The Match of the Day running order has been revealed ahead of the programme, and didn’t the final day produce twist and turns galore.
You can see the highlights of all of those played so far along with all the talking points, replays and analysis from 10:30pm on BBC One.
Presenter Gary Lineker will as always be joined by pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright who’ll no doubt will have a lot to rant about. If you miss the show, you can view it over on the BBC iPlayer at any time on most devices.
1) MAN CITY v ASTON VILLA
Ilkay Gundogan scores twice to inspire Manchester City to come from two goals down midway through the second half to deny Liverpool the title by beating Aston Villa.
Player ratings
Man City: Ederson (6), Stones (6), Fernandinho (4), Laporte (6), Cancelo (6), Rodri (7), De Bruyne (7), Bernardo (6), Mahrez (6), Jesus (6), Foden (7).
Subs: Zinchenko (8), Sterling (6), Gundogan (9).
Aston Villa: Olsen (6), Cash (7), Chambers (7), Mings (6), Digne (7), Luiz (6), McGinn (6), Buendia (6), Ramsey (7), Coutinho (7), Watkins (5).
Subs: Ings (6), Nakamba (n/a), Young (n/a).
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan.
“The moment we found a goal it changed everything,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “We are playing in not normal circumstances but you have to handle it.
“Gundogan is the best inside runner we have. We were arriving down the sides and we needed a player with the sense of tempo in the box and he’s the best.
“We are legends. When you win the Premier League four times in five seasons it’s because these guys are so, so special. We will be remembered. The first title we won with lots of margin, then at Brighton, then winning at home without fans and now with people, it’s the best.
“The magnitude of your achievement is defined by the magnitude of your rival. I’ve never seen a team like Liverpool. I know it’s tough but a huge congratulations to them. They help us to be a better team.”
1) LIVERPOOL v WOLVES
Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson ensure Liverpool finish on a winning note but one point behind Premier League champions Man City; Pedro Neto opened scoring for Wolves who end up 10th
Player ratings
Liverpool: Alisson (7), Alexander-Arnold (7),Konate (5), Matip (5), Robertson (7), Thiago (7), Keita (6), Henderson (7), Diaz (7), Mane (8), Jota (6)
Subs: Milner (6), Salah (7), Firmino (6)
Wolves: Sa (6), Boly (7), Coady (7), Toti (6), Jonny (6), Moutinho (6), Dendoncker (6), Neves (6), Ait-Nouri (6), Neto (7), Jimenez (7)
Subs: Hwang (6), Ruddy (5), Trincao (N/A)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: “The boys have played an incredible season. The whole journey. Its absolutely exceptional. The game today said so much about these boys. We conceded an early goal which gave us a knock. We didn’t play football like we usually play. We had to take Thiago off early. And then you still find a way, it’s outstanding. Ninety-two points is crazy.
“It was clear before the game a lot of things had to happen [for Liverpool to win the title]. Congratulations to Man City, Pep Guardiola, their players. We were close but in the end not close enough.
“Thiago is not good but I can’t say more. He was outside with his family with his little girl on his shoulders so he could walk which was a good sign. We want to wait until we know more about it.
“I wasn’t really aware of [the City score changes]. In my mind it was 1-0. I don’t know all the story. There was one moment when it was 3-2 then I don’t know why we thought they’d equalised again. That was a good moment ! But then everyone went, ‘ah nothing happened’.
“The season was so close, so tight. Moments, decisions, these kind of things. What I’ve learnt about life is if you stay on track and keep going you get your rewards. Not today, but we will get it.
“This season is incredible and will end next week. It’s tough. The early goal didn’t help. We have five days to prepare for the Champions League final. We face an incredibly experienced team but that’s OK. Losing the league today increased the desire to put it right next week.”
2) BURNLEY v NEWCASTLE
Burnley relegated to Championship after final-day defeat to Newcastle; Callum Wilson double – and Leeds United victory at Brentford – seals Clarets’ fate after six top-flight season
Player ratings
Burnley: Pope (6), Roberts (5), Tarkowski (6), Long (5), Collins (5), Taylor (6), Brownhill (5), Cork (6), McNeil (5), Barnes (6), Cornet (6).
Subs: Weghorst (6), Lennon (6).
Newcastle: Dubravka (6), Trippier (6), Lascelles (6), Burn (7), Targett (7), Longstaff (6), Joelinton (2), Guimaraes (6), Almiron (6), Saint-Maximin (7), Wilson (8).
Subs: Murphy (6), Wood (5), Ritchie (n/a).
Man of the Match: Callum Wilson.
Burnley caretaker Mike Jackson: “I expected it to be a tight game. The penalty took the wind out of us. There was a good response when we got the goal back, we had some really good chances to get some more that we didn’t take on the day.
