The title race may have been decided but the relegation picture remains murky with five teams going into the final weekend of the season trying to avoid joining West Ham in going down from the English Premier League.
Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn are the teams involved in a dogfight at the bottom and two of them will be relegated come Sunday evening.
Wigan may occupy the second-from-bottom spot in the table but they will be buoyed by their dramatic come-from-behind win over West Ham last weekend.
The three points kept them alive and Roberto Martinez's side travel to Stoke, needing at least a draw but probably a victory to survive.
But with the momentum in their favour, Wigan believe they can pull off the great escape.
"The West Ham result will give us a massive boost going to the Britannia Stadium," Wigan full back Maynor Figueroa said. "We're over the moon after an amazing win on Sunday but have to turn our attentions to this Sunday, the biggest game of them all."
Blackpool, level on points with Wigan but above them by the slenderest of margins in goal difference, have what on paper would seem to be the hardest task as they travel to champions Manchester United.
But with the Champions League final to come against Barcelona the following weekend, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson seems almost certain to rest some of his star players.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway was angry at suggestions United would not be looking to win.
"Ask Schalke if they think Manchester United have a weak team," he said, referring to the second leg of the Champions League semi-final when Ferguson left out the likes of Wayne Rooney and United still handily won 4-1.
"On Sunday, we have to try and do the impossible. It's got to be perfect. No one else has beaten them (at Old Trafford). And if we do, they might get fined because we are rubbish."
Birmingham City, sitting one place above the relegation zone, again only on goal difference, travel to Tottenham knowing they have to at least match what the two sides below do.
Veteran striker Kevin Phillips said his team were well aware of the significance of staying in the Premier League, especially from a financial point of view.
But though the incentive to stay up is valued at around 100 million pounds (160 million dollars), Phillips said the players would be motivated only by getting the job done on the pitch.
"We know what we've got to do," Phillips said. "I have been in this situation a couple of times before and we need the experienced players to come to the front and everyone to perform at White Hart Lane.
Wolves and Blackburn have one point more than the other two sides but one of them could be in big trouble because they meet each other at Molineux.
Back to back victories have put Wolves' future in their own hands and manager Mick McCarthy said his players must simply win and not worry about other ways they could stay up if results go their way.
"Ours is a winner-takes-all game and others are must-wins for teams at the bottom of the table," he said. "I'm not going to get involved in any of that talk or permutations of what may or may not happen. I'm not having that."
Elsewhere, the battle for third place and direct entry into the Champions League - comes down to Manchester City and Arsenal.
FA Cup winners City, one point ahead of Arsenal, travel to Bolton, while Arsenal go across London to play Fulham.
And Liverpool will be hoping Tottenham slip up at home to Birmingham so they can clinch fifth place by beating Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Everton host Chelsea, Newcastle take on West Bromwich Albion and relegated West Ham host Sunderland in the day's other matches.
Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn are the teams involved in a dogfight at the bottom and two of them will be relegated come Sunday evening.
Wigan may occupy the second-from-bottom spot in the table but they will be buoyed by their dramatic come-from-behind win over West Ham last weekend.
The three points kept them alive and Roberto Martinez's side travel to Stoke, needing at least a draw but probably a victory to survive.
But with the momentum in their favour, Wigan believe they can pull off the great escape.
"The West Ham result will give us a massive boost going to the Britannia Stadium," Wigan full back Maynor Figueroa said. "We're over the moon after an amazing win on Sunday but have to turn our attentions to this Sunday, the biggest game of them all."
Blackpool, level on points with Wigan but above them by the slenderest of margins in goal difference, have what on paper would seem to be the hardest task as they travel to champions Manchester United.
But with the Champions League final to come against Barcelona the following weekend, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson seems almost certain to rest some of his star players.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway was angry at suggestions United would not be looking to win.
"Ask Schalke if they think Manchester United have a weak team," he said, referring to the second leg of the Champions League semi-final when Ferguson left out the likes of Wayne Rooney and United still handily won 4-1.
"On Sunday, we have to try and do the impossible. It's got to be perfect. No one else has beaten them (at Old Trafford). And if we do, they might get fined because we are rubbish."
Birmingham City, sitting one place above the relegation zone, again only on goal difference, travel to Tottenham knowing they have to at least match what the two sides below do.
Veteran striker Kevin Phillips said his team were well aware of the significance of staying in the Premier League, especially from a financial point of view.
But though the incentive to stay up is valued at around 100 million pounds (160 million dollars), Phillips said the players would be motivated only by getting the job done on the pitch.
"We know what we've got to do," Phillips said. "I have been in this situation a couple of times before and we need the experienced players to come to the front and everyone to perform at White Hart Lane.
Wolves and Blackburn have one point more than the other two sides but one of them could be in big trouble because they meet each other at Molineux.
Back to back victories have put Wolves' future in their own hands and manager Mick McCarthy said his players must simply win and not worry about other ways they could stay up if results go their way.
"Ours is a winner-takes-all game and others are must-wins for teams at the bottom of the table," he said. "I'm not going to get involved in any of that talk or permutations of what may or may not happen. I'm not having that."
Elsewhere, the battle for third place and direct entry into the Champions League - comes down to Manchester City and Arsenal.
FA Cup winners City, one point ahead of Arsenal, travel to Bolton, while Arsenal go across London to play Fulham.
And Liverpool will be hoping Tottenham slip up at home to Birmingham so they can clinch fifth place by beating Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Everton host Chelsea, Newcastle take on West Bromwich Albion and relegated West Ham host Sunderland in the day's other matches.
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