With Fulham picking up a point in their 0-0 draw with Brentford, how many more are required for them to finish in the European places?
After claiming a point in the 0-0 away draw at Brentford, Fulham remain firmly in the hunt for European football.
With results elsewhere largely going their way, as Everton slipped to a 100th minute defeat against Liverpool and Sunderland also falling in the 93rd minute to lose 4-3 to Aston Villa.
Newcastle’s defeat to Bournemouth ended their already slim chances of reaching the European places, while the Cherries are now in an excellent spot themselves.
Meanwhile, Brighton claiming only a point at Tottenham keeps them within reach and Chelsea losing their fourth successive game also keeps them within one result of the Cottagers.
But with just five matches left of the season now, how many points would realistically secure Fulham a spot in the European places?
Well, the best way to look at this is to first analyse the fixtures of their biggest rivals for the three remaining European places.
Should Crystal Palace lose to West Ham on Monday night, they will effectively be ruled out alongside Newcastle.
But other than that we have seven teams in a straight battle for three spots.
Currently occupying sixth to eighth spots are Chelsea, Brentford and Bournemouth.
All three sides are on 48 points, with Brighton and Everton just a point behind in ninth and 10th on 47 points and Sunderland on 46 points in 11th.
Fulham are on 45 points in 12th.
There is a huge match on Tuesday night between Brighton and Chelsea, should Liam Rosenior’s men lose that game, it does feel like it is game over for the Blues in their pursuit of Europe, even with home matches against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham to come.
The Blues’ away matches, against Liverpool and Sunderland, look extremely tricky on paper and after four successive matches without a goal, Chelsea are in the worst form of all the teams.
Brighton conversely, are in excellent form and have now lost just one of their last seven matches.
Their away trips, against a Newcastle side who are struggling badly for form and Leeds, who are all but safe after consecutive wins, could easily see six points gained.
Meanwhile, home matches against Wolves and Manchester United are also pretty favourable.
Brentford’s recent inability to win any of their last five matches may come back to haunt them.
Five draws on the spin precedes matches against Manchester United, West Ham, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
It is hard to see much more than half a dozen points won there which could see the Bees miss out.
Bournemouth host Leeds, looking to continue their incredible form and they then welcome Crystal Palace before a visit to Craven Cottage.
The form they are in now, they may well feel they can win all three of those matches, before they host Manchester City and visit Nottingham Forest.
Everton have been in excellent form in recent weeks and were desperately unlucky not to take a point away from the Merseyside derby.
They do now have the difficult task of facing West Ham on Saturday, before hosting Manchester City.
Their final three matches come up against Palace, Sunderland at home and Tottenham on the final day which could bring in a decent haul of points.
Sunderland host Nottingham Forest and then visit Wolves, in matches they will need to win to have a chance of making Europe you feel.
Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea in their last three games feels tough but the way the Black Cats have been at home for much of the season, you would not bet against them picking up a handful of points there.
And then there is Fulham.
A massive tie against Aston Villa on Saturday effectively decides the season now, win that and it is very much on.
But lose it and then travel to Arsenal the following week and it is easy to assume it is over.
The final three matches definitely do present an opportunity for points though, with the Cottagers facing Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle
So with that, what could a final table look like?
Final table prediction in European race
6. Brighton 59
7. Bournemouth 56
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8. Sunderland 54
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9. Fulham 53
10. Everton 53
11. Brentford 52
12. Chelsea 52
Having collated all of the team’s remaining games, it looks set to be incredibly tight for the rest of the season.
I put Fulham down as picking up a draw against both Aston Villa and Bournemouth, losing at Arsenal and defeating Wolves and Newcastle.
That may well prove to be enough if Brighton, Bournemouth and Sunderland’s results don’t go the way I expect them to.
So, the honest truth is that 10 points from the final five matches will almost certainly be enough, while eight points definitely could be.
Any less than that though, and it sees like it will be another near miss for the Cottagers.