A few weeks ago, the top-four race looked to be a foregone conclusion, with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool expected to join Manchester United and champions Manchester City in the top echelons of the Premier League.

However, a resurgence from Chelsea means that the chase will go down to the final day of the season.

Antonio Conte’s side have won their last four top-flight matches, the most recent of which was a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

Olivier Giroud scored the only goal of what turned out to be a comfortable contest against the Champions League finalists.

The Blues have two more games left to play – against Huddersfield and Newcastle United – and they need to win both to have a chance of moving from fifth to fourth.

As it stands, Chelsea sit two points adrift of Tottenham and three behind third-placed Liverpool, who have just one match left on their league calendar.

If Jurgen Klopp’s men beat Brighton on the final day of the campaign, then they are pretty much guaranteed a Champions League spot due to their superior goal difference over Chelsea (+15).

Like the Blues, Tottenham have two games to play – against Newcastle United and Leicester City – but their top-four hopes took a hit following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men realistically need four points from their remaining fixtures barring a goal fest from Chelsea.

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It is also worth noting that all three could end up playing Champions League football next season if Liverpool finish outside of the top four but end up beating Real Madrid in the final.

With all the facts laid bare, which club are likely to come last in the race?

Let us know by voting below…

James Milner has always been regarded as a reliable and hard-working footballer, and this season in particular, he has thrived for Liverpool.

Last season, the midfielder, who signed for the Reds from Manchester City in 2015, was forced out of position.

Manager Jurgen Klopp opted to play the 32-year-old as a left-back ahead of Alberto Moreno.

Without any complaints, Milner took on the role and did a solid job before reverting back to midfield for the 2017-18 campaign.

This season, the former England international has started 25 appearances in all competitions, including 16 starts in the Premier League.

While Milner may not have been a regular starter, he has been crucial in the club reaching the Champions League final, which will take place in Kiev against Real Madrid on May 26.

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In total, the midfielder, who has become a hit on social media since joining Twitter, has created 11 assists and scored one goal.

The 32-year-old will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and Liverpool fans have been discussing Milner’s future on Reddit.

Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.Comment from discussion Friendly reminder that James Milner hasn’t renewed his contract yet :(.

Everton ended what has been a hugely disappointing Premier League season in eighth position despite a 3-1 defeat against West Ham United at the London Stadium, and it was a match that highlighted one of their main issues this term.

With Seamus Coleman and Ramiro Funes Mori out with long-term injuries and Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams past their best, it was clear that the Toffees needed to strengthen their backline last summer, but the only additions to the squad were Michael Keane and Cuco Martina, with the main focus appearing to be on strengthening the attack.

The lack of work on the defence – only Keane out of the two new signings would have been viewed as being a regular – certainly came back to bite the Merseyside outfit in the early weeks of the campaign as they struggled down the wrong end of the table.

Martina would have been brought in as a back-up player, but he ended up being a regular in the XI at right-back and then left-back when Leighton Baines picked up an injury.

While he sometimes did a solid enough job, the fact that Everton were starting a player than often failed to make the squad for Southampton in the 2016/17 campaign summed up the predicament they were in.

At the heart of the defence things we even worse, with Keane struggling to replicate the form he had shown for Burnley previously, and Williams and Jagielka continuing to show that the best years of their career are behind them.

Youngsters like Mason Holgate and Jonjoe Kenny also came in and did well, but they shouldn’t be regulars in an XI for a club that is looking to seriously challenge the top six clubs in the Premier League – that is what owner Farhad Moshiri wants, as shown by his investment in the playing squad last summer.

Things certainly improved from a defensive point of view for a time when Sam Allardyce took the reins at the end of November – they only conceded twice in his first seven matches in charge in all competitions – but heavy defeats on the road against Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal soon followed in 2018.

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Williams had largely been a regular in the back four with Keane under Allardyce, but a sending off in March in the 2-1 defeat to Burnley proved to be a turning point for player and manager, with the 63-year-old omitting him from the matchday squad for the rest of the season.

Jagielka replaced him and Baines and Coleman soon retook their place in the defence when they returned from injury, and while they looked ok defensively, it still wasn’t great.

In the final game of the season against West Ham on Sunday, their defensive frailties were shown as Allardyce decided to go with a 5-3-2 formation, with Keane, Jagielka and Funes Mori in a three-man defence and Coleman and Baines as wing-backs.

Funes Mori was hauled off at half-time on his first Premier League start of the season, while the likes of Keane, Jagielka and Baines all failed to impress.

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If Everton are to line up with four at the back next term – with or without Allardyce with many fans hoping on Twitter it is the latter – many would probably say that Coleman is the only one that would be a guaranteed a spot in the starting XI.

