With just seven Matchweeks to go in 2025/26, the international break is an opportunity to look at the state of play in the following:
- Title race
- European qualification
- Relegation battle
- Individual awards
Title race
The contest to be crowned Premier League champions has come down to a two-horse race between Arsenal and Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta's side are nine points clear at the summit, but Pep Guardiola's team have a game in hand (at home to Crystal Palace) and will have home advantage when the top two go head-to-head on 19 April in a fixture that looks certain to have huge implications.
The psychological impact of Man City beating Arsenal in Sunday's EFL Cup final could prove significant.
Arsenal, who have finished second in the last three seasons, also have to juggle their Premier League title challenge with matches in the UEFA Champions League.
Man City are now out of the latter competition and have earned a reputation for finishing league campaigns strongly, winning six of the last eight titles since 2017/18.
Race for Europe
It looks highly likely that the Premier League's top five clubs will qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League, with England currently on track to receive an extra place for being first or second in UEFA's coefficients table.
Arsenal and Man City seem almost certain to finish in the top five, while Manchester United and Aston Villa possess a healthy grip on two of the other available spots.
Otherwise, it's all up for grabs, with just seven points separating fifth-placed Liverpool from 13-placed AFC Bournemouth.
If the Premier League does gain a fifth Champions League spot, the team who finish sixth in the table will qualify for the UEFA Europa League – as will the winners of the FA Cup.
As EFL Cup winners, Man City have earned a place in the UEFA Conference League, but that is set to transfer to the seventh-placed Premier League team, with Guardiola’s side on track to qualify for a superior European competition. The identity of this season’s FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League and Conference League winners could also impact matters.
Either way, a host of clubs are now fighting for a chance to play European football next season.
Brentford currently occupy seventh spot in the Premier League table, sitting within one win of fifth place that is highly likely to bring Champions League football. Keith Andrews’ side have never played in Europe during the club’s 134-year history.
Everton, who are level on points with Brentford, have not featured in the Champions League proper since it was known as the European Cup in 1970/71.
Sunderland are bidding to become the first promoted team since Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018/19 to qualify for Europe. They are currently just three points off seventh place.
Relegation battle
Wolves’ recent upturn in form – taking seven points from their last three games – has given them a glimmer of hope in their bid to avoid relegation to the Championship, but they are 13 points away from the safety of 17th place. Burnley are 10 points adrift.
That effectively leaves four clubs – Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United – battling it out to avoid the third and final relegation spot.
Spurs’ 3-0 defeat against Forest last time out extended a Premier League winless run that stretches back to December. The north London club could fall into the relegation zone before their next match, at Sunderland on 12 April, as their rivals West Ham face Wolves two days earlier.
Leeds travel to Spurs on 9 May and then end the season with a trip to West Ham, in a fixture that could prove decisive.
Coca-Cola Golden Boot award
The race to finish this season as the Premier League's highest goalscorer has recently been getting closer.
Igor Thiago has moved just three goals behind the leader Erling Haaland.
Having claimed the award in two of his three previous seasons at Man City, Haaland has 22 goals this campaign, but only three of those have come since Christmas.
Thiago has been a revelation at Brentford, scoring 19 goals to earn his first call-up to the Brazil national squad.
The gap to Antoine Semenyo (15), Joao Pedro (14) and Danny Welbeck (12) looks insurmountable at this late stage.
Coca-Cola Golden Playmaker award
Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes stands head and shoulders above his competitors as the player with the most assists this season.
He has assisted 16 goals so far, double the number of his closest challenger, Man City's Rayan Cherki, on eight.
The main question now is whether Fernandes can break the all-time record for Premier League assists in one season, jointly held at 20 by Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20).
Coca-Cola Golden Glove award
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has a comprehensive lead at the top of the clean sheets chart as he looks to complete a hat-trick of Coca-Cola Golden Glove awards.
After shutting out the Gunners' last two league opponents, Raya has kept 15 clean sheets so far in 2025/26. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Man City) and Jordan Pickford (Everton) are his closest challengers this season on 11, while Dean Henderson (Palace) has 10.
Raya is therefore on track to win the award he claimed outright in 2023/24 and shared with Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels in 2024/25.