The final day of the Premier League season delivered drama across the table as West Ham United F.C. was relegated after 14 years in the top flight, while Sunderland A.F.C. secured a remarkable return to European football. However, the spotlight remained firmly on Arsenal F.C., who celebrated lifting the Premier League trophy for the first time in 22 years.
Arsenal capped their title-winning campaign with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace F.C. despite fielding a rotated squad ahead of their upcoming Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke sealed the win before the Gunners celebrated the long-awaited title triumph.
Manager Mikel Arteta became the first Arsenal coach since Arsène Wenger in 2003/04 to guide the club to the Premier League crown. Arsenal finished the season on 85 points, seven ahead of Manchester City F.C., and remains in contention for a historic European double.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. avoided relegation with a narrow 1-0 win over Everton F.C. thanks to an early goal from João Palhinha. Despite West Ham United F.C. defeating Leeds United F.C. 3-0, Spurs’ result confirmed the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship.
Sunderland enjoyed one of the stories of the season after securing qualification for the Europa League for the first time in over five decades. They dramatically defeated Chelsea F.C., with Trai Hume opening the scoring before Chelsea’s defensive mistakes and a red card for Wesley Fofana helped Sunderland complete a historic victory.
Chelsea, meanwhile, missed out on European football entirely for the first time since the 2015/16 campaign, leaving incoming manager Xabi Alonso with a major rebuilding task ahead.
At the Etihad Stadium, fans said farewell to legendary manager Pep Guardiola after his decade-long spell at Manchester City ended with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa F.C. Ollie Watkins scored twice for Villa, securing Champions League qualification for Unai Emery’s side.
Meanwhile, Liverpool F.C. drew 1-1 with Brentford F.C. in what became an emotional farewell for Mohamed Salah. Salah leaves Anfield as Liverpool’s all-time Premier League top scorer with 180 league goals since joining from Roma in 2017.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United F.C. defeated Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 3-0, with captain Bruno Fernandes setting a new Premier League assist record with his 21st assist of the season, surpassing Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Other results saw Burnley F.C. avoid finishing bottom after a draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., while AFC Bournemouth and Sunderland secured Europa League spots. Fulham F.C. also ended their campaign on a positive note with a victory over Newcastle United F.C.
