2022-23 Football season - What to watch in May?

​​After nine months of breathtaking action yet another blistering season of club football in Europe is coming to a close as most leagues will decide their champions at the end of May. Intense fight for the continental spot remains as well as down the table to avoid relegation. The semifinals of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference league will also turn up the heat as every game becomes crucial from here.

Here are all the narratives this month will bring in football:

Premier League title chase

This season's Premier League saw one of the most unpredictable tales of Arsenal turning title contenders after 20 years and they have a huge task in beating ruthless holders Manchester City to clinch it. The Gunners lead the table for a major part of the campaign but going four league games without a win including defeat in the decider against City has caused the latter to climb over them in the standings. Although Arsenal turned their form around against Chelsea in the first game of the month, Pep Guardiola’s men hold their spot with a comfortable victory over West Ham. Separated just by a point, the current table toppers sustain a better goal-difference and head-to-head record playing one game less than their title rivals with destiny firmly in their own hands. City are on a nine-game winning run in the league with a comfortable schedule in the next six games compare to Mikel Arteta’s side going to face Newcastle and Brighton in two straight matches of their remaining five. The Premier League season ends on 28th May and it will be known by then whether the blue half of Manchester retain their honor or there will be a new name on the trophy.

As of 5 May 2023                   

Must Read | Manchester City or Arsenal: who will win the Premier League 2022-23 

WSL title race and Women’s Champions League Places 

There is another thrilling title chase happening in England with three of the top Women’s Super League clubs vying for the top spot. Like Arsenal in the men’s division, Manchester United Women are the most unlikely leaders in the race with Arsenal and defending champions Chelsea drifting off from their usual high standards this season. Despite that, Emma Hayes’s side are still in contention playing two fewer games in third with four points off the first place. Manchester City are dreaming about their second WSL title in history just three points behind their rivals and a title-deciding Manchester derby to play later this month. United have a more crunching schedule than others with Tottenham, City and Liverpool to face in the remaining three with a FA Cup final against the Blues at Wembley in between. It will be a big next few weeks for them to win their maiden top-flight honor. Meanwhile, the Gunners have struggled with injuries to key players this season causing them to retract their title ambition. Instead, they are battling for a Champions League qualification spot.                     

As of 5 May 2023

Bundesliga title chase

The 2022/23 football season has sprouted some fascinating title race and one cannot deny the one in Germany is leading over the rest in terms of excitement. Never had ever Bayern Munich come in the state of losing their hold on the Bundesliga for a decade than now with Borussia Dortmund finally coming out of their chokers stigma to be an able contender. The Bavarians are on the top of the pile again but only just as only a point separates them from the Yellow and Blacks. It is Bayern’s stuttering form and their rival’s stunning form for much of 2023 which has made such an interesting race for the league not seen for a long time. However, Thomas Tuchel’s men have the champions’ mentality amid their struggles with three of the four remaining fixtures up against the sides from the bottom half of the table. The only clash that could matter to them is against top-four opponents RB Leipzig. On the flip side, Dortmund have to face Wolfsburg and Gladbach in their next two games but both are home fixtures and the opponents they have strong records against. Mainz could be a tricky customer to finish the campaign although that match is also hosted in Signal Iduna Park.

As of 5 May 2023

Race for the fifth spot in the Premier League

While the race for the top four is not mathematically over as Liverpool has put them in contention in a late surge and Manchester United showing inconsistency sitting in the fourth spot, the fight for the Europa League football is heating up. The Reds currently acquire the fifth spot that will get them into the competition with five points off Aston Villa to face in the remaining four games for them. Unai Emery’s men have Tottenham to square up against as well with Spurs coming off a tough schedule hoping to finish a disastrous campaign strongly. The main scare for European football ambitions of the other three is Brighton who has pulled themselves to sixth through a crucial win over Manchester United on Thursday. Moreover, the Seagulls six games in hand tipping them for the spot although Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle and Aston Villa will try to make it harder in the remainder of the season.      

As of 5 May 2023

Champions League semi finals

Along with the domestic league actions, the Champions League is also moving to its conclusion as the semifinal stages begin this month to decide the final two teams going to Istanbul in June. English champions Manchester City will lock horns with competition holders Real Madrid in the last four for consecutive years hoping for a classic again. In the other semifinal, two behemoth clubs from Italian football will clash in a mouth-watering Milan derby in Europe this time.         

