WWW.twitter.com/eliudpro THE FINAL BATLE The Premier League is back!

With the double-headers over, they will fly in from every corner of the world and re-focus their attention on the final straight of the Barclays Premier League campaign.

It's a cliche, but we are now at the business end of the season. This is when it really matters.

Eyes on the title? Top four finish a must? Settling for mid-table mediocrity? Or simply fighting for survival?

Every club has a mission and they need their international stars to drag them through it successfully.

To herald the return to Premier League action, Sportsmail runs through the key battles that will take place from now until the final day on May 19.

TITLE RACE

In theory, anyone down to sixth-placed Everton can still win the title. But unlike last season, when it went down to the last few seconds, this year’s race for the Premier League crown looks all over before the clocks have even gone forward.

Manchester United have looked bullet proof for the majority of the season and even though they face a trip to Arsenal - as well as home games against Manchester City and Chelsea - in their run-in, their 15-point lead over their local rivals looks unassailable.

United front: Rooney and Co have run away with the title this season as City's defence has fallen short

The reigning champions have a kinder run of fixtures to end the season, with the Manchester derby and a trip to Tottenham their major obstacles.

But with such a large deficit to close, few fancy Roberto Mancini’s side to become just the third team to retain the Premier League title.

Manchester United fixtures

Sunderland (a) - March 30
Manchester City (h) - April 8
Stoke (a) - April 14
West Ham (a) - April 17
Aston Villa (h) - April 22
Arsenal (a) - April 28
Chelsea (h) - May 4
Swansea (h) - May 12
West Brom (a) - May 19

Manchester City fixtures

Newcastle (h) - March 30Manchester United (a) - April 8
West Brom (h) - TBC
Wigan (h) - April 17
Tottenham (a) - April 21
West Ham (h) - April 27
Swansea (a) - May 4
Reading (a) - May 12
Norwich (h) - May 19

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BATTLE

In the last four seasons the battle for the Champions League places has become one of the highlights of the Premier League campaign with this season’s edition likely to be another three-way fight for two places between Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal.

With both Manchester clubs likely to take the top two spots, the London trio are set to battle for the third and fourth spots that open up a place into Europe’s premier club competition.

Chelsea have the most momentum and points but they also in theory have the most games to play as they continue to juggle their squad to compete in the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Europa League.

Who wants it? Arsenal are hitting peak form at the right time while Spurs are beginning to flag

Who wants it? Arsenal are hitting peak form at the right time while Spurs have stumbled in recent matches

Tottenham are just a point behind in fourth place, but although they too have Europa League fixtures to play, Andre Villas-Boas’ team have just eight league games and no FA Cup matches to squeeze in to a tight schedule.

The trouble for Spurs though is the signs are already there for a third straight end-of-season collapse and with Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton to play they have arguably the hardest run-in.

That could allow Arsenal to once again sneak in front of their north London rivals. The Gunners will once again end the season without a trophy but it is set to play to their short-term advantage as they will fully focus on their nine remaining league games to close the four-point gap to Tottenham.

Not too far behind Arsenal though are Everton, as the Merseyside club trail fourth spot by six points with a game in hand, while Liverpool, a further three points behind, also hold outside ambitions of stealing fourth place.

Hazard warning: Chelsea look dead certs for a place at Europe's top table, but Everton may come up short

Chelsea fixtures

Southampton (a) – March 30
Sunderland (h) – April 7
Tottenham (h) – April 14
Fulham (a) – April 17
Liverpool (a) – April 21
Swansea (h) – April 27
Manchester United (a) – May 4
Aston Villa (a) - May 12
Everton (h) – May 19

Spurs fixtures

Swansea (a) – March 30
Everton (h) – April 7
Chelsea (a) - April 14
Manchester City (h) - April 21
Wigan (a) – April 27
Southampton (h) - May 4
Stoke (a) – May 12
Sunderland (h) – May 19

Arsenal fixtures

Reading (h) – March 30
West Brom (a) – April 6
Norwich (h) – April 13
Everton (h) – April 16
Fulham (a) – April 20
Manchester United (h) – April 28
QPR (a) – May 4
Wigan (h) – May 12
Newcastle (a) – May 19

Everton fixtures

Stoke (h) – March 30
Tottenham (a) – April 7
QPR (h) – April 13
Arsenal (a) – April 16
Sunderland (a) – April 20
Fulham (h) – April 27
Liverpool (a) – May 4
West Ham (h) – May 12
Chelsea (a) – May 19

EUROPA LEAGUE SPOTS

One side has already started checking the expiry date of their players’ passports as Swansea’s Capital One Cup win already guarantees them a spot in next season’s Europa League.

Fifth spot in the Premier League and the FA Cup winners (or runners-up if the winners have already qualified for Europe) add another Europa League place.

But unless Wigan reach the FA Cup final, this will likely go to the sixth-placed Premier League outfit, with the other semi-finalists Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea set to book their European tours next season through their league position.

This is set to open up an end-of-season fight between the Merseyside clubs, with Everton and Liverpool separated by three points, with the Toffees holding an advantage with a game in hand.

Euro adventure: Liverpool are battling with West Brom for a Europa League spot

Euro adventure: Liverpool are battling with West Bromwich for a place in next season's Europa League

It’s not just a straight fight between Merseyside’s top two clubs though with West Brom also standing a reasonable chance of claiming an unlikely European place.

Albion have gradually slipped away from the European pack as the season has progressed but cannot be counted out as they are just a point behind Liverpool with eight to play.

The pressure is off Steve Clarke’s team too with a top-10 placing already set to be a reflection of a fine season at The Hawthorns.