“I’m gutted. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a group that fought to the end. The players have given me everything in my seven games here. I’ve thanked them for that as a group of lads, a group of people.
“We’re gutted for the fans that we weren’t able to achieve what we wanted and stay in the league. The fans were terrific today, the way they stayed with us right to the end. They must be hurting massively; this is their club. We’re devastated. I’m gutted we couldn’t do it for them.”
2) BRENTFORD v LEEDS
Jack Harrison secures Leeds’ Premier League safety with a last-minute strike in a 2-1 win at Brentford; Raphinha opens scoring from spot after David Raya foul before Sergi Canos equalises and is then sent off
Player ratings
Brentford:Raya (5), Ajer (6), Sorensen (6), Jansson (6), Henry (6), Jensen (7), Janelt (6), Eriksen (6), Wissa (6), Toney (6), Mbeumo (5).
Subs: Dasilva (6), Canos (3), Baptiste (6)
Leeds: Meslier (7), Koch (7), Cooper (5), Llorente (6), Firpo (7), Phillips (7), Greenwood (6), Raphinha (7), Rodrigo (6), Harrison (8), Gelhardt (6).
Subs: Struijk (6), Klich (n/a).
Man of the match: Jack Harrison.
“I’ve heard this a lot about Leeds United, that we think we have to do it the hard way,” Marsch said after the game. “Part of my job is to change that mentality, to say we deserve more, that we have an incredible club and team, and honestly I think it’s not by accident we’ve scored four winners or equalisers in injury time.
“We’ve had belief, but we’ve had to earn it. I’ve heard this is the Leeds way, but I’m not buying into that.”
3) NORWICH v TOTTENHAM
Spurs thrash Norwich to secure fourth place to qualify for Champions League; Heung-Min Son scores twice to share Golden Boot with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on 23 goals; Dejan Kulusevski also scores two goals with Harry Kane on scoresheet at Carrow Road
Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte speaking to Sky Sports:
“I have to be honest, I think it [finishing fourth] is one of the most important achievements in my career.
“Sometimes it’s not only when you lift a trophy to be satisfied. I think we reached the maximum level that we dreamed of in November because then the situation was not so good for many reasons. The club changed the coach and with injuries we tried to find the good solution.
“I think we’ve done a really good job and for me this is a big achievement in a league that is very difficult because here you find the best players and best coaches.
“I’m happy even though I didn’t lift any trophy this season.”
4) ARSENAL v EVERTON
Arsenal hit five goals past Everton but finish fifth; Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah and Martin Odegaard among scorers at Emirates Stadium; Everton had already confirmed their Premier League survival
Player ratings
Arsenal: Ramsdale (7), Soares (8), Holding (6), Gabriel (8), Tavares (6), Elneny (7), Xhaka (7), Saka (8), Odegaard (9), Martinelli (8), Nketiah (8).
Subs: Lacazette (6), Lokonga (6), Pepe (6).
Everton: Begovic (6), Kenny (6), Holgate (5), Keane (5), Branthwaite (5), Iwobi (5), Davies (5), Doucoure (5), Alli (5), Gray (5), Calvert-Lewin (7).
Subs: Van de Beek (7), Price (6), Gordon (6).
Man of the match: Martin Odegaard
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “We did what we had to do. We knew that it wasn’t in our hands. We needed a miracle and it didn’t occur. That’s it. The league table at the end of the season doesn’t lie.
“It’s true that last year with 67 points, Chelsea got into the Champions League. We have 69 we are out of it. But that’s the level and the demands this league has now.
“We tried to give the fans everything they deserve, everything they have done for us and helped us to come much further as a club and as a team.
5) CRYSTAL PALACE v MAN UTD
Man Utd bring an end to their disastrous season with a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace thanks to a goal from former player Wilfried Zaha; Man Utd avoid playing in the Europa Conference League in spite of the loss after West Ham’s defeat at Brighton
6) BRIGHTON v WEST HAM
West Ham miss out on sixth place and the Europa League while Brighton finish ninth
Player ratings
Brighton: Sanchez (7), Cucurella (7), Webster (7), Dunk (7), Bissouma (6), Mac Allister (7), Gross (8), Welbeck (8), March (8), Caicedo (7), Veltman (8).
Subs: Lamptey (6), Maupay (6), Mwepu (6).
West Ham: Fabianski (5), Cresswell (5), Zouma (5), Coufal (6), Fornals (6), Antonio (7), Lanzini (6), Dawson (5), Bowen (6), Soucek (6), Rice (6).
Subs: Yarmolenko (n/a), Noble (n/a), Johnson (n/a)
Man of the match: Joel Veltman
Brighton head coach Graham Potter: “I’m incredibly proud, it’s been a fantastic group to work with, everybody behind the scenes. It’s amazing for us to finish where we have.
