LONDON – Arsenal’s Declan Rice will park any sentiment in the dressing room when he returns to West Ham United on Sunday knowing a win would put the visitors within touching distance of the Premier League title and could leave his old side staring at relegation.
With three games left, Arsenal are five points ahead of Manchester City who have a game in hand and could cut the deficit to two points by beating Brentford on Saturday.
Even if City get the job done at home to the Bees, however, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team would still their own destiny as they seek to win the title for the first time since 2004.
Arsenal have scored a combined 11 goals in their last two league visits to the London Stadium but will be wary of a desperate West Ham side whose target is simply to extend their 14-season stay in the top flight.
The Hammers sit in 18th place, one point behind London rivals Tottenham Hotspur who leapt above them and out of the relegation zone by beating Aston Villa away last weekend.
A surprise victory for West Ham would pile the pressure back on Spurs, who host Leeds United on Monday, but for midfielder Rice his only thoughts are making sure Arsenal get the win, even if that pushes his former club closer to the trap door.
“(West Ham) are the club that gave me everything. Without West Ham, there’s no me and I honestly believe that,” Rice, who captained West Ham to the UEFA Conference League title three years ago before joining Arsenal, said this week after his side beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final.
“They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn’t and a lot of people there really did push me on. Loads of good things about that club. It’s not nice to see the position they’re in. But it’s football and I have a job to do on Sunday.”
Nothing will be decided at the top or bottom of the table this weekend but things could certainly look a lot clearer.
Arsenal have 76 points from 35 games with City on 71 from 34. If they both keep winning then the title race will go to the final day of the season but another City slip this weekend and an Arsenal win would all but seal it for Arteta’s side.
At the other end of the table, fourth-from-bottom Tottenham’s back-to-back wins under new manager Roberto de Zerbi have put them in control of their fate. They have 37 points, with West Ham on 36 also from 35 games. If West Ham lose and Spurs beat Leeds, the Hammers’ hopes will hang by a thread.
While third-placed Manchester United have assured themselves of a return to the Champions League next season before they visit Sunderland this weekend, the battle to qualify for Europe looks like going all the way to the final weekend.
Liverpool and Aston Villa are strong favourites to complete the top five and join United in the Champions League but both are struggling for form and will need wins against Chelsea and Burnley this weekend respectively to soothe any nerves.
Sixth-placed Bournemouth have an outside chance of a top-five finish and a victory at Fulham on Saturday would keep them in the hunt, while below the Cherries a host of clubs are vying for European qualification, with even 13th-placed Newcastle United hoping for a late surge to finish high enough.
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