Liverpool poised for Premier League coronation, Leicester, Ipswich for relegation

By NewsDay Reporter - LIVERPOOL could seal the Premier League tomorrow if runaway leaders sentence Leicester to the relegation trap and Arsenal are knocked for six by a Champions League hangover with defeat at Ipswich.

Victory for the Gunners at Portman Road would also mathematically relegate Ipswich if West Ham and Wolves win.

Unlike the battles against drop and for league championship, the fight for a place in next season's Champions League will go to the wire.

Five points distance Newcastle third from seventh Aston Villa prior to their match at Villa Park.

Thirteen points clear at the top of the table with six games to go, it is now a question of when and not if Liverpool will join Manchester United on a record 20 English top-flight titles.

Another couple of wins will seal the deal for Arne Slot's men and they couldn't have looked for more accommodative fixtures with a trip to troubled Leicester preceding struggling Tottenham's trip to Anfield.

Title contention, nonetheless, may well not even be as far forward as Easter Sunday if Ipswich hand Arsenal their first league defeat since February.

The focus of Mikel Arteta's team has now shifted to winning the Champions League after a convincing 5-1 aggregate win over holders Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.

Southampton's relegation to the Championship was confirmed at the first try in record time with seven games remaining.

Leicester and Ipswich have fared little better to create concern about the increasing gap between the Premier League and the second division.

For the second consecutive year all three teams that were promoted are set to be relegated.

Leicester, who shocked the world to win the title only nine years ago, have had a catastrophic season, especially since Ruud van Nistelrooy took over as manager.

The Foxes have accumulated only four points from their last 17 games to trail by 17 points from safety.

Ipswich have captured the strategy more times but have also lost just four league games this season to be only three points higher-placed than Leicester. NewsDay