While Keane may or may not be a regular pick – he probably deserves the benefit of the doubt given it has been a tough campaign for everyone – that still leaves the Merseyside outfit with plenty of work to do in the window.

There is no way that Jagielka, Baines, Williams or Funes Mori should be starting the campaign in the back four, and that means the club needs at least one – and preferably two – centre-backs, while they also potentially need two new left-backs depending on what is going to happen with the likes of Luke Garbutt and Brendan Galloway.

Building a new-look defence could be what Everton need to move on to try and compete for a top-six finish in the future, and it must be the priority for Moshiri and Co when the transfer window opens this week.

When the transfer window opens, rumours begin flying all over the place.

Manchester City are expected to be heavy hitters in the window as they try to build on their Premier League title success.

The North-West outfit certainly have the funds to bring in some fresh talent, and it seems that Real Madrid star Isco is on the list.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the attacking midfielder is a priority target for manager Pep Guardiola, who could nab Isco’s services for a £70m fee plus add-ons.

Transfermarkt, though, rates the player at around £67.5m following a season that saw him score nine goals and create 10 assists in 48 appearances in all competitions.

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The Spanish publication reports that Isco will push for a transfer if Zinedine Zidane does not make him feel like a valuable member of the team.

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This suggests that the Spaniard’s camp could be trying to persuade Los Blancos into providing their client with a better contract.

Plenty of City fans have been left unconvinced by the speculation, while others would love Isco to join the club this summer.

Left-back Luke Shaw is ready to fight for his Manchester United place and remain at Old Trafford beyond next summer, according to the Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, the Manchester Evening News report that the Red Devils have absolutely no plans to sell pacy wideman Anthony Martial in this transfer window.

What’s the story, then?

The Mail report that despite Shaw’s issues with Jose Mourinho in the past two seasons, the England international is prepared to stay and fight to get back into the first team at Old Trafford, as he goes into the final year of his contract.

The MEN say that Martial remains very much in Mourinho’s plans for next season and that the former Inter manager will only sanction a transfer if the Frenchman demands it.

Shaw and Martial can add pace and youth

Ashley Young has shown impressive professionalism and adaptability to establish himself as United’s first choice left back but he is nothing more than a quick fix; Shaw’s potential is much greater and the fact he wants to stay and fight shows the attitude Mourinho is looking for.

Martial has Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford to battle past to make the United first team and while that may mean that he doesn’t start every week, the Frenchman should see more gametime.

Before Shaw broke his leg early on in the 2015/16 season, he was forging an impressive link-up with Memphis Depay, another pacy wide forward who likes to cut inside from the left and there is no reason why he could do similar with Martial.

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This United team lacks pace and intensity in a major way; Young cannot provide it as well as Shaw could while Martial deserves more opportunities to play in front of him.

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It’s hard not to take The Sun’s claims that Bayern Munich are eyeing Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a pinch of salt. The red top have never been the most reliable of sources and although he’s missed the vast majority of the current season through injury, the Bundesliga champions happen to have probably the most dominant goalkeeper of the last half-decade at their disposal in the monolithic Manuel Neuer.

But could there be a scenario in which Bayern sanction the 75-cap international’s departure, and where could Everton turn should the German giants match their reported expectation of doubling the £30million spent on Pickford last summer? Football FanCast take a look at a transfer chain reaction that could see some of the best goalkeepers from the Premier League and yonder shuffle around Europe…

Real Madrid swoop for De Gea

It’s been a hot topic in transfer columns since that infamous fax machine mix up in summer 2015 but with Zinedine Zidane out of the way, there’s nobody really left at Real Madrid to stop Florentino Perez moving heaven and earth to bring David De Gea back to the Spanish capital.

The former Atletico Madrid star represents one of the few upgrades the European champions can make on their first XI in terms of individual ability, but Manchester United will inevitably be reluctant to part with their talismanic shotstopper without a replacement lined up first, which brings us nicely onto…

Man United sign Manuel Neuer

The Sun sensationally claim there are doubts over Neuer’s future at Bayern Munich following a campaign which ended in September with a serious foot injury. It seems absurd considering the 32-year-old is unquestionably one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the very best.

But it’s also not the only report claiming the Bavarians will look to make significant changes to their squad this summer with The Daily Mail reporting that Jerome Boateng, Arturo Vidal, Thiago and Juan Bernat could be leaving the Allianz Arena as well. There are few goalkeepers United would feel comfortable replacing De Gea with, but the German World Cup winner is certainly one of them.

Bayern snap up Pickford

It would represent a remarkable rise for Pickford since first becoming a regular for relegated Sunderland during the 2016/17 season, which was only really due to a Vito Mannone injury. But the World Cup has often been a transformative tournament for players on the cusp of their peaks and Pickford has certainly grown into his role as England’s No.1 during his last few outings – especially in terms of distribution.