Liverpool fixtures

Aston Villa (a) – March 31
West Ham (h) – April 7
Reading (a) – April 13
Chelsea (h) – April 21
Newcastle (a) – April 27
Everton (h) – May 4
Fulham (a) – May 12
QPR (h) - May 19

West Brom fixtures

West Ham (a) – March 30
Arsenal (h) – April 6
Manchester City (a) TBC
Newcastle (h) – April 20
Southampton (a) – April 27
Wigan (h) – May 4
Norwich (a) – May 12
Manchester United (h) – May 19

BATTLE FOR... NOTHING

There isn't much room at the safe house of mid-table mediocrity at this point of the season, with only Swansea and Fulham facing a climax to the campaign with very little to play for.

Swansea’s League Cup success means there is little incentive for them to push for much higher than their current top 10 placing and it will be interesting to see if Michael Laudrup’s side suffer a dip in form as a result.

Fulham’s surprise win at Tottenham has dragged Laudrup's men away from the bottom three scrap and another four points from their remaining nine games should be enough to secure their Premier League status for another season. It may even be a case that their 36 points will be enough to stay up anyway.

Game over: With mid-table safety secured, Fulham have little to pay for

Game over? With mid-table safety secured, west Londoners Fulham now have little to play for

Swansea fixtures

Tottenham (h) – March 30
Norwich (a) – April 6
Southampton (h) – April 20
Chelsea (a) – April 27
Manchester City (h) – May 4
Wigan (a) – May 7
Manchester United (a) – May 12
Fulham (h) – May 19

Fulham fixtures

QPR (h) – April 1
Newcastle (a) – April 7
Aston Villa (a) - April 13
Chelsea (h) – April 17
Arsenal (h) – April 20
Everton (a) – April 27
Reading (h) – May 4
Liverpool (h) – May 12
Swansea (a) – May 19

RELEGATION BATTLE

It’s the time of year where many managers start waxing lyrical about reaching the magic 40-point mark and on that basis no side inside the bottom half of the Premier League is safe – least of all QPR and Reading.

For the former, Harry Redknapp has stopped the rot at Loftus Road since taking charge in November but has failed to take the club outside of the relegation zone.

Successive wins earlier this month against Southampton and Sunderland have provided hope but the defeat at relegation rivals Aston Villa has dealt a huge setback.

Reading are staring at an immediate return to the Championship and are in disarray having sacked Brian McDermott and replaced him with Nigel Adkins with eight games to go.

Into the abyss? QPR were beaten last time out despite Andros Townsend's double and Reading lost to Man United

Into the abyss? QPR were beaten last time out despite Andros Townsend's strike and Reading also lost

Placed 19th and seven points off safety, few will fancy the ex-Southampton boss to keep the Royals in the top flight, especially with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City still to play.

Battling the drop: Southampton and Wigan both savoured crucial victories ahead of the international break

Paul Lambert’s young and inexperienced team have struggled all season but recent back-to-back wins against

Villa thriller: Lambert's side will be buoyed by the recent victory over fellow strugglers QPR

QPR fixtures

Fulham (a) – April 1
Wigan (h) – April 7
Everton (a) – April 13
Stoke (h) – April 20
Reading (a) – April 28
Arsenal (h) - May 4
Newcastle (h) – May 12
Liverpool (a) – May 19

Reading fixtures

Arsenal (a) – March 30
Southampton (h) – April 6
Liverpool (h) – April 13
Norwich (a) – April 20
QPR (h) – April 28
Fulham (a) – May 4
Manchester City (h) – May 12
West Ham (a) – May 19

Wigan fixtures

Norwich (h) – March 30
QPR (a) – April 7
Manchester City (a) – April 17
West Ham (a) – April 20
Tottenham (h) – April 27
West Brom (a) – May 4
Swansea (h) – May 7
Arsenal (a) – May 12
Aston Villa (h) – May 19

Aston Villa fixtures

Liverpool (h) – March 31
Stoke (a) – April 6
Fulham (h) – April 13
Manchester United (a) – April 22
Sunderland (h) – April 27
Norwich (a) – May 4
Chelsea (h) – May 12
Wigan (a) – May 19

Southampton fixtures

Chelsea (h) – March 30
Reading (a) – April 6
West Ham (h) – April 13
Swansea (a) – April 20
West Brom (h) – April 27
Tottenham (a) – May 4
Sunderland (a) – May 12
Stoke (h) – May 19

Sunderland fixtures

Manchester United (h) – March 30
Chelsea (a) – April 7
Newcastle (a) – April 13
Everton (h) – April 20
Aston Villa (a) – April 27
Stoke (h) – May 4
Southampton (h) – May 12
Tottenham (a) – May 19

West Ham fixtures

West Brom (h) – March 30
Liverpool (a) – April 7
Southampton (a) – April 13
Manchester United (h) – April 17
Wigan (h) – April 20
Manchester City (a) – April 27
Newcastle (h) – May 4
Everton (a) – May 12
Reading (h) – May 19

Newcastle fixtures

Manchester City (a) – March 30
Fulham (h) – April 7
Sunderland (h) – April 13
West Brom (a) – April 20
Liverpool (h) – April 27
West Ham (a) – May 4
QPR (a) – May 12
Arsenal (h) – May 19

Norwich fixtures

Wigan (a) – March 30
Swansea (h) – April 6
Arsenal (a) – April 13
Reading (h) – April 20
Stoke (a) – April 27
Aston Villa (h) – May 4
West Brom (h) – May 12
Manchester City (a) – May 19

Stoke fixtures

Everton (a) – March 30
Aston Villa (h) –April 6
Manchester United (h) – April 14
QPR (a) – April 20
Norwich (h) - April 27
Sunderland (a) – May 4
Tottenham (h) – May 12
Southampton (a) – May 19

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Thursday, March 28, 2013