First Leg

Real Madrid vs Manchester City - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid (10 May 2023)

Milan vs Inter - San Siro, Milan (11 May 2023)

Second Leg

Inter vs Milan - San Siro, Milan (17 May 2023)

Manchester City vs Real Madrid - Etihad Stadium, Manchester (18 May 2023)

Europa and Conference League semifinals

With the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League semifinals get underway. Jose Mourinho’s Roma, aiming for a successive European final, will face an exciting Bayer Leverkusen side managed by Xabi Alonso. Record holders Sevilla hunting for a seventh Europa League title as they take on Serie A giants Juventus in a cracking fixture. There are also interesting last-four ties to watch in the Conference League with West Ham looking to quench their thirst for European success in beating Dutch side AZ to move to the final while Fiorentina under tactically tenacious Vincenzo Italiano battle FC Basel from Switzerland.          

Europa League

First Leg

Roma vs Leverkusen - Stadio Olimpico, Rome (12 May 2023)

Juventus vs Sevilla - Alianz Stadium (12 May 2023)

Second Leg

Sevilla vs Juventus - Ramos Sanchez Pizjuan (19 May 2023) 

Leverkusen vs Roma - Bayer Arena (19 May 2023) 

Conference League

First Leg

West Ham vs AZ - London Stadium, London (12 May 2023)

Fiorentina vs FC Basel - Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence (12 May 2023)

Second Leg

AZ vs West Ham - AFAS Stadion (19 May 2023)

FC Basel vs Fiorentina – St Jakob-Park, Basel (19 May 2023)

Top-four battles in Serie A

Image credits: Globe Soccer Awards

Napoli might have run away with the Scudetto but the chase for the Champions League is a real watch in Serie A. Furthermore, all the six teams involved in the top-four race play each other at the first weekend of the month. While second-placed Lazio looks set to return to the top-tier European contest with 64 points they could be sucked into the funnel if they are not careful. The same goes for Juventus whose 15 points restoration made the situation far more competitive than before. Both Milan clubs, Atalanta and Roma have their position in jeopardy as a result with neither side looking consistent. For Milan or Inter their escape route could be winning the Champions League itself as well as Roma by winning the Europa League. However, Atalanta have to finish in the top four in the remaining five games with no other routes for escape available.               

As of 5 May 2023

Race for the European spots in Bundesliga

Image credits: Globe Soccer Awards 

The race for European football is also tight in the Bundesliga with only four games left to play in the 2022/23 season. Story of the campaign, Union Berlin wants to create more history for themselves by entering the Champions League in a sensational way if they manage to finish in the top four at the end of it. They will take on rivals Freiburg, in fourth and level on points, soon with Christian Streich’s side having Leipzig to face before then after suffering a humiliating exit from the DFB Cup in the hands of the same opposition only days ago. A point away, Marco Rose’s team will also have to face leaders Bayern Munich in the last four games. Turning their fortunes around from relegation candidate to European football seekers, Bayer Leverkusen under Alonso are in the Europa Conference league spot putting them into direct battle with Nico Kovac’s Wolfsburg and Mainz for the sixth place. To some extent, Eintracht Frankfurt are also in the race but Oliver Glasner’s team need a big favor from the rest. 

As of 5 May 2023

Promotion fight in the Championship 

The promotion battle to the Premier League is always something to watch out for every season and this one is no different. With Burnley winning the Championship and Sheffield United securing the runners-up spot along with Luton Town and Middleborough qualifying for the promotion playoffs, it leaves five teams battling for the remaining two places, fifth and sixth, on the final day of the league stage to enter the next round. Currently, Coventry and Millwall are holding the places but are only three and two points clear respectively. Sunderland, West Brom and Blackburn Rovers all stand a chance to offset them with level on points. The latter face Rovers for a straight battle on 8th May while the Black Cats travel to Preston and the Baggies go to Wales to face Swansea. A point will do for Coventry in a memorable campaign for them as they too play an away match with Boro on Monday.              

As of 5 May 2023

Premier League Relegation battle

It is a six-way race to avoid the drop in the Premier League but it looks increasingly certain that aside from a miracle, last-placed Southampton will go down. They also end their last two games of the campaign with a difficult trip to Brighton and welcoming Liverpool at St Mary’s after facing relegation rivals Nottingham Forest this weekend and a top-ten side Fulham in the first two. Juggling their European duties, West Ham seem to have got enough points to beat the drop with a game in hand so the real fight remains between Leicester City, Leeds United, Forest and Everton.

The former two have changed their managers while Steve Cooper’s side are desperate to not return to the Championship straight away after their long-awaited Premier League return. Forest have to battle out two London giants in Chelsea and Arsenal in a tough schedule. Sean Dyche’s team had never faced relegation from the Premier League although that status is in danger even with a point off from safety as they face Brighton, Manchester City, Wolves and Bournemouth in the remaining fixtures. The Foxes will also meet Newcastle and Liverpool while Leeds face the defending champions and then Tottenham on the final day of the season.

As of 5 May 2023

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