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
30 | +11 | 44 |
Their bids may well be helped by the Premier League potentially receiving a fifth spot for Europe’s leading competition in 2025/26, with England currently topping the crucial UEFA coefficient table that will determine the recipients of extra places.
Newcastle United’s EFL Cup win has assured them a UEFA Conference League place, but this would be passed on to the next-highest team in the Premier League who have not already qualified for Europe if Eddie Howe’s side secure a Champions League or Europa League spot.
In theory, England could receive an enormous 11 European places next season, although that would require a highly unlikely mix of scenarios playing out.
As it is, with clubs not knowing exactly what is needed for European football next season, there is all to play for.
Relegation battle
As with the title race, the relegation battle looks close to reaching an early conclusion, especially after Wolverhampton Wanderers' 2-1 victory at Southampton just before this international break.
That win – their third in six Premier League matches – has put Vitor Pereira’s side nine points above the drop zone, which has long been inhabited by the three sides promoted from the Championship last season.
Southampton’s hopes of staying up are fading fast, with head coach Ivan Juric recently conceding he expects Saints to make an immediate return to the second tier.
Ipswich Town and Leicester City continue to fight on, but it may be tough to overhaul Wolves, especially given the Midlands side’s relative resurgence.
Ipswich remain the only team across the top four tiers of English football without a league win in 2025, while Leicester are the first team in English top-flight history to lose seven consecutive home matches while failing to score in each.
FA Cup
The four teams who triumphed in this weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals include a club who are bidding to win the competition for the first time.
Crystal Palace kept that dream alive by winning 3-0 at Fulham, and they will face seven-time FA Cup winners Aston Villa in the semi-finals. Villa also won 3-0 away, defeating Preston North End, who were the last Championship side still standing.
Man City are in the semi-finals for the seventh consecutive year after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Bournemouth. Pep Guardiola's side, finalists for the last two seasons, will meet Nottingham Forest, who beat Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties after a goalless draw on the south coast.
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday 26 / Sunday 27 April
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Nottingham Forest v Man City
European competitions
The Champions League, Europa League and Conference League are also down to their last eight teams.
After Liverpool’s exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, the Premier League flag continues to be flown in the UEFA Champions League by Arsenal and Villa.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side face a daunting battle against 15-time European champions Real Madrid, while Villa – making their first appearance in Europe’s top competition since 1982/83 – will hope to fare better than the Premier League leaders when they come up against PSG.
Given the disappointing Premier League campaigns for Man Utd and Tottenham Hotspur, the Europa League offers them their only hope of silverware and best route of securing European football next season. Spurs are up against Eintracht Frankfurt, while Man Utd face Lyon.
Chelsea remain favourites to lift the Conference League; their next task in that competition is a quarter-final against Legia Warsaw.
Quarter-final ties (first-leg dates)
UEFA Champions League
Arsenal v Real Madrid (Tuesday 8 April, 20:00 BST)
PSG v Aston Villa (Wednesday 9 April, 20:00 BST)
UEFA Europa League
Lyon v Man Utd (Thursday 10 April, 20:00 BST)
Spurs v Eintracht Frankfurt (Thursday 10 April, 20:00 BST)
UEFA Conference League
Legia Warsaw v Chelsea (Thursday 10 April, 17:45 BST)
Premier League awards
Golden Boot
Even though almost a quarter of the league season remains, Mohamed Salah’s extraordinary campaign has put him firmly in line to win both the Golden Boot and Premier League Playmaker awards.
Salah’s 27 league goals places him six ahead of a chasing pack led by Erling Haaland (21), who has claimed the trophy in the last two seasons, Alexander Isak (19), and Chris Wood (18).
Premier League Playmaker
Salah's advantage at the top of the assists chart is even stronger, with his tally of 17 being almost double the number produced by his three closest challengers, Bukayo Saka, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Antonee Robinson (all 10).
Golden Glove
The award race at the other end of the pitch is much closer than the attacking charts dominated by Salah. With 12 clean sheets, Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels has a narrow lead over Arsenal’s David Raya (11) in the contest for the Golden Glove, but a host of other 'keepers - including Dean Henderson (9), Jordan Pickford (9), Alisson Becker (8), and Andre Onana (8) - could yet overhaul the top two before the season concludes.
There will also be the end-of-season awards for the EA SPORTS Player of the Season, Barclays Manager of the Season, Guinness Goal of the Season, and Premier League Save of the Season to be awarded, as well as the awards for Hublot Young Player of the Season, Oracle's Most Powerful Goal, and Oracle's Most Improbable Comeback.
Premier League all-time records
There are some Premier League records we could see broken before the end of the season. Some at risk are listed below:
Biggest title-winning margin: 19 points - Man City, 2017/18
Fewest points: 11 - Derby County, 2007/08
Fewest points required to avoid relegation: 27 (2023/24)
Fewest points for a club that avoided relegation: 32 - Nottingham Forest (2023/24)
Most goals: 36 - Erling Haaland (2022/23)
Most assists: 20 - Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20)
Most goal involvements (goals and assists): 47 - Andrew Cole (1993/94) and Alan Shearer (1994/95)
Having already produced one of the all-time great individual Premier League seasons, Salah could yet break records for the most goals, most assists and most goal contributions in the competition. For the latter, he currently sits on 44, three off the record held by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer.
With the Egyptian’s help and no cup distractions, it is not inconceivable that Liverpool could exceed Man City's biggest ever title-winning margin of 19 points. The Reds stand 12 points clear of Arsenal at present.
At the other end of the table, Southampton have nine points but still require three more to avoid the lowest-ever tally in a Premier League season of 11 points, recorded by Derby County in 2007/08.
The plight of the current bottom three could also result in the record lowest points tally needed for a team to stay in the top flight. Forest hold the record with their total of 32 points in 2023/24 being enough for them to finish 17th and avoid relegation; Wolves currently sit nine clear of the bottom three on 26 points.