Depending on results, Manchester City or Liverpool could both find themselves facing Arsenal in a one-off play-off fixture, to determine which team gets the final UEFA Champions League place.

Pep Guardiola’s side lead the Gunners by three points in third currently, with the final league matchday of the season to come on Sunday afternoon.

A bizarre set of results could see a winner-takes-all encounter, at a neutral ground in the next few weeks. Premier League rules state that if two teams end the campaign with the same amount of goals scored (and points, obviously), they “shall be deemed to occupy the same position in the table”.

Liverpool meanwhile in fourth, occupy the final spot ahead of their home match against already-relegated Middlesbrough this weekend. Only a point separates Jurgen Klopp’s men from Arsenal and they need a victory to ensure their place among Europe’s elite next season.

As it stands (from third to fifth), below is the Premier League table –

	Goals for	Goals against	Goal difference	Points	Final game
Man City	75	39	+36	75	Watford (a)
Liverpool	75	42	+33	73	Middlesbrough (h)
Arsenal	74	43	+31	72	Everton (h)

Here’s how a play-off could occur between City and Arsenal:

– If City lose 4-0, or by a four-goal margin against Watford and Arsenal win 1-0 against Everton
– Liverpool’s result against Middlesbrough could prove pivotal if this unlikely set of results occur. If they fail to win, the play-off would become one for a Champions League group stage spot but both teams would qualify whilst Liverpool would drop into the automatic Europa League group stage places.

Here’s how a play-off could occur between Liverpool and Arsenal:

– If Arsenal draw 1-1 with Everton and Liverpool lose 2-0 to Middlesbrough, they would finish level for fourth place
– Other results combinations include: 2-2 Arsenal draw, 3-1 Liverpool defeat and 3-3 Arsenal draw, 4-2 Liverpool loss

If this were to happen, Manchester City would secure a third-placed finish regardless of whether they fail to win against Watford.