The final matchday of the English Premier League season delivered a rollercoaster of emotion on Sunday, as Tottenham Hotspur secured their top-flight survival at West Ham United’s expense, while two of the league’s most iconic figures said tearful goodbyes and Arsenal celebrated their long-awaited title win.
Tottenham entered their final home fixture against Everton knowing even a single point would likely be enough to stay up, holding a two-point advantage over West Ham and a far superior goal difference that would swing survival in their favour if results finished level. It took until the stroke of halftime for the pressure that had built across the entire season for the north London side to break, when Joao Palhinha put Spurs ahead. The Portuguese midfielder’s initial header cannoned off the goalpost, but he reacted quickest to poke the rebound into the net, and was immediately swarmed by jubilant teammates.
A few miles across east London, West Ham delivered a dominant 3-0 victory over Leeds United at the London Stadium, with goals from Valentin Castellano, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson. But the three points proved too little, too late: Tottenham held on to their 1-0 lead, sending West Ham down to the Championship for next season alongside already-relegated Burnley and Wolves. The Hammers, who have been a Premier League mainstay since earning promotion in 2012, will now plying their trade in England’s second tier.
“This day for us is much more than winning a game,” match-winner Palhinha told BBC Sport after the full-time whistle. “A lot of people depend their lives on this club. It was a tough season but I think this season can help for the future. We can take a lot from it even if we didn’t reach the level Tottenham should.” Tottenham, ranked the ninth-richest football club in the world, have enjoyed a late-season upturn in form under interim manager Roberto De Zerbi, who joined the club in late March as their third head coach of a turbulent campaign. For West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, the disappointment was unavoidable after his side did everything they could to claw out survival. “We knew it was going to be difficult, it was not in our hands,” he told Sky Sports. “We did our part and we hoped for the best — it didn’t happen. We have to pass the sad moment that we are living.”
The day was as much about emotional farewells as it was about league outcomes, as Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took charge of his final match at the Etihad Stadium after 10 seasons of unprecedented success. The Catalan coach confirmed last Friday he would leave the club at the end of the season, bringing to an end a decade that delivered six Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and a host of other domestic and European honours. Before kickoff, City fans unfurled a massive banner over the stands bearing Guardiola’s portrait, with the words “Game Changer” and “History Maker” emblazoned across it. The match ended in a 2-1 win for visitors Aston Villa, the newly crowned Europa League champions, who secured fourth place in the table and a spot in next season’s Champions League with two goals from Ollie Watkins after Antoine Semenyo put City ahead. Addressing the crowd after the final whistle, an emotional Guardiola said: “In the next years, if you see me in the streets in the United States or Europe or somewhere and you are a Man City fan, come to me and hug me. I will need it.”
Guardiola was not the only Liverpool legend saying goodbye. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson played their final match for the Reds, who finished fifth in the table after a 1-1 draw with Brentford, enough to secure the final Champions League spot for next season. Before kickoff, Liverpool’s coaching staff and squad formed a guard of honour for the pair, who were later embraced by club icons Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush. “I think I cried more than in my whole life,” Salah told Sky Sports. “I’m not really an emotional guy. We lived our youth here, sharing everything from the beginning to the end. We put this club back where it belongs.”
For Arsenal, the final day was all celebration, as the Gunners lifted the Premier League trophy in front of travelling fans at Selhurst Park after a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. It is Arsenal’s first Premier League title since 2004, ending a 20-year wait for the top-flight crown after three consecutive second-place finishes. Manager Mikel Arteta admitted he had doubted whether the club would break their drought during those near-misses. “That was beautiful,” he said. “Look at the joy of all of the people, they have been waiting for this for so long. We have had difficult moments along the way but it is all worth it when you see that kind of reaction.”
Elsewhere, newly appointed Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will have no European football to contend with next season after the Blues, playing with 10 men for much of the match, fell to a 2-1 away defeat to Sunderland. The win lifted Sunderland into next season’s Europa League alongside Bournemouth, while Brighton & Hove Albion will compete in the Conference League.