Premier League final day: UCL for Chelsea, Man City; Man United deny Villa

The 2024-25 Premier League play is over! Though Liverpool were crowned champions astir a period agone and the respective relegations of Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City looked connected the cards for adjacent longer, determination was inactive immoderate concern to beryllium settled Sunday.

With each 20 teams playing their last lucifer of the run astatine the aforesaid time, determination was inactive qualification for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League astatine stake.

Manchester City's 2-0 win astatine Fulham secured them 3rd spot and booked their spot backmost successful Europe's apical contention for adjacent play by finishing third, down champions Liverpool (who drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace astatine Anfield) and Arsenal (who won 2-1 astatine Southampton).

They volition beryllium joined by UEFA Conference League finalists Chelsea aft they won 1-0 astatine Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle United, who snuck into the Champions League for a 2nd clip successful 3 years contempt losing 1-0 astatine location to Everton.

Newcastle tin convey Aston Villa for allowing them to decorativeness fifth, arsenic a 2-0 loss astatine Manchester United condemned them to sixth spot and with it a spot successful the Europa League. But spare a thought for Forest, who astatine 1 constituent were a astonishment sanction successful the rubric mix, but extremity the play successful seventh spot -- a highly respectable decorativeness for a nine that battled relegation past season, but not what it was dreaming of successful January.

Man United's historically atrocious Premier League run was not rather arsenic historically atrocious arsenic it mightiness person been, arsenic their triumph against 10-man Villa moved them up to 15th, portion Tottenham Hotspur, the squad that bushed them successful Wednesday's Europa League final, finished 17th aft losing 4-1 astatine location to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Chelsea unafraid UCL shot astatine Forest's expense

NOTTINGHAM, England -- Chelsea were keen to accent privately that Enzo Maresca's presumption was unafraid careless of what happened connected the last day, but delivering Champions League shot enhances his authorization up of a engaged summer.

Levi Colwill's 51st-minute tap-in was capable to springiness the Blues a precious 1-0 triumph astatine Nottingham Forest, sealing 4th spot and a instrumentality to Europe's premier nine contention for the archetypal clip since 2022-23. It was the merchandise of a scrappy crippled successful which galore of Chelsea's shortcomings -- astir evidently a disjointed onslaught -- were visible, but nevertheless, Maresca has yet brought a consciousness of advancement to a task that has often attracted attraction for the incorrect reasons ever since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover successful May 2022.

Maresca was told upon taking the occupation that helium was expected to execute Champions League qualification successful his 2nd season. He is, then, up of schedule.

And it gives the Italian a coagulated level from which to onslaught Wednesday's Conference League last against Real Betis earlier traveling to the United States for a Club World Cup run that Chelsea are expected to instrumentality seriously, not slightest fixed the £97million connected connection for winning the expanded competition.

Chelsea were determined to springiness Maresca time, awarding him a five-year declaration successful opposition to his predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, who has handed conscionable 2 years with the enactment of a 3rd and seemingly ne'er felt unchangeable successful the post. There was a tendency to debar immoderate uncertainty astir Maresca's presumption heading into the Club World Cup, but for that to genuinely beryllium the case, Chelsea needed to execute thing tangible and triumph astatine the City Ground connected Sunday ensured that is the case.

Pedro Neto, operating arsenic a makeshift halfway guardant with Nicolas Jackson serving a reddish paper suspension and Christopher Nkunku injured and Tyrique George demoted to the bench, wasted their champion accidental of the archetypal half, steering Cole Palmer's 30th-minute transverse implicit the crossbar. The Blues had lone 2 shots aft Colwill's goal.

Forest struggled to muster overmuch going guardant successful response. Chris Wood fired implicit from Ola Aina's right-wing transportation conscionable earlier the break, but it was lone arsenic the crippled headed for stoppage clip that they were capable to enactment Chelsea nether sustained pressure. An 88th-minute goalmouth scramble preceded Wood collecting Matz Sels' agelong shot into the container and firing implicit from wrong the 6-yard box.

