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Sport

17th May 2017

Liverpool set to make TV history in final day clash with Middlesbrough

The Reds can clinch a return to the Champions League on Sunday

Simon Lloyd

Let’s be honest, as far as final days go, this year’s climax to the Premier League season is… well, a bit shit.

Despite the best efforts of Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham side, Chelsea had the league title sewn up with a couple of games to play. At the opposite end of the table, relegation for Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hull City means we won’t even be able to settle down to any ridiculously overhyped ‘Survival Sunday’ drama, either.

The only thing that isn’t quite decided is The Race For The Top Four, and even that seems pretty much done and dusted. Champions Chelsea are of course guaranteed Champions League football next season, as are Spurs, but for one of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, a year in the Europa League beckons.

City should be fine. Even if they manage to lose away at Watford, they’ll have a +5 superior goal difference over fifth place Arsenal, who host Everton on the final day. Realistically then, it’s only really between Liverpool and Arsenal.

Having breezed past West Ham at the London Stadium last weekend, victory at home to already relegated Middlesbrough seems like a certainty for Jürgen Klopp’s men – even if they have underperformed against at home in some matches recently.

Nevertheless, Sky’s cameras will be at Anfield to broadcast the match live and, as pointed out by the Liverpool Echo, will  create a little piece of Premier League history in the process.

Over the course of the season, Sky and BT Sport will have featured 29 of Liverpool’s 38 Premier League matches live, a new record.

Arsenal’s game with Everton will not be televised, with Sky opting to follow the action between City and Watford at Vicarage Road instead.