There are three Premier League giants going into the final game of the season with their hopes of Champions League football dependent on the outcome.
But what is at stake for Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal should they fall short?
Manchester City
- 3rd in the Premier League
- Will spend big after title failure this season
- Key players tied down to long contracts
Pep Guardiola’s men are in for a drastic overhaul of the squad in the summer regardless of the outcome of their Champions League pursuit. They have a number of players out of contract and a lot are expected to come in. The Sky Blues could be the biggest spenders ahead of the 2017/18 season as Guardiola will be heavily backed to win some silverware.
This season is one of failure for Manchester City but the manager’s job isn’t in danger. The club believe he can transform City into a world-beating outfit and attaining Champions League football is vital to attracting the top players to achieve this. Financially, Champions League football neither makes nor breaks Manchester City, but merely is a vehicle in which to sign the best players on the market.
Liverpool
- 4th in the Premier League
- Transfer targets don’t consider Liverpool attractive
- Future of Coutinho dependent on Champions League football
Liverpool are more reliant on finishing in a Champions League place this season given it’s been three years since they were last in the top-four. The Reds can’t afford to slip out of Europe this time as manager Jurgen Klopp wants to hold on to his best players and attract a higher calibre through the door. With only one top-four finish since 2009, Liverpool’s reputation has diminished and the players they can now attract reflects that.
Missing out on the Champions League will mean Liverpool will once again struggle to sign the elite stars in the summer, potentially making up the mind of Liverpool forward Coutinho to leave in search for a club moving forward. The manager’s future looks set to be in Merseyside regardless, and finishing in the Champions League in his first full season would certainly strengthen his position to be backed heavily in the transfer market.
Arsenal
- 5th in the Premier League
- Manager’s future unknown
- Ozil and Sanchez could leave in the summer
While historic under manager Arsene Wenger if Arsenal missed out on a Champions League place, the club are healthy financially. However, the playing squad could look a lot different if made to settle for Europa League football next season. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez would almost certainly leave in the summer while Wenger would be on the end of vociferous protests from supporters.
Losing such key players would give the Gunners a task to replace them without having Champions League football to lure them in. Wenger has always used the top-four as a defence for a lack of major honours in the last decade, but his position could be almost untenable should Arsenal miss out. There will be players who coul avoid the Emirates if they see Ozil and Sanchez leaving after a failure to seal Champions League football.