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The battle for fifth place in the Premier League remains just about alive heading into the final day of the season.

While the Premier League title race and two of the relegation spots have already been settled, more than half of the teams are left with little at stake on the concluding day.

However, there is one fascinating — albeit highly improbable — situation that could suddenly make things far more dramatic.

The top five teams in the Premier League are guaranteed qualification for next season’s Champions League, and that number could increase depending on the final day’s results.

Realistically, Liverpool and Aston Villa are the two most likely sides to finish fifth. The Reds currently trail the newly crowned Europa League champions by three points but hold a better goal difference.

Yet, there remains a remote possibility that Bournemouth could finish level on points with Liverpool — and if the scores align perfectly, they could even be tied on goal difference and goals scored.

While that outcome is extremely unlikely, the most feasible route would involve Bournemouth winning 5-0 away at Nottingham Forest, who are already safe, and Liverpool losing 1-0 at home to Brentford.

In such a scenario, both Bournemouth and Liverpool would end the season on 59 points, each with 62 goals scored and 53 conceded.

According to rule 17 of the Premier League 2025/26, the first two tiebreakers — goal difference and goals scored — would not separate the teams.

Even the head-to-head criteria would not break the tie, as both sides would have three points each in their meetings, with two away goals apiece. Liverpool’s 4-2 win at Anfield and Bournemouth’s 3-2 victory on the south coast would therefore cancel each other out.

That would leave only one option to decide who finishes fifth and secures the final Champions League spot: “a play-off on a neutral ground, with the format, timing, and venue determined by the Premier League Board.”

Such a match would be a thrilling way to conclude the season, especially given that Liverpool and Bournemouth opened the campaign against each other at Anfield on the very first Friday night.

There is, of course, another scenario where both sides could qualify for the Champions League.

Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph means that if Unai Emery’s team finishes exactly fifth, the sixth-placed club would also secure a Champions League berth instead of a Europa League one.

This means that if Bournemouth cannot score at least five goals against Nottingham Forest, their best bet could be for Liverpool to win while Villa lose away to Manchester City — a match that could mark Pep Guardiola’s farewell.

If that happens, Bournemouth would only need a single point to stay ahead of Brighton and secure sixth place, earning the final Champions League qualification. The Seagulls trail Andoni Iraola’s side by three points but have a better goal difference.