Test of stamina as final furlong looms

So it begins. It might not quite be the final furlong but the finishing line is just about visible and the runners and riders know the margin for error is slim. 

There is no silverware in this race, merely a place in an exclusive club and a truckload of cash. Such is the way of the modern game.

While the outcome of the Chelsea v Manchester City title battle looks increasingly inevitable, the identity of the two teams that will join the leaders in next season’s Champions League is far less clear.