For Forest, it was a bittersweet finale. There was a consciousness of jubilation successful these parts earlier kickoff, exemplified by the "Destination: Europe" banner adorning the Trent End. They volition embark connected a European run for the archetypal clip since 1995-96 adjacent term, but having started the daydreaming of Champions League football, they extremity it knowing the Conference League awaits.

In truth, Forest ran retired of steam. Two wins from their last 8 league games tells that story, but thing should detract from a play successful which Nuno Espírito Santo and his players defied each preseason expectations to decorativeness successful seventh erstwhile galore observers had them nailed connected to beryllium relegated.

Maresca mightiness inactive person a conflict to genuinely triumph the hearts and minds of Chelsea supporters, particularly fixed the ongoing disapproval of his benignant of play, but helium tin present proceed that combat from a renewed presumption of strength. After 2 decades of occurrence nether a assortment of managers during Roman Abramovich's ownership, those traveling Blues fans respect 1 happening supra each else: getting the occupation done. And Maresca did that here. -- James Olley

More disappointment astatine Old Trafford -- this clip for Villa

MANCHESTER, England -- Another game, different nonaccomplishment to suffice for the Champions League, though connected this occasion, it was Manchester United wrecking the hopes of their opponents alternatively than their ain arsenic a 2-0 Old Trafford triumph against Aston Villa denied Unai Emery's squad a spot successful adjacent season's astir prestigious nine competition.

Four days aft blowing their chances of a back-door introduction into the Champions League by losing to Tottenham successful the Europa League final, United's final-game rally against Villa yet denied their guests a top-five spot, but the last result mightiness person been antithetic had Emery's squad not been reduced to 10 players with the 45th-minute reddish paper for goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for a foul connected Rasmus Højlund. At the extremity of specified a dismal season, though, United astir apt needed Villa to suffer their keeper successful bid to beryllium capable to find the triumph that drew a enactment nether what manager Ruben Amorim called a "disastrous season" successful his postmatch code to the crowd.

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Nicol: Referee made a calamitous mistake successful disallowed Villa goal

Steve Nicol believes the referee has "messed up large time" successful disallowing Aston Villa's extremity successful their 2-0 decision to Man United, denying them Champions League qualification.

United person been truthful atrocious this run that Amad's 76th-minute extremity -- a header from a Bruno Fernandes transverse --was their archetypal astatine location successful the Premier League since March 9. With Christian Eriksen sealing the triumph with an 87th-minute penalty, United recorded lone their 3rd league triumph since the extremity of January.

The Martínez reddish paper and referee Thomas Bramall's determination to regularisation retired a Morgan Rogers extremity erstwhile the people was 0-0 -- Bramall judged Rogers to person kicked the shot retired of goalkeeper Altay Bayindir's hands -- some helped United seal the win, but portion the Martínez sending disconnected was clear, Emery and Villa were furious astatine the Rogers determination due to the fact that it arguably outgo the nine a Champions League spot.

Still, with truthful galore unenviable records breached by Amorim's squad this season, each helping manus should beryllium appreciated by a United broadside that is packed with players who are obscurity adjacent the modular of a nine of its stature.

Amorim has a immense rebuilding occupation up of him, but it needs to commencement with a clear-out of truthful galore substandard players. Eriksen, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelöf volition permission arsenic escaped agents, but the likes of Højlund, Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, Luke Shaw, André Onana, Bayindir and truthful galore others would not beryllium missed if they recovered caller homes summer.

For United, it is simply a agelong mode backmost to wherever they privation to be, wherever they judge they should be, but this play truly has to beryllium stone bottom. No trophies, nary European qualification and a finishing presumption person to the bottommost 3 than the apical five. That's an embarrassment for Manchester United, but they person underperformed for much a decennary present and, astatine immoderate point, they person to commencement heading successful the different direction. -- Mark Ogden

Even successful their worst campaign, City support spot successful UCL

LONDON -- In the contention for the Champions League, Manchester City got the occupation done astatine Fulham with minimal fuss.

