Ten KEY questions for Matchweek 37's fixtures

Can Spurs overcome Stamford Bridge struggles and beat Chelsea?

It wasn’t long ago Tottenham Hotspur supporters feared that their trip to Stamford Bridge would give rivals Chelsea the opportunity to relegate them, but the upturn in form under Roberto De Zerbi - eight points from the last four games - has changed the mood.

No matter what West Ham United do on Sunday evening against Newcastle United, Spurs will know that victory at Chelsea - who have earned just one point from their last seven Premier League matches - would go a long way to securing their top-flight status.

But their record on this ground is what so terrifies Spurs supporters. Spurs have won just one of their last 35 away league games against Chelsea (D11 L23), last winning in April 2018. Stamford Bridge is also the site of the ‘‘Battle of the Bridge’’: a feisty 2-2 draw that ended Spurs’ title hopes in 2015/16.

The atmosphere could be just as intense – but that doesn’t mean it will be a similar outcome for Spurs.

Calum McFarlane’s side have lost each of their last four Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge. A Spurs win would make it five in a row for the first time in the club's history, but a Chelsea win would be just as historic, plunging Spurs into serious trouble ahead of the final day.

Can West Ham exploit a Newcastle weakness - and climb above Spurs?

Spurs’ 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Monday night extended the gap to West Ham to two points and with Spurs boasting a significantly better goal difference than the Hammers, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side probably need at least four points to stand a chance of securing their Premier League status.

At first glance a trip to St James' Park does not look like an inviting fixture for a West Ham side who probably cannot afford anything less than a victory this weekend. But there are plenty of reasons for their fans to be optimistic.

Newcastle United were beaten 2-0 in this exact fixture last season while West Ham also won 3-1 at the London Stadium back in November. What’s more, Newcastle have won just one of their last six Premier League matches and have kept just a single clean sheet in their previous 14 in the competition.

But beyond the statistics, West Ham should feel primed for a game like this one. Newcastle tend to perform best when able to play on the counter-attack but struggle when expected to hold possession and probe the opposition, reflecting the transitional qualities of Eddie Howe's attackers.

Ordering Newcastle games by their possession share, the pattern is stark. In 2025/26, they have won four out of 20 Premier League matches when having 53% or more possession (0.9 points per game) and nine out of 16 when having less than 53% (1.8 points per game).

West Ham have the exact same issue, losing all seven of their Premier League matches this season when forced to have more than 50% of the ball.

Nuno teams are always built to sit deeper, allow the opponent to dominate possession and then use direct football to quickly get behind the defensive line.

That ought to be the shape of this contest on Newcastle home turf, which could lead to Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen finding space on the break.

Newcastle held 62% possession in the 3-1 defeat at the London Stadium. The same kind of tactical battle – and a similar result – would pile pressure on Spurs ahead of their trip to Chelsea.

Can Odegaard unlock Burnley's and settle Arsenal's nerves again?

Arsenal are heavy favourites for their final game at Emirates Stadium this season but that does not mean the result is a foregone conclusion.

Burnley were only beaten 1-0 by Manchester City at Turf Moor just a few weeks ago, and although Pep Guardiola’s side created many chances, the margin was narrow and Burnley’s counter-attacks were threatening throughout.

Furthermore, the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa last weekend saw Mike Jackson’s side looking more lethal on the break than at any other point this season. Should Arsenal fail to score early and nerves set in, the possibility of Burnley stealing a goal on the break increases.

Martin Odegaard was the hero at West Ham, jinking into the penalty area and using his quick feet to create space in a congested defence. Burnley will similarly pack players behind the ball.

That’s why Mikel Arteta may choose to start Odegaard alongside Eberechi Eze in a more attacking formation on Monday night, trusting Arsenal to dominate the match and get the early goal they need to break the tension.

Can Villa beat Liverpool and gain a boost before the Europa League final?

A 2-2 draw at Burnley last weekend has suddenly opened up the possibility that Aston Villa could drop out of the top five, with both Brighton & Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth capable of moving ahead of them should Unai Emery’s side lose to both Liverpool and Man City.

It suddenly piles pressure onto this Friday’s game against Liverpool – although that isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Villa.

With a full five days before the Uefa Europa League final on Wednesday, Emery may feel emboldened to play a strong side in the final game of the season at Villa Park and get a morale-boosting win against a struggling Liverpool side.

Victory would put Villa within one point of securing fourth, but more importantly it would allow the team - and the fans - to carry momentum into the Europa League final.

If the fans can create an atmosphere similar to their last home game, the 4-0 semi-final win against Nottingham Forest and if the players can put in a performance to match, then Arne Slot’s struggling side are unlikely to be able to cope.

It would be just the psychological boost Villa need - and the perfect way to sign-off on a successful campaign.

