Matchweek 38 of the Premier League will be unique and not just because it marks the final round of the season.
It is also the only day in the schedule when all 10 fixtures kick off at the same time, on Sunday at 16:00 BST.
This is done to retain the integrity of the competition when so many teams have something at stake, such as a top-five place and qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
By having all the matches kick off at the same time, the jeopardy for each team is higher.
If a team were to play their final fixture after a rival had completed their last match, they could have the unfair advantage of knowing what they need to achieve their objectives.
Of course, it is feasible that players on the pitch will learn of the scores in simultaneous matches, either through colleagues on the bench or fans in the stands. But as we saw in the 2011/12 Premier League title race, when Sergio Aguero scored the stoppage-time goal that meant Manchester City were crowned champions, things can easily change at any time.
It has not always been the case that the final fixtures have kicked off at the same time or even on the same day.
In the inaugural 1992/93 campaign, the Premier League season finished with two matches on Tuesday 11 May. The four clubs involved, Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur and QPR v Sheffield Wednesday, had also played during the preceding weekend when all 22 teams were in action, with 11 matches being split across the Saturday (nine) and Sunday (two).
In 1994/95, 10 of the final 11 fixtures were played on Sunday 14 May, when Blackburn Rovers pipped Manchester United to the title on a dramatic last day. Wimbledon faced Nottingham Forest in their final fixture on the previous day.
The following season, all matches kicked off at the same time on Sunday 5 May 1996 and the tradition has been maintained ever since, apart from in 2015/16 when Man Utd v AFC Bournemouth was postponed due to a bomb scare and was played two days later.
This year, all matches will kick off at 16:00 BST, but that has not always been the case. In some previous years, 15:00 BST has been the simultaneous start time on the final day.