Lancashire

Image source, Getty Images

A lot of teams play their penultimate Premier League game of the season this weekend.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have qualified for the Champions League. Aston Villa can finish no lower than fifth so will be in the Europa League at worst. Liverpool’s Europa Conference League place for winning the Carabao Cup reverts to the league and Sheffield United have been relegated.

But much is still to be decided.

Despite nobody being able to win the title just yet, here is what could happen...

Aston Villa can clinch the fourth and final Champions League place despite not playing until Monday:

• If Tottenham lose on Saturday, Villa qualify without kicking a ball;

• If Tottenham draw, Villa qualify if they draw with Liverpool on Monday;

• If Tottenham win, Villa qualify if they beat Liverpool.

Tottenham can ensure a top-five finish:

• If they win, Newcastle United lose and Chelsea and Manchester United both fail to win.

Failing that, Spurs can ensure a top-six finish - Europa Conference League at worst:

• If they win AND Chelsea and Manchester United both fail to win;

• If they win AND Newcastle lose AND one of Chelsea and Manchester United fail to win;

• If they draw AND Chelsea and Manchester United both lose.

The other two relegation places could also be settled this weekend.

Burnley will be relegated:

• If they fail to win at Tottenham on Saturday, whatever happens elsewhere;

• If Nottingham Forest win against Chelsea.

If Burnley win and Forest draw, the Clarets will be teetering and will need a huge swing in goal difference on the final day of the season when the two sides meet.

Luton Town are slightly better off than Burnley, but will be relegated:

• If they lose at West Ham AND Nottingham Forest avoid defeat;

• If they lose AND Burnley win, even if Forest lose;

• If they draw AND Forest win.

If Forest match Luton's result, the Hatters will be on the brink as they would need a big swing in goal difference on the final day.

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Tottenham and Burnley in the Premier League.

• Tottenham have won seven of their eight Premier League home games against Burnley and have won the past four without conceding. Only against Crystal Palace between 2015 and 2019 have they won five in a row at home and kept a clean sheet each time in the competition.

• Burnley have not won in their past 10 away league games against Tottenham since a 3-2 win at White Hart Lane in October 1974.

• Spurs have conceded four or more goals in four different Premier League games this season - most recently doing so more in 2013-14 (five). They have not kept a clean sheet in any of their past 13 home league games - their longest streak since a run of 15 between December 2002 and September 2003.

• Failure to win for Burnley will see them relegated from the Premier League for the fourth time. The Clarets have lost all seven of their league games against sides starting the day in the top five this season by an aggregate score of 24-7.

• Tottenham’s Son Heung-min has been directly involved in eight goals in his past six Premier League games against Burnley (five goals, three assists). He scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor in September.

• Burnley’s Arijanet Muric has the highest save percentage of any keeper in the Premier League this season (81.3%). Despite playing just eight games so far, he has also got the second highest goals prevented rate (seven).

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley have announced Castore will be the club's new kit supplier next season, replacing Umbro who have been designing the Clarets' kits since 2019.

The club has penned a "multi-year" contract with the brand, which will see the Manchester-based company supply training and playing kits for the men's, women's and academy teams.

Burnley chairman Alan Pace said: "As organisations we have similar values, the desire to push boundaries, a passion for innovation and a mission to make athletes better.

"Castore's philosophy of 'Better Never Stops' is perfectly aligned with our vision as a forever forward-thinking football club.

"With an esteemed portfolio of world-class athletes and brands from across the world of sport, I look forward to together developing a powerful partnership to build our brand globally and one that our fans can enjoy."

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest's unsuccessful appeal over their four-point deduction for breaking the Premier League's financial rules will be greeted with a few cheers in Lancashire.

Had Nuno Espirito Santo's side been given two points back, it would have mathematically confirmed Burnley's relegation back to the Championship.

Vincent Kompany's side were humbled 4-1 at home by Newcastle United on Saturday, severely denting their prospects of Premier League football next season by leaving them five points adrift of safety.

They will have been keeping an eye on developments at the City Ground. The Clarets now retain a glimmer of hope but will need results to go their way.

Burnley must win at Tottenham on Saturday and hope both Nottingham Forest (home to Chelsea) and Luton Town (away at West Ham) lose to take it to the final day of the season.

Kompany has asked for "one opportunity" in their bid to stay up and that would come at Turf Moor with everything to play for against... Forest!

Just imagine the scenes if Burnley were to pull off the greatest survival story the Premier League has seen.

A thoroughly miserable season is nearly at an end.

While my competitive nature and logical brain understand that as a professional sports entity the aim has to be playing at the very top along with the elite, my overwhelming feeling will be relief to see the back of it.

Vincent Kompany said again after Saturday's match that he could not fault the effort of the players and he felt pride that they did not give up. I personally have not seen that effort. I see a side that conceded the first goal and just let the drive and optimism seep out of them. We seemed to practically sleepwalk through another three goals.

I felt so underwhelmed when I left the ground that I was convinced we had lost 4-0 and had completely forgotten about Dara O'Shea's [albeit lovely] header.

I have seen this same comment - a perceived lack of effort - so much online this weekend that it seemed sensible to address it. Are we being unfair? I have sympathy for the mental toll that persistent losses must inflict on athletes. It cannot be easy.

Kompany knows these players and sports science far better than me, so maybe mental resilience shows itself in other forms not immediately obvious to the humble fan? If that is true, is there a way that Kompany can communicate that message better in his post-match analysis, so it does not feel like a PR piece? Fans are not stupid and can see through tricks like that.

I think everyone has reached that point now where we just need to get to the end of this horrible campaign. Reset in the summer. Rebuild a squad. Build some bridges. Win the Championship. Enjoy our football again.

Because football is a way of life for so many of us in our community - and we want the smiles back.

Natalie can be found at No Nay Never podcast, external