By DAN KARELL
As the English Premier League heads into it’s final week of play, a potential third-place tie could derail Chelsea’s post-season tour of the U.S.
Third-placed Chelsea sit two points above fourth-placed Arsenal in the table. However, if Arsenal were to defeat Newcastle on the final day of the season by a score of 2-1, and Chelsea were to play Everton to a scoreless draw, the two London clubs would be forced to play a play-off to determine the third and fourth place finishers. If the results played out in that manner (or 3-2, 1-1, 4-3, 2-2, etc..) Arsenal and Chelsea would finish tied on points, goal differential, and goals scored.
Though Chelsea won the head-to-head matchup between the two sides, the Premier League doesn’t use that when determining a team’s place in the standings. The potential playoff would cause issues though, as Chelsea is set to depart for St. Louis next Monday for two friendly matches held in the U.S. with Manchester City.
In addition, if the teams wait for Chelsea to return from that trip, many of the players would be released for their national team matches at the end of May and start of June for World Cup qualifiers. Neither Arsenal or Chelsea have commented on the potential situation.
What do you make of this news? What do you see happening if the scorelines play out in this scenario?
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