Preview provided by Louie Smith
It’s been an unforgettable Premier League campaign and one that has thrown up so many shocks with Leicester City winning the league, Chelsea’s catastrophic title defence and giants Aston Villa and Newcastle being relegated.
And as usual it’s a sad time for football fans as the season draws to a close [Thank god for the Euro’s].
The final day of the Premier League will be a slight anti-climax with many clubs having nothing to play for, however here’s five reasons to watch the season finale this weekend:
John Terry’s Farewell - Chelsea take on newly crowned champions Leicester City and whilst JT won’t be able to play due to suspension, he will still be saying farewell to the Chelsea fans post match.
John Terry’s career hasn’t been without it's controversies, but it’s a well-known fact he’s one of the best defenders to grace the division. Much like when Scholes, Gerrard, Beckham and Lampard left, it signals the end of an era and he’s certainly cemented his legacy at Chelsea.
Chelsea could still decide to make a u-turn and keep Terry, but at the moment, it looks as if he’s heading for the Chinese Super League. The Chelsea die-hard fans will have big tributes planned for the long-serving defender in what will be an emotional farewell, which you won’t want to miss on Saturday.
Top Four Race - It’s been more of a stumble than a race, and fourth spot is still up for grabs on the last day, however you’d fancy Manchester City to get over the line ahead of City rivals United.
Louis Van Gaal’s army squandered a golden opportunity to take fourth spot in mid-week, when a trip to West Ham’s Boleyn Ground was too much to handle and they lost 3-2 in a heated atmosphere, as The Hammers gave their stadium of 112 years the perfect send off.
That defeat means if City don’t lose to Swansea they will all but secure Champions League football [Pep Guardiola breathes sigh of relief] however United will be keen to take advantage if City fail, when they take on Bournemouth at home this weekend. The race for top four is still on, but let’s say United have their legs tied together at the moment.
Manager’s Exodus - For every overachiever, there's an underachiever and whilst teams like Leicester, Spurs, and West Ham have thrived this season, Chelsea and Everton are just two that have declined.
We already know Guus Hiddink isn’t staying at Chelsea and he might not be the only manager participating in his last Premier League game. In breaking news, Everton's Roberto Martinez has just been sacked, meaning there's already a high-profile club looking for new management.
Another Spaniard in danger is Watford’s Quique Sanchez Flores, despite what many outsiders feel has been a great season for The Hornets, the club's owners are discontent with the second half of the season and it’s expected he’ll be sacked in the off-season.
Rafa Benitez makes it a hat-trick of Spaniard’s expected to depart, however in a completely different scenario. With Newcastle relegated many feel Benitez will have too many big offers to hang around on Tyneside, but who knows, perhaps he can be persuaded to endure Burton Albion away.
We’ll also be saying goodbye to Manuel Pellegrini, as he prepares to make way for Pep Guardiola, although if you believe rumours we may be seeing the Chilean in the Premier League next year just with a different club.
Ranieri Returns a Champion - As John Terry says goodbye, the man who gave him his first Chelsea opportunity, Claudio Ranieri returns to Stamford Bridge as a Premier League winner.
It’s the sort of story only the footballing gods could conjure up, and as well as the tributes for JT, a few Blues supporters are bound to pay homage to Claudio and congratulate the Italian on what he’s accomplished.
Some fans will feel it’s embarrassing considering Chelsea were the reigning champions, however, most people won’t begrudge the Leicester manager’s fairytale story, in what will be a fascinating climax to The Foxes historical season.
Witness How the Mighty have Fallen - Aston Villa will be keen to end their torment as they close out a horrific season which has seen them relegated from the Premier League for the first time.
With the way they have failed to put up any kind of fight and under the current ownership you have to really fear for the Birmingham club’s future, and a bounce-back isn’t guaranteed, so you may want to catch their last top flight game for awhile when they take on Arsenal away. [Good luck lads]
Villa will be joined in the Championship by Newcastle United, a club who are used to underachieving and have been in this predicament before. Once again, questionable ownership and poor decisions have seen the north-east club spiral out of control and they face Tottenham in their last fixture.
Both clubs are bound to participate in heavy protests against their ownership, and the ugly scenes that unfold could make for interesting viewership.
5 Reasons to Watch the BPL this Weekend
Admin
Thursday, 12 May 2016
