Breaking Down the Key Premier League Storylines

Manchester City’s dominance at the top of the Premier League table may not leave much doubt in people’s minds about who will win the English title in 2021, but there’s still plenty to look forward to as we near the final stretch of matches this season.

A tight relegation race will see a number of teams battling for survival, while UEFA Champions League and Europa League places will certainly be on the line up until the final day.

Sheffield United has fallen victim to relegation this season after securing just 14 points through 32 matches, but the two remaining relegation spots remain up for grabs despite Fulham and West Bromwich Albion appearing to be the prime contenders.

Let’s dive in further at the two ends of the table and where we need to shift our focus over the last month of the season.

With most clubs having six games remaining on the Premier League docket, only three teams still have a mathematical chance of winning the league this season.

Manchester City have had full control of the title race for much of the year, although rivals United have slowly clawed their way back into the mix and currently sit eight points off their cross-town foe.

The Red Devils are unbeaten in 12 straight league matches under Ole Gunnar Solskjær, including wins over Man City and Tottenham. With matches against Leeds, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Leicester still on the docket, Man United will need to be close to perfect if they want to overcome the deficit City have created.

The Citizens’ run into the final day of the season features fixtures against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Everton, but Pep Guardiola’s number one priority will certainly be Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi finals.

Guardiola and Co. look to win their third PL title in four seasons, while also seeking their first UCL crown, which has eluded the club to this points.

1. MANCHESTER CITY - 74 POINTS

2. MANCHESTER UNITED - 66 POINTS

3. LEICESTER CITY - 56 POINTS

This is where things will definitely get intriguing if you’re a Premier League fan. The top four race is deep at the moment and we have eight clubs still firmly in contention to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea and West Ham have been the leaders for the past month, while Leicester sits just a point ahead of the London sides. With Chelsea’s Champions League obligations, their PL standing may be tough to hold onto, leaving Liverpool a prime contender to sneak into the final top four place.

4. CHELSEA - 55 POINTS

5. WEST HAM - 55 POINTS

6. LIVERPOOL - 53 POINTS

7. TOTTENHAM - 50 POINTS

8. EVERTON - 49 POINTS

9. ARSENAL - 46 POINTS

10. LEEDS UNITED - 46 POINTS

11. ASTON VILLA - 44 POINTS

Sheffield’s lack of goal production has cost them another season in England’s top flight, so that leaves two more relegation spots up for grabs with a month remaining in the PL calendar.

West Bromwich Albion and Fulham are prime candidates to head back to the Championship next season with Sheffield, with both teams having won just five games each, however, the Baggies have managed to win two consecutive games and hold a game in hand over most clubs.

The issue for West Brom is their remaining schedule, which features Leicester, Aston Villa, Wolves, Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham and Leeds. Far from easy for Sam Allardyce’s squad.

Meanwhile, Fulham -- who has one less game than the rest of the field and two less than West Brom -- has its work cut out after picking up a mere four points over the club’s last eight matches.

Burnley remains one of the interesting teams in the mix because they’ll face both Fulham and Sheffield over their last six matches, in addition to tough fixtures against West Ham, Leeds and Liverpool.

12. WOLVES - 41 POINTS

13. CRYSTAL PALACE - 38 POINTS

14. SOUTHAMPTON - 36 POINTS

15. NEWCASTLE - 35 POINTS

16. BRIGHTON - 34 POINTS

17. BURNLEY - 33 POINTS 

18. FULHAM - 27 POINTS

19. WEST BROMWICH ALBION - 24 POINTS

20. SHEFFIELD UNITED - 14 POINTS - RELEGATED