“It hasn’t been straightforward, ups and downs, but we stuck together and we can be really proud of what we’ve done.
“We were disappointed at half-time, didn’t play to the level I think we can. A couple of adjustments and the boys were fantastic in the second half, got on the front foot a bit more and created chances. To score three goals coming back from a goal down is brilliant. It sums up their character and spirit.”
West Ham manager David Moyes: “We’re pleased with how the players performed throughout the season so, disappointed today. We didn’t play well, especially in the second half, but the players have done really well this year.
“You want the players to be tougher than that, we’ve had a lot of resilience through the year and we didn’t show that in the second half when we were 1-0 up.
“We had a great chance of winning today and put ourselves in a great chance of winning but, unlike us, we didn’t fulfil that and follow it through.”
7) CHELSEA v WATFORD
Ross Barkley scored late winner after Dan Gosling thought he had rescued a point for the Hornets; Kai Havertz gave the Blues early lead; Ben Chilwell made first appearance after seven months out with knee injury
Player ratings
Chelsea: Mendy (7), Azpilicueta (6), Silva (7), Rudiger (6), James (7), Kante (6), Saul (5), Kenedy (7), Ziyech (6), Havertz (7), Mount (7).
Subs: Sarr (6), Barkley (7), Chilwell (6).
Watford: Bachmann (6), Femenia (6), Kabasele (6), Samir (6), Kamara (6), Sissoko (6), Cleverley (7), Kayembe (7), Sema (6), Pedro (7), King (6).
Subs: Hernandez (6), Masina (7), Gosling (7).
Man of the match: Reece James
Roy Hodgson has pledged to end a managerial career that spanned five decades now that Watford’s season is over, and he said their narrow defeat at Chelsea was “typical” of his side’s fortune since he arrived at Vicarage Road in January.
The 74-year-old won just two of his 18 matches in charge, and he said: “Today was typical I thought, to do so well throughout and get a very good goal that equalises, it would have been nice if the players could have got that reward for their efforts and come off with a point.
“As it is, they come out once again with a defeat, albeit a very honourable one considering we’ve been relegated for a while now.”
Hodgson insisted he had no regrets about taking the Watford job, despite the fact he has now ended his career with relegation.
“I’m happy with the decision because I took it with my eyes wide open and I thought it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked out, but that doesn’t mean I’m now looking back with regret.”
8) LEICESTER v SOUTHAMPTON
Leicester City signed off their Premier League campaign in style with a 4-1 win over Southampton at the King Power Stadium
Player ratings
Leicester: Schmeichel (7), Fofana (6), Evans (6), Castagne (7), Justin , Mendy, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, Maddison. (7), Barnes (6), Vardy (7)
Subs: Perez (7), Amartey (N/A), Pereira (7), Lookman (6)
Southampton: McCarthy (6), Walker-Peters, (6) Lyanco (5), Stephens (6), Romeu (6), Ward-Prowse (6), S. Armstrong (6), Redmond (6), A. Armstrong (6), Salisu (6), Elyounoussi (7)
Subs: Long (N/A), Adams (6), Djenepo (6), Smallbone. (N/A)
Man of the match: James Maddison
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was unhappy with the controversial decision that led to Leicester’s first goal: ”Overall, the game was decided by the first goal. It was a questionable one and changed the momentum of the game completely.
”When you have the ball, you’re meant to get it back, but in a way where you can actually do something with it – not with the long ball and Vardy immediately pressing. What is that!
“We had the chance to end up higher, but in the end, we were struggling to get through trials as there were many things going against us.
“For example, injuries, situations like today, decisions against us and in the end this is what we get, 15th position. There’s definitely a lot to do in the summer.”
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers also responded to the controversy that put his team in front: ”I thought it was a little confusing to myself to be honest.
“The players obviously thought that John [Moss] has given us a free-kick. It should be played back to Kasper – he’s played a direct ball through. Their centre-half made a mistake and if he heads it back, there’s no drama. But he’s made a mistake and we capitalised on it.
“Overall it seemed a little confusing, hence the players were unsure of what the decision was. But from that, you have to push on and get the remaining goals and my team did that very well.”
The win on the last day of the season meant that Leicester finished eighth in the Premier League – which is the club’s fourth-best finish in 46 years, despite the tribulations that the Foxes had to deal with.
Rodgers added: “I think throughout the course of the season, our squad’s been decimated with injuries. They’ve shown great courage to keep going and fight despite the criticism that we’ve had.
“To finish eighth, it’s as high as we could finish, and we wanted to do that. I said four or five games ago that we didn’t want to finish with a whimper. The players have certainly not done that.
“They’ve won three games, drawn our last one against Chelsea and have given us a good foundation for the pre-season and moving into next season.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login