Event of the Day: Last day of the Premier League season
Our event of the day is the final day of the Premier League. Today’s matches will determine who will lift the Premier League trophy. Manchester City will look to win back-to-back titles as they travel to Brighton. Meanwhile, Liverpool will look to top their season-long rivals as they welcome Wolves to Anfield. With the day set to be one of the most memorable ends to the Premier League in recent years, you won’t want to be anywhere else. All eyes will be on Anfield and the Amex today as the Premiership season comes to a close. At Anfield, Liverpool welcome Wolves for a crucial season-ender. Currently in second, Liverpool are one point behind Manchester City. With City holding a goal difference of +4 over Liverpool, that leaves the Reds with two paths to the title. The simplest route is for Liverpool to win and for Brighton to either beat City or hold them to a draw. If Wolves hold Liverpool to a draw, the title is still theirs in the unlikely event that Manchester City lose by five or more to Brighton. Wolves, for their part, are guaranteed to finish seventh no matter today’s results which gives them the perfect opportunity to play spoiler. The teams met on December 21st, with Liverpool giving themselves an early Christmas gift as they won 2-0.
However, if the Premiership title eludes them, they will have a chance to take home a trophy this season. They are in the final of the Champions League and will play Tottenham for the top European trophy on June 1st. Meanwhile, down at Brighton’s American Express Community Stadium, Manchester City simply need to match Liverpool’s result to win the title. It would be City’s fourth title of the Premier League era and the first instance of back-to-back titles since Manchester United won three in a row between 2007 and 2009. Brighton, much like Wolves, have their fate sealed for the season. Sitting on thirty-six points, the Seagulls have done just enough to avoid relegation. This means that the best they could do today is play spoiler to City’s title ambitions. An upset would be doubly heart-breaking for the Manchester side, given that Brighton haven’t beaten City in over a decade. If they hold onto first place today, they will have secured two of the three trophies needed for a domestic treble. They will contend for the third in the FA Cup final on May 18th against Watford. But today, it’s all about the Premier League. Two teams will fight for the trophy but only one will win it all. Be sure that you don’t miss any of the action.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to Formula 1, where the Spanish Grand Prix takes place at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló. As has been the story throughout the season so far, Mercedes were the dominant team in qualifying. Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas will begin in pole position for the third consecutive race as he continues to enjoy an excellent season. However, he will face a stiff challenge from his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who starts in second and is the defending champion in Spain. Given how the rivalry between these two teammates has played out so far this season, this is a race you won’t want to miss.. Elsewhere, in the Indian Premier League, the Mumbai Indians face the Chennai Super Kings in the final at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. In the Royal London One-Day Cup, the semifinals take place, with Nottinghamshire hosting Somerset at Trent Brent and Hampshire hosting Lancashire at the Rose Bowl. In the NBA, the conference semifinals come to an end as the Toronto Raptors host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Scotiabank Arena and the Denver Nuggets host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Pepsi Center for a night of thrilling game sevens. In the NHL, the Boston Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes for game two of their conference final, with the Bruins leading 1-0 in the series.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Liverpool, Manchester City