Premier League questions: Will Mohamed Salah deliver? Who will stay up? Can Arsenal win away?
Sunday 13 May 2018 06:45, UK
What questions will be answered on the final weekend of the Premier League season?
Liverpool and Chelsea are competing for the final top-four spot while Southampton and Swansea are battling to the stay in the top-flight, with three games live on Sky Sports.
We take a look at key questions for each final-day fixture...
Will Salah find final spark? (Liverpool v Brighton, Sunday 3pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League)
Barring a huge Chelsea win at Newcastle, a point is all that Liverpool need on the final day of the season to make sure of a top-four finish.
On this season's form, that should be a formality. Liverpool have not lost at Anfield in the Premier League this season and Brighton, who are safe from relegation, have only won twice away from home.
Live Nissan Super Sunday
However, the Reds have stuttered lately as they have won just one of their last five games in all competitions. They also came close to losing their last home match as Stoke spurned a late chance.
Their dip in form has coincided with Mohamed Salah failing to find the net in three matches - his worst run since September. Can he put the bow on a remarkable debut season and wrap up the Golden Boot by helping Liverpool secure a top-four spot?
Will Rafa ruin Chelsea's chances? (Newcastle v Chelsea, Sunday 3pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League)
This time five years ago Rafa Benitez was preparing Chelsea for a Europa League final against Benfica. The Blues won the match 2-1 and finished third in the Premier League to cap a successful interim spell in charge for Benitez.
But Benitez was never fully accepted by Chelsea supporters and this weekend he will be trying to dent his former side's chances of getting into the top four.
Live Nissan Super Sunday
Chelsea did their cause no favours by drawing with Huddersfield in midweek and they need to win at St James' Park to have any chance of leapfrogging Liverpool.
This could also be Antonio Conte's final game in charge of Chelsea, with speculation that he might leave in the summer.
"There is a club to judge the situation and then to take the best decision," Conte said after the draw with Huddersfield. Failure to make the top four might make the decision easier.
Will Saints hold firm? (Southampton v Manchester City, Sunday 3pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League)
The celebrations at the final whistle told the story. Southampton's crucial victory over Swansea on Tuesday should be enough to see them stay in the Premier League.
They are three points ahead of their relegation rivals and have a plus-nine superior goal difference, which in effect is 10 as they have also scored 10 more goals than Swansea.
Live Nissan Super Sunday
However, Saints manager Mark Hughes did call for some caution after the win. "There is a little bit of a cushion but we are playing Man City and we have to be careful. If there is one team in this league who has the capability of scoring a lot of goals, it's Man City."
City set a new Premier League record for goals scored in a single season when they beat Brighton 3-1 on Wednesday, and they have more records in their sights, so they might not be letting up with the finish line so close.
Will Bournemouth end Turf Moor hoodoo? (Burnley v Bournemouth, Sunday 3pm)
Bournemouth travel to Burnley on the final day of the season looking to record a first-ever win at Turf Moor.
In total, the Cherries have played 14 times in all competitions at the ground, and are still looking to taste victory there.
That winless run includes six defeats and at no other side have Bournemouth played more without winning in their history.
There's also the matter of money for the Cherries. They could still finish between 10th and 15th in the Premier League, which means they could collect between £22m and £12m.
Will Darren Moore stake his claim further? (Crystal Palace v West Brom, Sunday 3pm)
Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha has said he wants to put "a show on for the fans" against West Brom.
However, that might be easier said than done against a West Brom side who have been revitalised by caretaker manager Darren Moore.
Moore won the Premier League Manager of the Month award for April after guiding the Baggies to victories over Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham.
While even those results were not enough to see the Baggies stay in the Premier League, Moore has a final chance before the summer to stake his claim to be made the next permanent manager.
Will Gunners send Wenger away on a high? (Huddersfield v Arsenal, Sunday 3pm)
As he prepares to bid farewell to Arsenal after 22 years in charge, Arsene Wenger must be desperate to do so with at least a draw on Sunday.
Not only to ensure he doesn't bow out on a losing note, but to bring an end to the Gunners' worst away run in over 50 years.
They have not picked up a point in any of their away games in 2018 and have lost seven straight top-flight away matches for the first time since 1966.
On paper, Huddersfield might be the perfect opposition, having secured their survival in midweek and then stayed in London for the night to celebrate. However, the Terriers might also be keen to keep the celebrations going with a final-day win in front of their own fans.
What team will Jose Mourinho field? (Manchester United v Watford, Sunday 3pm)
Jose Mourinho gave a number of fringe players a run-out against Brighton and made eight changes for the trip to West Ham, so will he field a full-strength team on the final day?
With nothing to play for against Watford, the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 19 might already be dominating Mourinho's thoughts.
United are already without injured leading scorer Romelu Lukaku, but while Mourinho will be concerned about losing more key players ahead of his side's trip to Wembley, he might also want to build some momentum after two defeats in the last four league games.
Live Premier League
Will Swansea give themselves a chance? (Swansea v Stoke, Sunday 3pm)
How times have changed for Swansea. From seemingly being relegated at Christmas, to a Carlos Carvalhal-inspired revival, and back to relegation favourites.
Swansea could not get the result they needed against Southampton in midweek and the 1-0 defeat means they need to not only win on the final day, but hope Southampton lose and that there's a 10-goal swing.
While Manchester City have the potential to inflict a heavy defeat on Southampton, what are Swansea's chances of going big against Stoke?
Judging by their scoring form this season, they look slim. The Swans have failed to score in six of their last eight games and are the lowest scorers in the Premier League with just 27 goals in 37 games.
Will Kane catch Salah? (Tottenham v Leicester, Sunday 3pm)
Harry Kane was on fire this time last year as he scored eight goals in his last three Premier League games to storm to the Golden Boot.
He has not been able to rediscover the same form in the last few weeks despite some seemingly kind fixtures, but his winner against Newcastle in midweek has kept him in with a shout of overhauling Salah as the league's top scorer.
Assuming Salah doesn't score against Brighton, Kane needs a hat-trick against Leicester to draw level. The last time the Golden Boot was shared was in 2010/11 when Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov both finished with 20 goals.
A final hurrah for Moyes or Allardyce? (West Ham v Everton, Sunday 3pm)
What does the summer hold in store for David Moyes and Sam Allardyce?
Both have previously managed the club they come up against this weekend and both could reportedly find their positions at their current clubs under pressure.
Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic in November but has yet to sign a new contract beyond the summer. Allardyce, meanwhile, has struggled to win over Everton fans, even though he has led them to a potential eighth-placed finish.
How could a final-day win affect their futures?
