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Football London
Football London
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Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

The results that will effectively confirm Arsenal's Champions League qualification this week

This midweek round of Premier League fixtures could leave Arsenal on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League ahead of their game against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

It's been six long years since the Gunners competed in European football's elite club competition and while the ultimate prize come the end of the campaign is to be crowned champions of England for the first time since 2004, it's still worth remembering what the original target was for Mikel Arteta all the way back in May.

With that said, all signs point toward Arsenal being back at Europe's top table next season. Their current points haul of 72 would have been enough for a top-four finish in each of the last four Premier League campaigns and it would take a spectacular, albeit unlikely, collapse in their final nine games to miss out once again.

READ MORE: Bukayo Saka to be handed Arsenal recall as Mikel Arteta ditches infamous plan against Liverpool

Although the north London outfit and title rivals Manchester City aren't in action until the weekend with trips to Anfield and St Mary's respectively, this midweek round of fixtures will be of some interest as Newcastle United, Manchester United, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool are all in action.

Now, mathematically all five teams and Tottenham Hotspur - who drew 1-1 with Everton on Monday night - can still win the Premier League title. Of course, it would take a dramatic set of results for that to happen but with games between the current top eight to be played it seems virtually impossible.

However, as four teams can be eliminated from the equation as early as this weekend, Arsenal will be in a position to effectively confirm their first top-four finish since the 2015/16 campaign if they beat Liverpool. But that scenario is only possible if four particular fixtures go their way across the next few days.

So with the potential of defining week on the cards in the Premier League, football.london has taken a look at what must happen for the Gunners to be back at Europe's top table with eight games to spare.

The four fixtures

Chelsea vs Liverpool - HOME WIN

Bournemouth vs Brighton - HOME WIN

Tottenham vs Brighton - DRAW

Liverpool vs Arsenal - AWAY WIN

As the Gunners are in the 4.30pm kick-off time slot on Sunday afternoon, they'll know the results of the other three games beforehand. But, should they end their Anfield hoodoo and record a victory to move on to 75 points, it will be enough to guarantee finishing above Liverpool were they to also lose away at Chelsea as their maximum points total would be 72.

In addition, a win over Jurgen Klopp's side will be enough for Arsenal to finish above Brentford who can only reach 73 points. Meanwhile, a defeat for Brighton at relegation-threatened Bournemouth followed up by a draw away to Tottenham on Saturday would leave them capable of reaching 74 points.

Interestingly, a draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would mean Spurs can finish on 75 points were they to win their remaining ten games. But given it's +43 to +12 in the goal difference column in favour of the Gunners, that's a big enough margin to effectively confirm the first 'St Totteringham's Day' since May 2016.

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