There's a slight sense of anti-climax heading into the final day of the 2023 Premier League with so much settled before all ten games kick-off.
Manchester City have already secured the title and been presented with their Premier League trophy for the fifth in six years, to go along with their 115 charges for rule breaches, predominantly concerning the club’s finances.
City fans and players will no doubt celebrate in their final league game of the season away to Brentford while everyone shrugs and mentally places an asterisk next to their name at the top of the table.
Manchester United’s midweek victory over Chelsea wrapped up the top four race and with it qualification for next season’s Champions League.
A 4-1 win against Frank Lampard’s hapless Chelsea side ended any hope that Liverpool may have harboured of final day drama and the Reds have to settle for Europa League football next season along with Brighton.
There is still some intrigue around the Europa Conference qualifying spot with Tottenham, Aston Villa and Brentford all vying for seventh place, but it’s at the bottom where all the drama and excitement will be.
Southampton are already relegated and planning for life in the Championship but there’s two places left in the bottom three with Everton, Leeds United and Leicester all hoping that they’ll be the side to avoid the drop.
Intriguingly enough all three sides play at home so there’s going to be some wild celebrations and bitter disappointment come the final whistle.
Everton are in the driving seat as things stand and a win against Bournemouth will see them survive regardless of results elsewhere.
The Toffees are 17th on 33 points with Leeds and Leicester both on 31 and all they need to is match or better the results of the other two.
Goal difference will come into play in the case of an Everton draw however. Should the Toffees draw and Leicester win, the Foxes' would stay up on goal difference, while Leeds would need to win by three clear goals to draw level on goal difference and would stay up having scored more goals.
An Everton defeat coupled with wins for Leicester and Leeds would see the Foxes safe unless Leeds can somehow overcome what currently stands at a nine-goal advantage.
Everton appear to have the easier game as they welcome a Bournemouth side who, having secured their place in the Premier League for next season, seem to be on the beach already, having lost their last three games.
The Blues go into the game without striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin or defenders Nathan Patterson and Ben Godfrey.
Toffee's boss Sean Dyche holds out some hope Vitalii Mykolenko – his only remaining full-back on either flank – could return after a two-match absence.
Dyche is already without Seamus Coleman, Ruben Vinagre, Tom Davies and Andros Townsend so more injuries just increase the pressure in an already tough atmosphere on Sunday.
Leicester take on a West Ham side that will have more than one eye on the Europa Conference final and Irons manager David Moyes looks likely to rest some of his bigger players for the show piece in two weeks’ time.
Not having their fate in their own hands is something that manager Dean Smith has to deal with but he’s adamant that his players won’t be distracted by what’s going on elsewhere.
"We have to win the game and not look at the Everton result until after the game," he said.
"We have to do our job and see where it takes us. We can only control what we can do. We have to control our performance, help your team-mates out and go and get a good performance and a win.
The Foxes will be without Caglar Soyuncu, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira will all be fit, having shaken off various knocks. Wilfred Ndidi is a doubt with a hamstring injury.
Leeds meanwhile look to be in the most precarious position as they take on Tottenham and have looked to be a side that’s out on their feet for the last few weeks.
Shipping 11 goals in their last for games and picking up just a single point, they appear to have left it too late to press the Sam Allardyce SOS button.
Injuries to strikers Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo in last week’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham appeared to have dealt Leeds’ survival hopes another blow.
However, Rodrigo returned to training on Friday while Bamford has not yet been ruled out and Allardyce said he would be prepared to take a risk with any of his injured players with so much at stake.
"I’ll gamble on anyone’s fitness if they want to play, if I think they can make a contribution to help us try to win the game," Allardyce said.
"It’s the last game, they will have plenty of time to recover, but there is obviously medical issues where if you play them the risk is too great and a lot of it is up to the player himself."
Regardless of whether or not Leeds survive, Allardyce looks ready to throw his hat into the ring for a more permanent job with Leeds.
"That's to be decided at the end," he said when asked if he's interested in staying on. "It’s always been a case of we will discuss whatever we need to discuss at the end of the season based on where we are.
"Also based on what I think the club needs to go forward and based on what the club thinks and if that’s aligned with each other, then we’ll wait and see.
"But that discussion, it doesn’t happen in a morning or one day, it happens over a period of time and I just hope that we’re talking on a very positive nature on Monday morning and I have a hangover!"
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