Matchday 36 gives Aston Villa fans a lot to be anxious about. Particularly after an action-packed and historically significant match for the club, the route to the Champions League is alive and well. Now, supporters are at that time of year where fixtures throughout the Premier League have direct and immediate consequences in the standings.
Fortunately for the AVFC faithful, Newcastle and Chelsea play early on Sunday. A draw leaves the door open for two potential teams for Villa to surpass. Although certainly seeing only one side earn three points here wouldn't hurt either.
The Blues are still playing in the Conference League and will have Manchester United and Nottingham Forest remaining on their schedule. Compare that to the Magpies, who only have two fixtures to worry about, as NUFC will play Arsenal and Everton to end their season.
Manchester City has an FA Cup final to worry about. They'll then end their campaign with AFC Bournemouth and Fulham. Arsenal, meanwhile, as mentioned, will play Newcastle and then face Southampton after facing off against Liverpool.
Forest are behind Villa at the moment, but they have a fixture against Leicester City to make up for the current two-point deficit. Their final game will be against CFC, but beforehand they'll play West Ham.
Potential paths for Aston Villa to sneak up the standings
In what can be an odd situation, certain teams winning would help Villa's chances of qualifying for the top European competition. A spot in Europe is secured. Now the question is about which competition AVFC will be in next season.
The Gunners losing on Sunday would allow for them to have a stronger sense of urgency when they face the Magpies. Depending on how other games shake out, Villa could need Newcastle to drop points at that time.
They'll need a little help from any side that is playing Nottingham, but considering Chelsea are one of them, it may require Man Utd stepping in to help the Villans.
Either way, one week could see Villa supporters rooting for a team, only to be actively hoping for their defeat the next. It's not a great position to be in for CL hopefuls, but there is certainly hope remaining.