Premier League: 7 Absolutely Pointless Things Still to Play for on the Final Day

It's perhaps just as well the title race is still alive, because outside of that, there isn't really all that much to play for going into the final day of the season.

Wait, who am I kidding? Of course there is. 


​Battle for Eighth Place

Namplayas Mendy,Kurt Zouma

​Wolves will finish seventh, meaning there is no more European football up for grabs through the Premier League. So we move down the ladder, now looking at that all-important-except-not-really battle for the nothingness of eighth place.

​Everton and ​Leicester are the two sides in with a chance of bagging that non-existent accolade, with Watford in with a fleeting shout if they can generate a 12 goal swing at home to West Ham. But Brendan Rodgers and Marco Silva - both keen to mark their first seasons in charge with a strong finish - are the two who will be laser - focused on finishing as best of the rest (of the rest).


Best Defensive Record

Virgil van Dijk,Salomon Rondon

​Liverpool and ​Manchester City have both boasted terrific defensive records so far this season, each having conceded just 22 goals, and the Reds in particular have prided themselves on the transformative defensive impacts Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker have made to their side. 

It would probably give City some satisfaction if they could finish with a better defensive record over the 38 games, then, and would come as the latest of many, many signs that show just how good they are domestically. However, you'd speculate this comes as secondary to, y'know, actually winning the thing.


Most Assists 

Eden Hazard,Abdoulaye Doucoure

'Assists are just as important as goals,' someone probably once lied. 

Eden Hazard leads the charts with 15 Premier League assists just now, while Ryan Fraser pursues closely with 14. Further down the food chain, Christian Eriksen has registered 12, and Liverpool full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson follow in at 11 apiece. 

Can't wait to see who wins this one, and then leaves for Real Madrid. 


Best of the Bottom Half

Michail Antonio

Those teams who are in no danger of relegation but also don't threaten the European places with their presence. You know the ones; West Ham, Crystal Palace and the likes.

Well, they have nothing to play for at this point, so we'll make something up for them. They can fight it out for that coveted 11th place finish, which is almost like 1st, if you squint. 


Battle to Not Be 17th

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg,Davy Propper

Let's face it - Huddersfield, Fulham, and Cardiff (to a lesser extent with the latter, but not unfounded) have been a bit guff. So much so that no-one else can mathematically join them on their trip south of the divide. 

Considering Brighton can't get to that 40 point barrier, and Southampton need a win (over Huddersfield, granted) to break it, it's perhaps lucky for the south coast contingent that there have been worse teams this season - but they will now shoot it out to save some face and avoid finishing in 17th place. 


Battle For ​Second Top Scorer

FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-LEICESTER

Mohamed Salah's 22 goals will probably be enough to secure a second successive golden boot. Not bad for a one season wonder, eh?

Trying to prevent that will be his team-mate Sadio Mane, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Barring any of those three hitting a hat-trick, however, it will turn into a battle for who finishes as Salah's runner up, and have that accolade immediately forgotten about forever.

Still, four players hitting north of 20 goals isn't a bad return at all.


The Right to Brag About Costing Someone the Title

Jonny Otto,Leander Dendoncker

If Manchester City win against Brighton, they will win the title. If Liverpool beat Wolves and City drop points, Liverpool will win the title. There are some other permutations, with goal difference even a possible (if unlikely) consideration, but whichever way you spin it, both Wolves and Brighton have the chance to finish off their league season on a high by costing someone the title. 

Wolves knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup earlier this season, but with the final of that competition on the horizon, they probably won't put too much stock in potentially upsetting the Reds again, though it would be the perfect statement to end on. Brighton, however, would go into full party mode if they were to get revenge on their FA Cup semi-final conquerors and cost them the title at the final hurdle. 

Imagine they both won though - how underwhelming would that be? 


Source : 90min