LONDON, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Liverpool could clinch the Premier League title this weekend with five matches still left in the season if results go their way.

For that to happen, Arne Slot's men would have to win away to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, while Arsenal would need to lose away to Ipswich Town earlier in the day.

Given that Leicester City appears assured of relegation and a swift return to the Championship despite ending a run of nine consecutive defeats against Brighton last weekend, Liverpool will travel to Leicester as clear favorites to take all three points.

Defeat or a draw against Liverpool would confirm Leicester's descent back to the second tier, joining Southampton in a swift return to the division they were promoted from a year ago.

The other half of the necessary equation looks less likely to occur, with Arsenal also traveling to play a team seemingly assured of relegation and whose fate could also be sealed this weekend.

Arsenal makes the trip east on a high after Wednesday's impressive 2-1 win away to Real Madrid, which propelled them into the semifinals of the Champions League with a 5-1 aggregate triumph.

With Paris Saint-Germain awaiting in the last four and the Premier League title virtually assured for Liverpool, Mikel Arteta can be expected to rest some players on Sunday. This could give a determined Ipswich hope of an upset, even though the home side's fate would be virtually sealed if West Ham wins at home to Southampton on Saturday.

Elsewhere, the race to qualify for the Champions League takes center stage this weekend with some fascinating games. The highlight sees Aston Villa at home to Newcastle United.

Villa heroically exited the Champions League on Tuesday after a 3-2 win at home to PSG wasn't quite enough to see the side through on aggregate. However, four straight wins in the league have lifted Unai Emery's side to seventh -- level on points with sixth-place Chelsea and just a point behind Manchester City in fifth.

Although Newcastle coach Eddie Howe is in the hospital with pneumonia, this has not affected performances, with a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday lifting Newcastle up to third above a struggling Nottingham Forest.

Forest has to wait until Monday when the side visits Tottenham Hotspur, by which time Manchester City and Chelsea could have moved above it in the table.

Manchester City appears to be improving at the right time but has a difficult visit to play an Everton side that beat Forest last weekend and is very hard to beat under David Moyes. Meanwhile, Chelsea makes the short trip to play a Fulham side that is still very much in the hunt for a place in Europe next season, despite losing 1-0 in Bournemouth on Tuesday.

Bournemouth visits a Crystal Palace side needing to bounce back from two heavy defeats, while elsewhere, Brighton visits Brentford in a well-balanced game.

Finally, Manchester United is at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers after a miraculous comeback against Olympique Lyon booked a place in the Europa League semifinal, which has to be the club's main ambition for the season. ■