Manchester City or Arsenal will lift the English Premier League (EPL) trophy on Sunday, May 19. However, City are strong favourites to win a record-breaking fourth consecutive EPL title.
City has 88 points from 37 games and a goal difference of 60, while second-placed Arsenal, who have played the same number of matches, is just two points behind but has a better goal difference of 61.
Will Goal Difference Decide?
The defending champions will play 9th-placed West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on the final day. A win is all they need to secure their record-breaking fourth consecutive EPL title.
Arsenal, on the other hand, welcomes 15th-placed Everton to the Emirates Stadium. A win for Arsenal would take them to 89 points and hope that City does not get a win at the Etihad.
If City and West Ham draw, City would finish the season with 89 points, the same number of points Arsenal would have if they beat Everton. At this point, the title will go to London, as the Gunners have a better goal difference.
Where will the Trophy Be?
Following tradition, all 10 matches on the final day, including the two potentially decisive matches will be played at the same time – 16.00 hrs.
However, the match venues are over 300 kilometres apart, meaning the trophy can’t be swiftly moved from one stadium to another.
What then happens?
When more than one club can win the EPL title on the final match day, there are usually two identical sets of plans at each stadium.
There are two identical trophies—one in the possession of the defending champions over the season—in this case, Manchester City—and one in the possession of the Premier League.
However, the defending champions must return the trophy to the Premier League, at least 3 weeks before their final match of the season.
Trophies will be at Both Venues
On the final match day, these two trophies will be at each venue—in this case, the Etihad and Emirates stadiums—where a potential winner can emerge.
After the matches have ended and a winner is determined, the winner’s trophy will be engraved with the club’s name.
The base of both trophies has an engraved base of all past Premier League champions
Premier League Trophy, Post Match Celebration and Medals
The EPL trophy is 3 feet 5 inches (104cm) tall, 2 feet (61cm) wide, and weighs approximately 25 kg.
Both trophies were cast by Asprey London, the Crown Jewellers. The main bodies are made from solid sterling silver, and the crowns are cast from 24-carat silver gilt.
The bases are made from malachite, a semi-precious stone found in Africa. The opaque green stone represents the field of play.
For post-match celebrations, both the Etihad and Emirates stadiums will feature identical podiums and fireworks, prepared for whichever team wins the league title.
At each ground, there will be a set of 40 medals which are made of silver.
The medals can be awarded to the manager, players, and officials as the club sees fit, provided that every player who made at least five Premier League appearances during the title-winning season receives one.
One Last Thing
The Trophy’s design embodies the theme of “The Three Lions of English Football,” with two lions positioned above the handles on either side.
When the captain of the title-winning team raises the Trophy and its gold crown above his head at the end of the season, he completes the trio, becoming the third lion!