Of course, his capacity to impress will be largely dependent on the Three Lions’ progress, so the Bayern deal is certainly still in the category of wishful thinking.

Everton replace Pickford with Butland

In terms of who could quickly replace Pickford at Goodison, Jack Butland is probably the most obvious and obtainable option. There’s no doubt he’s far too talented for the Championship – even if he’s currently behind Pickford in Southgate’s pecking order – so the 25-year-old will expect to leave the Bet 365 Stadium come the end of the summer transfer window, even if that requires waiting until after the World Cup.

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Transfermarkt value him at £19.8million and Stoke aren’t in a position to particularly push up on that valuation after their relegation. The only problem is whether Everton will find competition for Butland’s services from Liverpool – Loris Karius’ Champions League howler has only amplified their need for a dependable goalkeeper.

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Victor Wanyama’s thunderbolt against Liverpool at Anfield will go down as one of the goals of the season for Tottenham Hotspur fans.

However, there is a chance that the Kenyan will not be producing such magic in the future as he has been linked with a move away from the North London outfit.

According to German publication Bild, Borussia Dortmund are looking at the 26-year-old as a possible target to bolster the midfield.

The powerhouse was struck down with injury in the first half of the season, but he failed to win back a regular spot in the team when he returned to fitness.

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In total, Wanyama started just eight Premier League matches and came off the bench in a further 10.

It is unclear whether he will have a dominant role in Mauricio Pochettino’s team for the 2018-19 campaign, but there is a chance that the club will be without Mousa Dembele.

If Tottenham lose two midfielders then they need to make sure that adequate replacements are bought.

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Given how Wanyama played a bit-part role in the second half of last season, should Spurs consider selling?

Let us know by voting below…

West Ham United have been linked with a surprising move for Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze, according to Sky Sports.The German World Cup hero was not long ago touted as one of the finest young players in Europe, but he has since been troubled by a number of injuries that have halted his progress.Gotze made a big move to Bayern Munich back in 2013 but soon headed back to Dortmund after he failed to make a serious impression.The playmaker is only 26 and has plenty of years left in him, but his luck needs to change with injuries for him to reach his full potential.If West Ham want the World Cup winner, they’ll have to see off interest from Arsenal, Everton, Marseille and Valencia, according to Sky Sports.However, West Ham fans have reacted to the news with derision, not believing their team has any chance of sealing what would be the transfer story of the summer.

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Leeds United are interested in signing Hull City winger Jarrod Bowen, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.

What’s the story?

21-year-old Bowen signed for Hull City in 2014 and made his debut for the Tigers in 2016, and the youngster has since gone on to become a regular, playing 42 games and scoring 14 goals in the Championship last season.

The Englishman is valued at at £4.5million on Transfermarkt and is comfortable playing across the front line or in attacking midfield, and Leeds are keen on the hot prospect according to the report.

Is he worth it?

There is no doubt that Bowen is a real talent with so much potential.

Scoring 14 goals in the Championship for a struggling Hull City side at the tender age of 21 shows that Bowen has real class.

He offers a great deal of pace and direct running, and would be a perfect fit if Bielsa employs his usual 3-3-3-1 formation.

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Leeds may have to fork out to sign the young star but he’s showing every sign that he could become a top Premier League player in the future.

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Welcome to the Transfer Tavern Newcastle fans. There have been few rumours flying around as to who the club might sign this summer and let’s hope Mike Ashley spends some spends some money this summer. 

After losing Mikel Merino to Real Sociedad, Newcastle worked quickly to bring in the underrated Ki Sung Yeung. The Toon faithful will be hoping Mike Ashley will continue his spending in the coming weeks in order to give Rafael Benitez a squad capable of pushing up the table. A striker who’s been linked with a move to Newcastle, among other clubs, is Nice forward Alassane Pléa.

The Breakdown

According to Sky Sports, West Ham have made a £27 million bid for the Nice striker who has attracted interest from Newcastle, Fulham and Spurs.

A product of the Lyon academy, Pléa had a breakout year for Lucien Favre’s Nice side. The forward, who can play anywhere across the front three, scored 21 goals in all competitions last year.

Rafael Benitez overachieved with his side last year, as the Magpies finished 10th in their second since returning to the Premier League. While they overachieved, one area the club struggled with was scoring goals. To bolster that department, a potential swap deal for Joshua King has been rumoured, while the Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish has also been linked with a move to the club.

Nice apparently want a fee of £26.6 million for Pléa, which is a fee that Newcastle should seriously consider if they want to progress into the European spots next year.

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A quick and mobile striker, Benitez needs to sign Pléa to finally give Newcastle the striker they’ve been calling out for since Papiss Cisse.