How many points Chelsea need for Champions League qualification ahead of run-in

The end of the Premier League season is near and the race for the Champions League remains wide open with five games left to play.

Liverpool are just one point away from being crowned English champions after Arsenal's Champions League dreams were prioritised. Below them, the race for the other three spots is proving to be a nail-biter.

Chelsea currently find themselves sixth in the table on 57 points, level with Aston Villa in seventh. Enzo Maresca's men know, with five games left to play, what they need to do to ensure they finish in the top five and bring Champions League football back to Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City, in third on 61 points, and Villa have both played one extra game. Newcastle United and Chelsea are both in action this weekend and the outcome of their matches could play a big part in how the season finishes.

Everton travel to Chelsea at Saturday lunch time followed by Newcastle's favourable home game with Ipswich Town. Forest are not in action until next Thursday due to their FA Cup semi-final with Man City on Sunday.

If Chelsea win all five of their remaining games - against Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United and Forest - they will finish the season on 72 points. The extra spot in the Premier League means the Blues can afford to finish below two of Man City, Forest, Newcastle or Villa.

However, the west Londoners have a tough fixture list compared to their rivals. Man City take on Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Fulham while Newcastle face Ipswich, Brighton, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton.

Forest have a kinder run-in with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, West Ham and then Chelsea. Unai Emery's men, who only have four games left, play Fulham, Bournemouth, Tottenham and Manchester United.

With Chelsea still set to play both Newcastle and Forest, the opportunity is still there to overtake both in the table. However it leaves the very real possibility that Enzo Maresca's men will have to win every remaining game to seal a place in the Champions League next season - meaning 15 points from their remaining five games will definitely secure a place in the competition next year.

That would leave the club with a final points tally of 72. Should they claim wins against those two rivals, Chelsea would only need to match or better Forest and Newcastle's results in all of the other remaining matchweeks, however, so a lower final points tally may also be enough.

The Blues also cannot afford to forget about seventh-placed Villa, who sit behind them in the table on goal difference only. Unai Emery's side have played a game more than Chelsea but can still finish the season on 69 points, with their remaining fixtures against Fulham, Bournemouth, Spurs and Manchester United.

According to Opta, Chelsea have a 28.96% chance of qualifying for the Champions League - the second worst percentage of the five teams above Villa (16.30%). Man City (95.58%), Forest (82.24%) and Newcastle (76.85%) are all favourites to finish in the top five.

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