What a strange Friday night in the Premier League in prospect – Tottenham and Manchester United, who are about to face off in the upcoming Europa League showdown next Wednesday, will be in action tonight to decide the outcome of the battle for the place in the Champions League.Spurs take on Aston Villa at Villa Park (9.30 pm), while the Red Devils confront Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (10.15 pm), in games that are much more important for the Villans and the Blues.##NAJAVA_MECA_8931501##They are fighting for the UCL, and not just every point but every goal matters at this point.The same can be applied to Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Newcastle, who are about to decide their destiny in two days, as the Gunners and the Magpies collide in the most exciting fixture of the penultimate EPL round.Much debate has surrounded the lineups expected from Spurs and Manchester United tonight, with questions raised about the integrity of the competition – something that has clearly infuriated Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou.##NAJAVA_MECA_8931505##The Australian coach has been forced to deal with a series of injuries in recent weeks, and he’ll be without key players for the final match. James Maddison has been sidelined for three months, and Dejan Kulusevski is out for at least four months following knee surgery. Young talent Lucas Bergvall is also still recovering. With this in mind, it’s no surprise Postecoglou is being cautious about further injuries.”I don’t know what people are talking about when they mention the integrity of the game – I don’t even know what that means,” Postecoglou said. “This season, we’ve fielded teams that weren’t our strongest because of injuries, but we still had to play those matches – just like every other club. If anyone thinks we’re going there without giving absolutely everything to win… that’s the only time the integrity of the game should be questioned.”Your Premier League matchweek starts right here 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Nv4dtyftZr— Premier League (@premierleague) May 16, 2025 Postecoglou also referenced a personal example from last season, when some Spurs fans celebrated a loss to Manchester City because it hindered Arsenal’s title chances.”Back then, I was criticized by our own fans for trying to win. That’s where integrity comes in – I wanted us to win. When you put a team out, you try to win. But at the same time, every club has its own priorities, and you have to focus on what’s best for your team. The Champions League is crucial for all the clubs in the race. Every match is vital and potentially decisive. We’re in the same boat. We’re fighting for a Champions League spot and a trophy. It would be irresponsible of me not to do everything I can for this club to make that happen.”He added: “That’s why we can’t afford to lose another player to injury. For us, it’s all about finding the right balance, given what’s at stake. Champions League qualification is clearly important to Aston Villa – but we have our goals too.”##EDITORS_CHOICE##Aston Villa will be without the injured Marcus Rashford and Youri Tielemans, while Jacob Ramsey is suspended. However, the Villans come into the clash in strong form, having won seven straight home games across all competitions. In the league, Unai Emery’s side has won seven of its last eight.”What’s interesting is how the players and fans are reacting to where we are now,” Emery said. “We were behind Nottingham Forest and Chelsea by eight or ten points – in fact, we were ten points behind Forest at the beginning of February. But we kept improving, closing the gap. Of course, nothing is finished yet. I tell the players to enjoy the process, enjoy playing. It’s not just about results – it’s about how we play, how we sometimes struggle. Those experiences can help us in the future.”Since the end of the winter transfer window on February 4 – which has paid off handsomely for Villa – they’ve averaged more points per game (2.17) than any other Premier League team, ahead of Liverpool and Newcastle (both on 2.08).What Aston Villa must do, Chelsea must as well. After a 2-0 loss to direct rivals Newcastle in the previous round, Enzo Maresca is demanding a response. He’s urging his side to show their best tonight against Manchester United.##NAJAVA_MECA_8931528##After everything Chelsea has been through this season, Enzo Maresca believes his team deserves a spot in Europe’s top competition.”There are matches – like these final two – where tactics matter, but so do other things,” said the Chelsea boss. “Above all, it’s about players taking responsibility and showing the desire to bring this club where it belongs. Enzo Fernandez deserves to play in the Champions League. Levi Colwill, too. There’s a reason we’ve been in the top five this season, and we’ll do everything we can to stay there. We have many players who deserve to compete at that level.”Legendary coach about Amorim: “I would win more matches”For Manchester United, the clash in London comes at a tricky moment – just days before the Europa League final in Bilbao. The Red Devils are reeling from a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to West Ham, marking their 17th Premier League loss of the season.There’s little doubt that Wednesday’s final is the top priority, but manager Ruben Amorim made it clear: his players still have to earn their place in the starting XI.”Everything is clear. I already know the starting eleven for Chelsea, and then we’ll see,” Amorim said. “What matters is how we perform against Chelsea – that will influence the next game. We have to try to recover. The best way to prepare for a final is to play a match. The players must understand that whether they play against Chelsea or not means nothing for the final. That’s important. My only focus right now is preparing for the match against Chelsea.”ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 37Friday 21.30: (1.35) Aston Villa (5.70) Tottenham (7.70)22.15: (1.48) Chelsea (4.40) Man.Utd. (6.75)Sunday 14.00: (1.42) Everton (5.00) Southampton (8.00)16.15: (2.80) West Ham (3.25) Nott.Forest (2.60)17.00: (1.95) Brentford (3.75) Fulham (3.70)17.00: (2.35) Leicester (3.50) Ipswich (3.15)18.30: (2.00) Arsenal (3.70) Newcastle (3.85)Monday 22.00: (2.75) Brighton (3.50) Liverpool (2.50)Tuesday22.00: (2.30) Crystal Palace (3.35) Wolverhampton (3.15)22.00: (1.55) Man.City (4.20) Bournemouth (5.90)***odds are subject to change***
