MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The race for Champions League qualification may be the most gripping narrative left in the Premier League.
Runaway leader Liverpool looks certain to win a record-equaling 20th title. At the other end of the standings, three from the current bottom four clubs will probably be relegated.
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Aston Villa's Marco Asensio celebrates after an own goal by Brugge's Brandon Mechele made it past Brugge's goalkeeper Simon Mignolet during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
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Newcastle's Callum Wilson reacts after missing a chance during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield in Liverpool, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Fulham players celebrate after defeating Manchester United in a penalty shootout during the English FA Cup soccer match at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Bournemouth's James Hill, front, and his teammates celebrate winning on penalties during the FA Cup fifth round match between Wolverhampton and Bournemouth, Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio celebrates after an own goal by Brugge's Brandon Mechele made it past Brugge's goalkeeper Simon Mignolet during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the Champions League, round of 16, first leg soccer match between PSV and Arsenal at the Phillips Stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Brighton and Hove Albion's Danny Welbeck, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal during the FA Cup fifth round match between Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion at St James' Park, Newcastle, England, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo, top, celebrates after winning the penalty shootout during the English FA Cup fifth soccer round match between Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town at the City Ground, Nottingham, England, Monday, March 3, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola during the English FA Cup soccer match between Manchester City and Plymouth Argyle at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
The Champions League places, however, are up for grabs with just six points separating the teams placed from third to 10th. And with the Premier League in pole position to win a bonus fifth spot in the Champions League next season, the likes of Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham are in contention.
It is one of the unlikeliest stories of the season. Nottingham Forest, which finished one place above the relegation zone last season, is third and above four-time defending champion Manchester City, no less.
Forest was deducted points last season for breaching the league's financial rules and avoided the drop by just six points. This term it has faced more sanctions: A near $1 million fine for an inflammatory social media post and a stadium ban for owner Evangelos Marinakis for misconduct after a controversial defeat.
But none of that has stopped the club's remarkable rise under manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who returned to England after winning the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad.
Espirito Santo's reputation grew after guiding Wolverhampton to promotion to the Premier League and then establishing it as a top flight club. He lasted five months at Tottenham but has worked wonders at Forest, which is also into the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Forest hosts City on Saturday, with just one point separating them.
City's title defense has unraveled and hopes of European glory were ended in defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League playoffs.
Now it's a case of damage limitation for Pep Guardiola.
The prospect of missing out on the top four remains a possibility, but having played Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea twice, the run-in looks relatively kind for City.
Saturday's visit to Forest looks like one of its last major hurdles.
Two years ago, Bournemouth was battling to avoid the drop. Three years ago it was in the second tier.
Now the south coast club, with a stadium that holds just over 11,000 fans, is in contention to rub shoulders with giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Bournemouth, coached by Andoni Iraola, is in seventh place and three points behind Chelsea in fifth, and four off fourth-placed City.
Brighton is one place further back on goal difference after an outstanding debut season so far for Texas-born coach Fabian Hurzeler. The big wins this season include City, Manchester United (twice) and Chelsea.
On Saturday, Brighton plays ninth-placed Fulham, which is just a point behind.
Like Forest, it's not just in the league where Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham are riding high. All three are also through to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
Chelsea won its second Champions League title in 2021 but hasn't qualified in each of the last two seasons under the turbulent ownership of Americans Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Qualification, however, remains a very real target with Enzo Maresca's team fifth and one point behind City.
Newcastle is also aiming to quickly bounce back into the competition having ended a 20-year absence last season only to miss out this term.
Newcastle is sixth, two points back from Chelsea. Next week, it also hopes to end a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy when it plays Liverpool in the English League Cup final.
Aston Villa is on course for the quarterfinals of the Champions League after a 3-1 first leg win against Club Brugge on Tuesday, but re-entry to next season's competition is far from certain at 10th in the Premier League.
Arsenal looks likely to finish runner up in the title race for a third year running.
Mikel Arteta's second-placed team is 13 points behind Liverpool and, even with a game in hand, looks too far off the pace.
With an injury crisis in attack, it may be looking over its shoulder at Forest and City in the final weeks of the campaign.
It's Champions League challenge, however, is still very much alive. A 7-1 win against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday all but guaranteed qualification to the quarterfinals.
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Newcastle's Callum Wilson reacts after missing a chance during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Anfield in Liverpool, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge, London, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Fulham players celebrate after defeating Manchester United in a penalty shootout during the English FA Cup soccer match at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Bournemouth's James Hill, front, and his teammates celebrate winning on penalties during the FA Cup fifth round match between Wolverhampton and Bournemouth, Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio celebrates after an own goal by Brugge's Brandon Mechele made it past Brugge's goalkeeper Simon Mignolet during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the Champions League, round of 16, first leg soccer match between PSV and Arsenal at the Phillips Stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Brighton and Hove Albion's Danny Welbeck, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's second goal during the FA Cup fifth round match between Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion at St James' Park, Newcastle, England, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo, top, celebrates after winning the penalty shootout during the English FA Cup fifth soccer round match between Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town at the City Ground, Nottingham, England, Monday, March 3, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola during the English FA Cup soccer match between Manchester City and Plymouth Argyle at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
