The March internationals always disrupt the club calendar just as the Premier League and the Champions League are nicely ramping up and this year was more frustrating than most because the top flight is reaching such a thrilling end.
Now the focus returns to the Premier League and, with 11 match-rounds to go, all 20 clubs still have something to play for.
Even Chelsea and Aston Villa, seemingly marooned in 10th and 11th place, can approach their final games with optimism.
Villa have quietly been transformed by Unai Emery and are one of the form sides in the League since the turn of the year, while Chelsea have the quality to go on a run if they click under Graham Potter. Both should be cautiously eyeing a European tour rather than their summer holidays.
Below them, there are nine teams in a relegation battle royale, with just four points separating Crystal Palace in 12th from rock-bottom Southampton.
It has never been this tight in the Premier League era, with the seven points between 12th and 20th with 10/11 games left in 2010-11 the next closest.
You can make a case for any three of the nine to go down and it is so congested that a mini-run or slump could make all the difference. It promises to be a relegation run-in for the ages and perhaps a final day with an unprecedented set of permutations.
This story is from the March 30, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the March 30, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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