Premier League run-in: How Leicester and Tottenham can claim title glory during final hurdle

One of the most enjoyable and notoriously unpredictable top-flight campaigns in living memory is set to draw to an inevitably exciting conclusion over the next three weeks, with many key issues remaining unresolved. A frantic scrap for survival ahead of the new £5.14bn ($7.3bn, €6.4bn) television rights deal that is set to send revenues skyrocketing next term continues to rage between Norwich, Newcastle and Sunderland, while the battle for Champions League qualification has seen Manchester City and Arsenal come under increasing pressure from Manchester United, West Ham and even Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.

Things are most intriguing at the summit of the table, where neutrals favourites Leicester have defied their tag as pre-season relegation contenders to produce a simply unbelievable season that has put them on the brink of their first title. The only obstacle standing in the way of Claudio Ranieri's workmanlike side is second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who continue to take significant strides in their development under Mauricio Pochettino and now trail the leaders by just five points with four games remaining.

Here, IBTimes UK takes a look at their respective run-ins and the fixtures that will decide this most surprising of title races...

Week 35

Leicester vs Swansea - Sunday 24 April

Tottenham vs West Brom - Monday 25 April

With Swansea now 10 points clear of relegation trouble, they do not appear to have much to play for ahead of their trip to the King Power Stadium. Despite narrowly beating Chelsea a fortnight ago courtesy of a first-half volley from danger man Gylfi Sigurdsson, the 2013 League Cup winners were brushed aside by relegation candidates Newcastle at St James' Park last time out. Uncertainty also continues to surround the future of manager Francesco Guidolin, who took over from interim boss Alan Curtis in January but has been mentioned in some quarters as a potential successor to Antonio Conte with Italy.

How Leicester, who beat Swansea 3-0 in early December courtesy of a hat-trick from Riyad Mahrez, fare without suspended striker Jamie Vardy should prove pivotal. The England international faces at least a one-match ban following his controversial dismissal for simulation during the recent draw with West Ham and the absence of a man who has scored 22 goals already this season should be keenly felt. On a high from their comprehensive thrashing of Stoke, Tottenham will presumably have few problems in easing past an underwhelming West Brom team that are without a win since 6 March but did hold them to a draw earlier in the year.

Week 36

Manchester United vs Leicester - Sunday 1 May

Chelsea vs Tottenham - Monday 2 May

Manchester United and especially Chelsea are a shadow of their former selves at present, but this still has the feel of a crucial weekend. The Red Devils may lack star power and have been guilty of playing some truly tedious football under the unpopular Louis van Gaal, but they remain in the hunt for that final Champions League berth and have won each of their last six home league games, conceding just twice during that span. Vardy, who surpassed Ruud van Nistelrooy's record by scoring in his 11th consecutive match during a 1-1 draw in November, will also miss out on the trip to Old Trafford if he is found guilty of improper conduct by the Football Association (FA).

Bogged down in mid-table following a disastrous title defence and out of every cup competition by March, Guus Hiddink's troops will no doubt be eager to stop close rivals Spurs from winning their first league title since the days of Bill Nicholson and Danny Blanchflower back in 1961. They will also want to impress new manager Conte, who is set to take over at Stamford Bridge following the end of Italy's Euro 2016 campaign in France. You would expect more fireworks than the tedious stalemate that played out at White Hart Lane five months ago, which was notable only for Diego Costa's mark of dissent towards Jose Mourinho.

Week 37

Leicester vs Everton - Saturday 7 May

Tottenham vs Southampton - Sunday 8 May

As sadly evidenced by their disastrous 4-0 humbling in the 226th Merseyside derby on 20 April, a fixture against Everton is no longer to be viewed with too much trepidation. The Toffees, 11th at the time of writing with just three wins in their last 11 outings, have clearly underachieved despite spending heavily over recent years. Even an FA Cup final triumph may not be enough to secure the future of under-fire manager Roberto Martinez, with the club likely to go in a new direction under the investment of Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri. Leicester's visit to Goodison Park in December ended in a 3-2 win that ensured they were top at Christmas.

It would be another twist in this remarkable tale if Pochettino's former club were to eliminate Tottenham from contention once and for all. Southampton can still qualify for the Europa League, yet Ronald Koeman was left bemoaning their lack of cutting edge away from home during a recent 1-1 draw at Everton. The Saints were struggling badly during the return fixture, when Spurs sealed a 2-0 win thanks to Dele Alli and a special solo goal from Harry Kane.

Week 38

Chelsea vs Leicester - Sunday 15 May

Newcastle vs Tottenham - Sunday 15 May

With all 10 matches set to kick-off at the same time, the final day of the season is the only occasion during the remaining few weeks that Leicester do not boast the psychological advantage of playing before Tottenham. A trip to Chelsea is hardly the most ideal finish if the title is still in play, namely because you would expect a sense of wounded pride to kick in on behalf of the defending champions despite the possibility of rivals Tottenham coming up trumps. Their last meeting sealed the demise of Mourinho, who followed a 2-1 loss with an extraordinary rant during which he claimed that his work had been "betrayed".

The potential difficulty and importance of Tottenham's visit to the north-east will depend on the state of the title race and indeed whether or not Newcastle's fate has been decided by then. A creditable draw with Manchester City this week left them just two points adrift of safety after Rafael Benitez got his first win since replacing Steve McClaren at home to Swansea. If both teams need to win to reach their respective goals, then we could be set for a true final-day nailbiter. The Magpies know what it takes to beat Spurs, having departed White Hart Lane late last year with a last-gasp 2-1 win that saw Ayoze Perez bag a 93rd-minute winner after substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic had cancelled out Eric Dier's opener.