Villa, Forest, Newcastle? Our experts predict who will make the top five ...Middle East

The Premier League title race might be all but over but there is still lots to play for before the season’s end.

With Liverpool needing just a point from the remaining five games to be crowned champions, Arsenal look set to finish runners-up for the third consecutive campaign.

Below them, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa are all in the hunt for Champions League football next season.

On paper Pep Guardiola’s men appear to have the most forgiving of run-ins, but could one of the other teams pip them to third?

The i Paper asked our football writers to predict who will finish where in the top five, with explanations for their selections.

Kevin Garside, chief sports correspondent

Congratulations to Liverpool, who were devastating before Christmas to establish a lead and when cracks began to appear settled them without fuss.

Arsenal’s progression in the Champions League shows how good they can be at their best, but over the grind of a Premier League season, they proved once again to be a goalscorer shy of the ultimate prize.

My tea leaves were pointing at Manchester City, who have the easiest run-in, claiming third before the last-breath win over Aston Villa. The same leaves suggest Nottingham Forest, who have three winnable matches, will be joining them in the Champions League next season, reward for the sheer cheek of blowing up the “pass-pass-pass” playbook of Pep Guardiola.

So it comes down to a run-off between Newcastle, Chelsea and Villa to determine the final Champions League spot. Chelsea are away at Newcastle and Forest. Win them and into the Champions League they go.

Lose them and… Newcastle face losable trips to Brighton and Arsenal, but, the Villa beating apart, have been impressive. Villa did not deserve to lose to City and have the most straightforward run-in of the trio, yet alas, have perhaps flowered too late. So my top five looks like this…

Predicted top five:

Sam Cunningham, chief football correspondent

I went through every team’s fixtures predicting a win, lose, draw, then added the totals to their current points, and voila. Probably not what Nottingham Forest fans want to read, but this is what my unproven and untested formula produced.

Manchester City have a relatively straightforward remaining run-in following that important win against Aston Villa. I feel they will have enough nous and experience to secure a “disastrous” third-place in the league. And while Newcastle were surprisingly thrashed by Villa at the weekend, after six straight wins they should have enough in the sails to carry them into fourth.

Incredible. pic.twitter.com/6IWLKHSuck

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 22, 2025

What of the final Champions League place? Villa are currently trailing the pack, but had been flying until defeat to City. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Forest are stumbling.

I feel for Forest fans, but by my back-of-a-fag-packet calculations they are narrowly, agonisingly missing out – by three points – on the Champions League football the club deserve. That said, Chelsea and Forest are hugely unpredictable, so who knows what will happen…

Predicted top five:

George Simms, sports news reporter

The Champions League race has long been the only thing propping up Premier League viewing figures, and luckily for the poor TV executives it is still far from decided.

Assuming Liverpool and Arsenal are safe in the top two, third is where it gets interesting. Even having been thumped by Aston Villa, Newcastle still have the form, players and spirit to come out on top, ahead of a Nottingham Forest side who can limp over the line thanks to some very generous fixtures. Their recent slump can be explained in part by tough games.

In the fifth and final spot, Manchester City’s added-time victory over Aston Villa might well be the difference. Their remaining four games are kind, and their late-season redemption arrived just in time. Villa are the form team but have four games left you would ideally avoid at crunch time.

And for Chelsea, there is a temptation to suggest the Fulham comeback could provide some great inspiration, but it won’t. This is a dysfunctional, stunted team with some horrendous fixtures and the Conference League on their mind. It won’t take much of a push from below for them to slip below seventh – don’t be too shocked if they don’t pick up another point.

Predicted top five:

Oliver Young-Myles, football reporter

Manchester City tend to find a way to drag themselves over the line when there are prizes to be had.

Securing a top-five finish is infinitely less glamorous than winning the title but Pep Guardiola’s wild celebrations after Matheus Nunes’ last-gasp winner against Villa suggested the fire is still raging. With favourable fixtures (including three guaranteed points against Southampton) and Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell tour providing further motivation, I expect them to finish third.

Only City (with 34 goals) have outscored Newcastle (30 goals) in the Premier League in 2025 and that firepower should see them clinch fourth. Harvey Barnes is electric, Jacob Murphy is inspired and Alexander Isak is contributing goals and assists despite not being in peak form.

I expect the Magpies to beat all of Ipswich, Chelsea and Everton at St James’ Park and take at least two points from their two away games at Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal.

Nottingham Forest have a reasonable looking run-in and will be revitalised after Monday’s win against Tottenham Hotspur. Nevertheless, I can see them wobbling more than the other two with their next two games against Brentford (beaten just once in their last eight away matches) and Crystal Palace (10 points from their last 12 available at Selhurst Park) both potential banana skins.

Fortunately, Forest also have Leicester City, West Ham and Chelsea still to play and will take enough points from them to pip Aston Villa to the final slot, with Chelsea slipping to seventh.

Predicted top five:

Michael Hinks, freelance sports writer

Manchester City somehow got themselves into this conversation but they have four winnable fixtures left and Guardiola will be determined he doesn’t experience even fourth – never mind sixth – for the first time as a manager.

They really shouldn’t stumble from here though, while Tuesday’s win felt like the killer blow to Aston Villa’s chances.

Villa are playing catch-up and fifth now looks a tall order, but when looking at Manchester United and Tottenham’s Europa League campaigns there is a bittersweet element to them missing out, as under Unai Emery – and with this season’s Champions League run under their belt – they have a brilliant chance of silverware if they drop down a European competition or two.

I therefore have Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea scrapping it out for the remaining two places, and though the points gap below suggests it won’t even go to the final day, that is only because I have Chelsea – who I’m struggling to believe are even in with a shout still – losing at both Newcastle and Forest.

Having recently witnessed the rising nerves at the City Ground first-hand though, previous results going another way could easily make Forest’s match with Chelsea on the final Sunday a straight shootout for fifth. It would be a terrible match, but one with huge consequences, and count me in the crowd that want Forest to disrupt the status quo and get over the line.

Predicted top five:

It feels strange to think of Manchester City finishing in the top three when there were times this season it did not look like they would scrape into the top six. Yet they have a favourable run-in and they are hitting their stride at the right time of year again – it’s just that this time the stakes are not so high.

Nottingham Forest appeared to be doing the exact opposite but they gave a glimpse in the win over Tottenham of how they plan to grit their teeth and bear the final few weeks of their extraordinary European push. It is unlikely to be pretty but Nuno Espirito Santo-ball can get them over the line.

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Had Newcastle not been beaten 4-1 at Aston Villa, their place alongside them would be in little doubt. Before that and since winning the Carabao Cup, they have scored 15 goals in five games. Their toughest game is at the Emirates but they have a recent history of causing Arsenal problems, winning three of their last four encounters.

Chelsea just haven’t been clinical enough to warrant a Champions League spot and Aston Villa will pay the price too for struggling to fight on four fronts.

Predicted top five:

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