The English Premier League finishing line is in sight this weekend, with three rounds left to play in a season that has already seen matters decided at both top and bottom.
That leaves the squabble for European qualification places firmly in the spotlight.
And what a blockbuster it might have been at Anfield on Sunday, if Arsenal could have maintained their EPL title charge into the final stretch.
Freshly crowned champions Liverpool will instead welcome the Gunners to Merseyside, a fortnight on from their raucous celebrations on home turf having blitzed all before them in Arne Slot’s debut season since replacing Jurgen Klopp at the helm of the Reds.
Mikel Arteta now even has to look over his shoulder, with the chasing pack now looking to pip his side to the second-placed post thanks to an iffy run of form.
Newcastle and Chelsea are locked together on 63 points and contest what is the game of the Premier League day on Sunday lunchtime.
The pair collide at St James’ Park just four points shy of the Gunners, with a victory for either likely to prove a telling blow in the continental shakeup.
It’s quite the opposite situation at Old Trafford later in the afternoon, where Manchester United host West Ham while finding themselves in the bizarre mission to finish higher than fourth from bottom in the EPL.
With a Uefa Europa League run trying desperately to paper over the cracks for the Red Devils, boss Ruben Amorim comes into this one knowing a 17th league defeat of a miserable campaign would, could see them trade places with the Hammers.
Vising chief Graham Potter could use the points, too, with a sense of gloom permeating the east London air despite there being no threat of relegation.
Sandwiched between the sorry pair are Tottenham, who have collected just a single point from their last four Premier League outings.
They have a London derby at home to Crystal Palace on their hands, although boss Ange Postecoglou will fancy his chances as the mid-table Eagles appear to have piled all their eggs into their FA Cup final basket.
Back at the right end of the table, Nottingham Forest attempt to resuscitate their unlikely Uefa Champions League qualification charge against doomed Leicester.
Forest come into the weekend within striking distance of the third place they have held for much of the campaign, but are in the worst form of the chasing pack at precisely the wrong time.
Manchester City are the team in possession and have first swing at getting closer to the line, when they play one of five Saturday fixtures away to bottom club Southampton.
While the Saints can’t wait for their top flight torment to end, Pep Guardiola’s deposed champions have revived their fortunes following a horror mid-season slump.
City had at one point looked like missing out on Europe altogether – perish the thought – but four wins on the spin have thrust them into pole position to topple Arsenal at the last.
Aston Villa are the final side in with a chance of finishing in the top four, with a trip south to Bournemouth for the late Saturday EPL kick off their next assignment.
A narrow loss at City is the only blemish on Villa’s recent record as they finish strongly, while the Cherries have shown enough green shoots of spring recovery to remain in with a shout of making next season’s Uefa Conference League.
Three other clubs join Andoni Iraola’s men in hoping a late push will see them packing their bags for foreign fields next term.
Brighton can’t shake the sense of nearly-but-not-quite as they go to Wolves, whose own sparkling run of results was brought to a halt by the only goal at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
Fans of Brentford could have been forgiven for feeling much the same.
But three wins on the spin ahead of their trek east to relegated Ipswich means there are still grounds for optimism for boss long-serving boss Thomas Frank and Co.
And there’s even a shout for 11th-placed Fulham, although things would have been a damn sight easier had they not lost three of their last four games.
But boss Marco Silva does have the added incentive of getting one over on his former club, as David Moyes bring his Everton to the genteel surroundings of Craven Cottage for an end-of-term knockabout.
Fixtures and results
Latest table
All latest EPL Predictions
Fulham v Everton
| Result prediction | Fulham to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Fulham / Fulham to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Ipswich Town v Brentford
| Result prediction | Brentford to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Ipswich Town / Brentford to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Y. Wissa(Brentford) K. Schade(Brentford) |
Southampton v Manchester City
| Result prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester City / Manchester City to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion
| Result prediction | Wolverhampton Wanderers to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion / Wolverhampton Wanderers to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | J. Strand Larsen(Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
AFC Bournemouth v Aston Villa
| Result prediction | Aston Villa to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Aston Villa / Aston Villa to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Evanilson(AFC Bournemouth) |
Newcastle United v Chelsea
| Result prediction | Newcastle United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Newcastle United / Newcastle United to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | A. Isak(Newcastle United) H. Barnes(Newcastle United) |
Manchester United v West Ham United
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester United / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | J. Bowen(West Ham United) |
Nottingham Forest v Leicester City
| Result prediction | Nottingham Forest to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Nottingham Forest to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace
| Result prediction | Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Tottenham Hotspur / Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | E. Eze(Crystal Palace) |
Liverpool v Arsenal
| Result prediction | Liverpool to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Liverpool to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | L. Díaz(Liverpool) L. Trossard(Arsenal) |