Will Brentford beat Crystal Palace to salvage their European dream?

No matter what happens from here it has been a brilliant debut campaign for Keith Andrews. But if he wants to make it an historic success, then it all comes down to this: one last chance to push for European qualification.

Brentford have lost two of their last three Premier League games, only one fewer than in their previous 18 (W7 D8 L3), stuttering at just the wrong moment to allow Brighton and Bournemouth to race ahead.

A sixth-place finish now looks unlikely but eighth could still mean Uefa Conference League football. To do that they need to keep ahead of Chelsea, currently two points behind, and with their campaign ending against Liverpool at Anfield, beating Crystal Palace this weekend is quite simply essential.

Lose and Chelsea and Everton will smell blood. Brentford’s final game at the Gtech Community Stadium this season is their most important of the campaign – and arguably, one of the most important matches in their history.

Will Brighton’s perfectly-timed form bring Champions League football?

Unlike Brentford, Brighton are peaking at exactly the right moment. Since the start of March, no club has more Premier League wins than their six (level with Arsenal), a run that has catapulted the Seagulls into seventh.

Victory at Leeds could move them to within three points of Villa in fifth, should Emery’s side lose at home to Liverpool. With Villa then travelling to Man City on the final day, Brighton would have a huge opportunity to finish above them on goal difference if they ended the campaign with a home win against Manchester United.

The path to a shock fifth-place finish has widened, although Leeds are no pushovers. They have won two in a row at Elland Road, albeit against the bottom clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, and in the 1-1 draw at Spurs on Monday night, showed they will keep fighting tooth and nail despite already securing their place in the top flight.

Brighton have a glimmer of hope to do the unthinkable - and they must grab it with both hands. Like Brentford, there is a case to be made that Sunday’s match is among the biggest in Brighton’s entire history.

Will Man Utd secure a feel-good win over Forest at Old Trafford?

It is to Michael Carrick’s great credit that Man Utd's final home game of the season has nothing riding on it. Man Utd have already reached their target of Uefa Champions League qualification and third place is all-but secured, too.

Nevertheless Carrick will want to end the campaign on a high, ensuring the feel-good factor around Old Trafford remains throughout what is likely to be a busy summer for the club.

What’s more, victory over Forest - who have also hit their targets already - would increase the probability that, by season’s close, United will have taken more points than any other club since Carrick's arrival in January.

Their 33 points from 15 matches since Carrick’s appointment is the second-best form in the division, one point behind Man City. Winning their final two matches might be enough to finish top of that table, signalling, perhaps, Man Utd’s readiness for a title challenge in 2026/27.

According to media reports, the club’s senior executives have reportedly recommended to Sir Jim Ratcliffe that Carrick is offered the job full-time. Another win would do his chances of keeping the job no harm.

Will Bournemouth provide a ‘Hazard moment’ to win Arsenal the title?

The last time a title race that went to the wire was won by results that happened elsewhere, rather than in their own match, was when Chelsea drew 2-2 with Spurs in 2016 and Eden Hazard scored a brilliant solo goal to clinch the title for Leicester City.

There is a distinct possibility that something similar could happen on Tuesday.

Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last 16 Premier League games and have won four of their last five in the competition, making them the most difficult team to play right now.

Chasing a possible Champions League place in fifth or sixth, Andoni Iraola’s final game at the Vitality Stadium looks like a serious challenge for Man City, and that’s before considering the tiredness in the legs of the City players just three days after the FA Cup final.

Neutrals will be hoping the title race comes down to the final day. The Cherries are in a strong position to spoil the fun.

Is there still time for Everton to sneak into Europe?

Should Brentford slip, Everton will be looking to pounce.

David Moyes’ side are winless in their last five Premier League matches, their longest run in 2025/26. The timing is hugely frustrating for supporters considering how tantalisingly close they are to the European places.

If they have any hope of making it, they must beat Sunderland, primarily because an away trip to Tottenham on the final day is about as competitive as it gets.

Everton’s hopes rest on Beto, whose five goals in his last five appearances runs in counter to the form of his team-mates.

Can Wolves end a difficult campaign on a high against Fulham?

Fulham’s consecutive league defeats, both to nil, have probably ended their outside hopes of sneaking into Europe this season, which arguably makes this match more important to Wolves than to Marco Silva's men.

Wolves are three points behind Burnley, whom they play on the final day at Turf Moor. That means victory against Fulham on Sunday would guarantee Rob Edwards’ side have the chance to beat Burnley and, boasting a superior goal difference, finish the 2025/26 season in 19th.

That’s worth extra prize money but beyond that it would be a small victory for the Rob Edwards era. Wolves had two points from 11 games when he took charge, at which stage lifting them off the bottom of the table looked almost impossible.