The business end of the football season is upon us, with less than 10 Premier League games left, the quarter-finals of the European competitions on the horizon and the semi-finals of the FA Cup just around the corner. I am going to attempt to look deep into my crystal ball and tell you how the 2023/2024 season will end.
Who will be victorious in this close-run title race? Will Manchester City win the treble again? Will Jurgen Klopp have his fairy-tale ending at Anfield? But first a disclaimer. Like most crystal balls, some inaccuracies are bound to be associated with these predictions.
As things stand in the title race at the time of writing – Liverpool sit on top of the tree, enjoying a two-point gap to second-placed Arsenal and a three-point gap to third-place Manchester City. However, come mid-May, the race will be even tighter and will go down to the wire, likely to the season’s final day, with Sky Sports set to self-combust with excitement.
All three Premier League games will be displayed on Sky, with Liverpool hosting Wolves and the presentation team desperate for Klopp’s farewell tour to end with the German lifting the Premier League title in front of the Kop. Meanwhile, Alan Smith will be watching on at the Emirates as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who need favours from Wolves at Anfield and West Ham at the Etihad to stand a chance of winning the title.
I predict the Gunners will be sitting two points adrift in third place with Manchester City and Liverpool both level on points as things stand on the final day. Liverpool, though, sitting top on goal difference following a solid end to the season. West Ham, whose season, by now, has petered out to a disappointing end, started well at the Etihad but ultimately fell behind following a defensive lapse in concentration from Kurt Zouma, allowing Erling Haaland to score his 37th league goal of the season to give Manchester City an early advantage to move temporarily to the top of the league after 15 minutes.
News filters through to the Emirates, and Declan Rice, who had been texting his former teammates all night previous, asking them to do him a solid and pull a rabbit out of the hat – classically raised his hands and shook his head. His team were doing their bit, leading 1-0 early against struggling Everton, who were looking over their shoulder in 17th place – having no idea if another points deduction was on its way as the Premier League still faffed around deciding what to do.
Into the second half, Manchester City are now two up against the Hammers, and the Sky Sports dream of Jurgen Klopp lifting the title is slipping away as Wolves hold firm at Anfield. Arsenal still winning but still hoping and praying for an unlikely West Ham comeback. They were given a lifeline as the Hammers pulled a goal back on the break through Mo Kudus, but that was all the excitement the Hammer’s away end got as Manchester City went on to win 3-1.
So, Arsenal’s dream is over for another year, but further progression shows they might well go on to win it the year after with one or two new arrivals. On the other hand, Liverpool knew a goal would still likely seal them the title, and Klopp’s big farewell tour would end with a possible double with the Europa League final just weeks away.
We are entering the final five minutes at Anfield, and there is disbelief in the stands and the commentator’s booth as Wolves have failed to lay down and let Liverpool win the title and ruin the goodbye party. With five minutes of stoppage time shown, Mohammed Salah takes a dramatic tumble in the box and appeals for a penalty; the world and his wife know it is a dive, and even the referee waves play on.
Wolves eventually clear, and the ball goes out for a thrown-in. Play is stopped as the referee signals that VAR is in his ear and is sent to the monitor. Every replay is inconclusive, and the consensus is that it is a dive. Under increasing pressure from the baying Anfield crowd, the referee slowly walks away from the monitor and signals…. penalty to Liverpool in the 93rd minute.
Salah steps up and slams it home, to the delight of Jamie Carragher on commentary. Liverpool have won a dramatic title, and the Sky Sports team combust again in joy as Klopp gets his fairy-tale goodbye in front of the Kop. Sheffield United, relegated four weeks prior, are joined by Burnley and Nottingham Forest, who drop to the Championship.
Luton picked up the point they needed to stay in the Premier League at the London Stadium the week before. In the Championship, Leeds United and Ipswich go up automatically, while Leicester fights with their conscience about whether going up and starting their Premier League season with negative points is worth it or whether they stay in the Championship, sell their star players, and attempt a rebuild, settle for the playoffs, which they go on to lose to Southampton at Wembley.
In the Champions League, Harry Kane thwarts Arsenal in the quarter-finals and takes Bayern Munich through to a semi-final with Manchester City, who prove too strong for the German outfit and reach their third successive Champions League final, as they meet PSG in the final at Wembley. It is a tight final that would give Mbappe the chance to wave goodbye to Parisian folk in style as he steps up to take the potential winning penalty in the shootout – only for Ederson to save and allow Manchester City to take the title to make up for losing the Premier League title to claim back-to-back Champions League titles.
Aston Villa continued the English clubs’ success in the Europa Conference League by winning the final in Greece. This capped a successful season for the Villans, who finished fifth in the Premier League and won their first European title in over 40 years.
Coventry City reached the final of the FA Cup after shocking Manchester United at Wembley, but they lost the final against Chelsea, who beat Manchester City in the other semi-final. Finally, the one you’ve all been waiting for, the Europa League, saving the best to last.
West Ham United avoided defeat in Leverkusen, drawing 1-1 to give everyone hope ahead of the season leg. The Irons take the lead at the London Stadium through Michail Antonio but concede two late goals as Xabi Alonso’s men maintain their unbeaten run, and the Hammers are heartbroken.
They go on to face Liverpool in the final in Dublin and win on penalties. Alonso gives Liverpool a taste of what could’ve been as Liverpool fail in their pursuit of getting their former midfielder in the managerial hot seat to replace Klopp. So, there you have it, place your bets and wait for the money to roll in.
Again, I must stress – this is the crystal ball telling me this information, and they are famously highly inaccurate. Let’s hope so anyway – as it predicts a dull end to the Hammers season, anyway, up the Hammers.
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