Liverpool wrapped up the title with four games to spare last weekend with a 5-1 hammering of Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield while Chelsea eked out a 1-0 win over Everton that kept them in the thick of the battle for Champions League qualification.

The Premier League having an extra spot in next season's Champions League might ordinarily have given the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea a little more leeway, but the reality is five clubs are chasing three places.

By the time Chelsea kick off against Liverpool, depending on other results, Enzo Maresca's side could be in sixth place and under pressure to rain on Liverpool's parade.

With second-placed Arsenal, who have 67 points from 34 games, looking safe for a top-five finish, the scrap for third, fourth and fifth has become the only story in town for the remaining weeks of the top-flight season.

Nottingham Forest, who are in action later on Thursday at home to Brentford when victory would put them third on 63 points from 34 games, have thrown the cat among the pigeons.

Newcastle United (62 points from 34 games) are in a strong position ahead of their Sunday trip to Brighton & Hove Albion while outgoing champions Manchester City (61 from 34) can ill-afford any slip on Friday at home to a Wolverhampton Wanderers side who have won six successive league games.

Seventh-placed Aston Villa's season is in danger of petering out after falling at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League and in last week's FA Cup semi-finals, and they know anything other than a win against Fulham in Saturday's early kickoff could end their top-five hopes.

--Reuters--