Final Premier League gameweek sees controversial end to Champions League race

With Liverpool having already been crowned Premier League champions and the bottom three being long ago confirmed to fight it out in the Championship next season, all eyes fall upon the Champions League race on the final day of the season. 5 clubs: Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa all know that they do their job on their day and the opportunity to play in Europe’s top club competition could await.

A draw would see Manchester City qualify for the Champions League and a tidy bicycle kick from close range by Gundogan put them in control against Fulham. Elsewhere Nottingham Forest and Chelsea were battling it out in a winner takes all game, with both Wood and Neto putting well worked chances over the bar. Newcastle against Everton was similarly goalless at the break.

All Aston Villa had to do was keep Manchester United out

Aston Villa went into Old Trafford, where even a win was not a guarantee of a Champions League spot, but they must have felt confident against an out of sorts United side, who had just suffered Europa league heartbreak. Yet on the stroke of half time, their hopes were in jeopardy as an under hit back pass by Matty Cash and a clumsy challenge by Martinez saw the Claret and Blue down to 10.

Into the second half and a Haaland penalty, from a Gundogan won foul, secured third place for Manchester City, a result most City fans would be pleased with given their form in the mid part of the season. At the City ground it was Chelsea who broke the deadlock, sending the away fans into raptures. Cucurella’s lofted ball back into the box was not dealt with well by Neco Williams. An abject glancing header put through Neto who calmly squared it to an incoming Colwill. Nottingham Forest’s Champions League dreams were slipping away.

In the end, it was City, Newcastle and Chelsea who made up the Champions League spots

A 10 man Aston Villa were holding resolute against a determined Manchester United side and news started to trickle through that Newcastle had conceded a late goal to Everton. All Aston Villa had to do was keep Manchester United out. Cue mayhem and controversy; as it so often has this season VAR was at the heart of it. Bayendir spilled a long ball and Rogers aptly capitalised, but the ref had blown his whistle just before the ball had crossed the line for a non-existent foul on the keeper. VAR could not intervene and Manchester United went up the other end and Diallo put the ball in the Villa net, knocking them out of the Champions League spots. A late Eriksen penalty condemned Villa to their fate. In the end, it was City, Newcastle and Chelsea who made up the Champions League spots with Villa in the Europa League and Nottingham Forest making up the last of the spots in the Conference League.

In other games, Crystal Palace saw themselves end the season with a draw to the Champions, a late Odegaard winner saw Arsenal edge past Southampton, Bournemouth beat Leicester 2-0 and West Ham condemned Ipswich to another defeat. Brighton smashed a Tottenham side still hungover from their Europa League success, and Brentford saw the season out with a 1-1 draw vs Wolves. And with that the curtain falls on the 2024/25 Premier League season.