Premier League 2016-17 top-four race: Who can get Champions League, remaining fixtures, permutations

Updated 20/05/2017 at 17:52 GMT

Chelsea are the Premier League champions, we know the three relegated teams, but the battle for fourth place remains a live issue heading into the final day of the season.

Pep Guardiola, Arsene Wenger, Jurgen Klopp

Image credit: Eurosport

We will be updating this article after each match to keep you up to date with the issues that still need to be resolved.

* Remaining fixtures can be found below the permutations.

The title

Champions League

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Chelsea manager Antonio Conte celebrates with his players after winning the Premier League title

Image credit: Reuters

Chelsea are Premier League champions after beating West Brom 1-0 away on Friday night. London rivals Tottenham clinched second after a 2-1 win over Manchester United .

Champions League qualification

Marouane Fellaini, Sergio Aguero

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Tottenham and Chelsea are already guaranteed two of the four Champions League places
The top three in the league go into the group stage, fourth place must negotiate a play-off
England could have five teams in the Champions League next season, if United win the Europa League

Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal are the three teams contesting the two final top-four spots, with Manchester United dropping out of contention after losing to Tottenham last Sunday. However, they will still reach the Champions League if they win the Europa League final.

Liverpool’s fate is in their own hands: if Jurgen Klopp’s side win their final match, at home to Middlesbrough on the final day, then they will finish in the top four. The same is true of Manchester City, who only need a point against Watford (A) in their final game. If City draw and Liverpool win, Jurgen Klopp's side will require a three-goal swing to finish third.

Arsenal’s late resurgence has given them some hope of sneaking in and maintaining Arsene Wenger’s proud record of never finishing outside of the top four, although it is unlikely. Three points behind City and one behind Liverpool, Arsenal need to beat Everton on the final day and hope one (or both) of their rivals slips up.

Still, if Arsenal win and Liverpool draw/lose, Wenger is back in Europe's premier competition. Arsenal can technically finish above City, too, but only if the Gunners win, the Citizens lose, and a five-goal swing occurs.

There's even the prospect of a play-off between Arsenal and Liverpool, as this below tweet illustrates:

United are six points behind Arsenal. They finish against Crystal Palace (H) but can no longer finish in the top four. They had effectively given up on the league by resting players last weekend against Arsenal. If they do win the Europa League, though, there will be five English teams in the Champions League next season.

Prediction: Liverpool and Manchester City’s will ensure they get enough points to keep Arsenal out, but United will win in Stockholm and qualify too.

Europa League

Ross Barkley celebrates with the Everton fans

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England has three places in the Europa League: FA Cup winners, League Cup winners, fifth place
With Arsenal and Chelsea contesting the FA Cup final, and United having won the League Cup final, the two cup places will be re-allocated to the league, meaning sixth and seventh also qualify
Everton are guaranteed to finish seventh, so have a place in the Europa League third qualifying round

The Europa League picture is well settled: Everton are guaranteed to be in there. The only possible twist comes if United win the Europa League – then England will only have two slots in the competition: one for Everton, and one for whoever else misses out on the top four with United, who will instead go into the Champions League.

Prediction: Arsenal will join Everton in the second-tier European competition as United escape to the Champions League, leaving England with only two places.