English Premier League Matchday 38: Man City's Quest for Double-Digit Titles, Chelsea's Perfect Season Finale

On May 19th at 11 PM Beijing time, the final round of the English Premier League kicks off simultaneously. Manchester City needs just a victory over West Ham to secure their tenth league title, surpassing Everton and claiming sole possession of fourth place on the all-time top-flight title list. This feat seems within reach for Pep Guardiola's side. Chelsea, aiming for at least a Europa League spot, must maintain their current sixth position. Additionally, they will be rooting for Manchester City from the stands at Wembley during the FA Cup final. Manchester City vs. West Ham United - Double-digit Premier League Titles?

Sir Alex Ferguson was renowned, but Guardiola may surpass him. Ferguson led Manchester United to three consecutive Premier League titles twice but never achieved four in a row. If Guardiola's City defeats West Ham, they will achieve this historic milestone. Since the founding of the English top-flight league in 1888, no team has won four consecutive titles, making Guardiola's opportunity unprecedented.

In their last match, Manchester City faced Tottenham away, encountering difficulties in the first half as both teams remained scoreless. In the second half, De Bruyne assisted Haaland to break the deadlock. However, City suffered a setback when first-choice goalkeeper Ederson got injured again. Fortunately, substitute goalkeeper Ortgea, who has frequently replaced Ederson this season, was prepared and contributed to securing City's victory alongside Haaland.

West Ham United, champions of the Europa League last season, have settled for ninth place in the Premier League this season, confirming their exclusion from European competition next season. This marks the end of Moyes' second tenure with the club. Despite mixed results this season, Moyes' achievement of the club's first trophy in the 21st century at least gives him a dignified exit from London Stadium. West Ham's performance has been erratic, with more wins than losses but notable heavy defeats such as 0-5 against Chelsea and 0-6 against Arsenal, making them the team with the most goals conceded in the safety zone. Improving defense will be their top priority during the break. Will Moyes' successor fare better?

Manchester City currently holds nine Premier League titles and their ambition for double digits is evident. In this match, City is expected to perform at three-quarters of their full strength at home. Haaland, with no European commitments, can unleash his full potential. The emotional departure of Moyes might distract West Ham from putting up a fight.

Chelsea vs. Bournemouth - New Lampard or New De Bruyne?

Considering their mid-season struggles, few Chelsea fans would have predicted that they would almost certainly secure a European competition spot with one match remaining. If Manchester United loses the FA Cup final, Chelsea only needs to maintain sixth place to secure a Europa League berth next season. If United wins, Chelsea must climb to fifth for Europa League qualification, otherwise they will be relegated to the Europa Conference League, which is quite boring for a club of their stature.

Young Player of the Season, Palmer, has been instrumental in Chelsea's late resurgence. Initially struggling to fit in, Palmer quickly proved himself by scoring shortly after joining Chelsea and even had a chance to compete for the Golden Boot. Besides his increasing goal tally, Palmer's assists have also reached double figures, inviting comparisons to former teammate De Bruyne. In his nine seasons with Manchester City, De Bruyne achieved double figures in goals only twice, with a season-high of just 15 goals. Palmer seems to have surpassed him statistically, but it's worth noting that if Manchester City's teammates were as supportive as Chelsea's, De Bruyne might have scored more goals.

Bournemouth has comfortably secured Premier League survival for two consecutive seasons, and this season they may even finish in the top half of the table. Overall, Bournemouth's performance this season has shown little change, alternating between narrow victories and heavy defeats. Last season, their average goals per game did not even reach one, and their final goal difference was minus 34, just more than Southampton, the last place team. However, they secured survival early, highlighting their strength in adversity. Under new manager Iraola this season, the Cherries have shown significant improvement in both attack and defense. In their first encounter, Chelsea and Bournemouth fought to a 0-0 draw, with Chelsea's attack still in its infancy. Now the situation is completely different, as Palmer seeks Solskjaer's favor, Chelsea is expected to perform at three-quarters of its strength, while Bournemouth players are more concerned with the weather at their vacation destination.