Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest are all battling for three Champions League qualifying spots as the Premier League season reaches a thrilling climax
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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery(Image: The FA via Getty Images)
Martin Keown has tipped Aston Villa to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season.
Unai Emery’s men have registered three straight wins against Fulham, Bournemouth and Tottenham so far this month and are now preparing to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on the final day of the season on Sunday.
Villa are one of five teams battling it out for the final three places in the top-five, behind champions Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal.
They are level on 66 points with third-placed Newcastle and Chelsea, who are in fourth, and one point above sixth-placed Manchester City, who have two matches left to play, and Nottingham Forest, who are in seventh.
Villa could drop to sixth before they face the Red Devils if Manchester City avoid defeat against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
While Villa face United on Sunday, Newcastle tackle Everton, Chelsea face Forest and Manchester City are away to Fulham.
And Keown has backed Villa to defeat Ruben Amorim’s men: “I think Forest won't make it, to be honest,” he told the White and Jordan show on talkSPORT.
“I'm looking at City now and I think ‘Well, do you really want to be going to Bournemouth, well it’s Bournemouth at home, after not getting something at Southampton last time round, just a draw?’
“And then you're playing Fulham, who look how well they played yesterday against Brentford, and they will be like just be signing off a really good season for them.
“So these are two very difficult games, and City find themselves just outside of qualification right now, it's down to them now. A big game coming up for Man City against Bournemouth,
“I'm not sure Forest will have a chance because if Man City can win that game and Aston Villa win theirs. Villa, their last two games of the season have been Spurs and Manchester United they're almost gimmes.
“Man United by then might have a very successful trophy and be in the Champions League the next season. Somehow I think Villa will win that. They look really good at the end of the season.”
Fellow pundit Simon Jordan has doubts about Pep Guardiola’s side. “I think so [between Chelsea and Forest]. I wouldn't be betting on Man City to take anything more than four points out of the two games, and that puts them on 69 points that achieves something for them.
“But I would pick them to win one of those games and possibly lose one, so it puts them on 68 points.
“I think Chelsea and Forest is a fabulous game. You cannot want for a game at the end of the season where you go right up to the last game
“We will have all written Nottingham Forest off and the Nottingham Forest fans would have listened repeatedly and endlessly to people in studios like this constantly saying ‘They're going to fall off, they're going to fall off, they're going to fall off’.
“It will be interesting to see how Chelsea react to it because Chelsea, over three years now of this Boehly project, somewhere along the line, despite all the defence I give them, they do have to deliver an outcome.
“The first outcome they've got to deliver is get in the Champions League this season.
“My gut feeling is that Chelsea get something out of that game. Now I'm not suggesting a win, but I think they get something out of that game.
“Man City have got to bounce back, both of these teams are very difficult teams to play against.”
Who will finish in the top five? Have your say here
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