Burnley and Leeds battle for survival in the final matchday

(Football news) The Premier League is about to reach its end and it's going to be a dramatic one. The title race between Liverpool and Manchester City has been neck and neck as the champions will be crowned on the final day. There is another dramatic battle happening at the other end of the table which is the relegation battle. Norwich City and Watford have been relegated from the league for a while. The two teams that are still fighting for the one spot of survival are Burnley and Leeds.

Everton, who were one of the teams battling for relegation, remarkably confirmed their survival with a comeback win against Crystal Palace. The two teams that are still risking relegation are currently level on points but Burnley are ahead because of a superior goal difference. In the final matchday, Burnley will be hosting Newcastle while Leeds will play Brentford away from home. Burnley just need to match Leeds' result in order to survive. Considering the form that both Newcastle and Brentford are in, there is a strong chance that both Leeds and Burnley will lose. Leeds need Burnley to drop points and they also need to better their result.

Leeds have been deeply troubled by injuries this season. Patrick Bamford could finally return for the first time since 19th March. Luke Ayling is suspended and injured at the same time so he won't be available for selection. Dan James is also suspended while Robin Koch could return after recovering from injury. Stuart Dallas, Tyler Roberts, Crysencio Summerville and Adam Forshaw are all out of contention. Brentford are sitting comfortably in 11th place but they will want to win their last home game and finish in the top 10. 

For Burnley, Matthew Lowton is suspended after his red card against Aston Villa. Ashley Westwood, Erik Pieters, Jay Rodrigues, Matej Vydra and Jóhann Berg Gudmundsson are not available for selection due to injuries. James Tarkowski and Ben Mee are also major doubts. Newcastle practically have nothing to play for but that didn't stop them from destroying Arsenal. The feel around Newcastle as a club means that there is a certain level of magic around the team which will make it extremely difficult for Burnley. Their draw against Aston Villa was a massive point for them as things are still in their own hands. The home advantage is obviously a very big factor.

Both the clubs have had a difficult season as long term managers (Sean Dyche for Burnley and Marcelo Bielsa for Leeds) were sacked towards the end of the season. Leeds had a very good last season which was their much awaited comeback 16 years. It will be heartbreaking for the Leeds fans if they drop down after just two seasons. As for Burnley, they have been in the top flight for 5 seasons and even managed two qualify for Europe in one of those seasons. They were on course to establish themselves as a proper top flight club but a relegation at this point could turn out to be catastrophic.

Also read: How Frank Lampard rescued Everton from the jaws of relegation

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