Pep Guardiola's broadside lone needed a constituent astatine Craven Cottage to beryllium definite of a top-five finish, and a comfy 2-0 triumph was much than capable to publication a spot successful Europe's elite nine competition. It's not what City are utilized to celebrating connected the last day, but determination were smiles from Guardiola and his players astatine afloat time, nonetheless.

For conscionable the 2nd clip successful 16 years arsenic a top-flight manager, Guardiola has finished extracurricular the apical two. There was a constituent successful the play -- peculiarly during a tally of 1 triumph successful 13 games successful each competitions successful November and December -- erstwhile it looked similar the wheels mightiness travel disconnected completely. If thing else, City person constricted the damage.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United person each missed retired connected the Champions League successful the past 10 years. City, meanwhile, past failed to suffice successful 2010-11. Even aft their worst run successful a decade, they'll stay astatine Europe's apical table.

There's nary clip to rest. While different clubs are looking guardant to a summertime off, City volition hole for their quality astatine the recently expanded Club World Cup. There's an planetary interruption first, and past a formation to their Miami basal campy June 12 up of the tourney successful the United States. It's 1 past accidental to triumph a trophy, and with it slope up to $125 cardinal successful prize money.

It's lone aft their engagement successful that contention ends that the hard enactment volition commencement connected the task of wresting the Premier League rubric backmost from Liverpool. Kevin De Bruyne -- who got six minutes disconnected the seat successful his last crippled for City -- needs to beryllium replaced and determination are immense doubts astir Jack Grealish's aboriginal aft helium was near retired of the squad for the travel to London.

Another imaginable departure is goalkeeper Éderson. The 31-year-old had offers to determination to Saudi Arabia a twelvemonth agone and there's an anticipation that determination volition beryllium much involvement this summer. It mightiness beryllium clip for him to go, but his quality astatine Fulham was his past for City successful the Premier League, past it gave a small reminder of however hard it volition beryllium to regenerate him.

The Brazil planetary plays an important portion successful Guardiola's strategy with his quality connected the shot -- passing some agelong and abbreviated -- but helium besides showed awesome reflexes with 2 bully debased saves to contradict Harry Wilson successful the archetypal half. Had either 1 of them gone in, it mightiness person fixed City a acold much tense afternoon. He capped it disconnected with different astute halt from Sander Berge successful stoppage time.

FC Porto's Diogo Costa is 1 of the names successful the framework to regenerate Ederson if helium leaves this summer. Anyone chosen to instrumentality implicit has large shoes -- and gloves -- to fill. -- Rob Dawson

Liverpool yet revel successful rubric celebrations

LIVERPOOL, England -- As Liverpool's clash with Crystal Palace entered its last minutes, a reddish mist descended connected Anfield.

The hosts were connected people for a 1-1 gully with the FA Cup winners -- stretching their winless tally to 4 games -- but cipher wrong the stadium cared astatine all. The hard enactment had been done during the archetypal 9 months of the season. Now, it was clip to party.

When skipper Virgil van Dijk yet hoisted aloft the Premier League trophy, the Reds' long-awaited rubric celebrations could statesman successful earnest. Red ticker portion rained down connected the transportation arsenic fireworks filled the sky. In the stands, radical laughed and cried and sang until their throats were sore.

For a generation, this was the archetypal accidental to ticker Liverpool assistance the trophy that legendary manager Bill Shankly erstwhile described arsenic the club's "bread and butter." Having been denied the accidental to decently grant the Reds' past Premier League triumph successful 2019-20 -- which ended a 30-year rubric drought -- due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic, the supporters were not going to walk up the accidental to observe this 1 successful style.

Watching the enactment unfold from the directors' container was Jürgen Klopp, who helped Liverpool reestablish themselves among Europe's elite during his glittering nine-year tenure earlier stepping down arsenic manager past summer. Also watching connected were erstwhile nine captains Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson: some bona fide Anfield royalty, having amassed plentifulness of silverware during their playing careers.

But connected Sunday, a caller big of Liverpool legends were anointed. Arne Slot and his players person written their names into the past books.

And aft romping to the title, Slot's squad volition surely anticipation that this is conscionable the opening of a peculiar Anfield dynasty. -- Beth Lindop