MANCHESTER UNITED RUINED Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton farewell but a 2-0 win at the Amex Stadium was insufficient to prevent the 20-time English champions suffering their worst Premier League finish.
Second-half strikes from Diogo Dalot and substitute Rasmus Hojlund secured victory on a sun-drenched afternoon in Sussex.
Yet, following Newcastle’s 4-2 victory at Brentford, a place in Europe next season – and potentially the future of under-fire manager Erik ten Hag – is now reliant on United beating Manchester City in next weekend’s FA Cup final.
United end a dismal campaign eighth – their lowest final position since coming 13th in the old first division under Alex Ferguson in 1990 – and with a negative goal difference.
Elsewhere, Tottenham confirmed their Europa League qualification and a fifth-placed finish after a season-ending 3-0 win at relegated Sheffield United.
Spurs travelled to Bramall Lane with some jeopardy over which European competition they would be playing in next season, with a defeat possibly seeing them drop into the third-tier Europa Conference League.
But Dejan Kulusevski’s double and Pedro Porro’s strike ensured they took care of their business and earned a fifth-placed finish in Ange Postecoglou’s first year in charge.
Chelsea secured European football for next season with a sixth-placed finish, as they signed off a chaotic campaign with a fifth consecutive victory, Moises Caicedo’s stunning halfway-line goal helping them defeat Bournemouth 2-1.
Mauricio Pochettino, whose future is set to be decided in the coming days following meetings with the club’s hierarchy to dissect progress under his leadership, saw his team break the deadlock in the first half when Caicedo took possession of a loose pass from goalkeeper Neto and lobbed it in for one of the goals of the season.
Pochettino’s Chelsea rebuild looked to be in tatters when they lost 5-0 to Arsenal on April 23, but 16 points from their final six fixtures and performances that have far surpassed those from early in his tenure have meant a sixth-place finish, sealed when Raheem Sterling added a second goal just after the break, the ball deflecting in off Neto.
Enes Unal pulled one back for Bournemouth who fought hard to salvage a point, but barring victory for Manchester United in the FA Cup final, Chelsea will qualify for the Europa League. Should United prevail at Wembley then the Blues will take the consolation prize of a Conference League spot.
At the bottom, Harry Wilson registered a goal and two assists as Fulham confirmed Luton’s relegation from the Premier League with a 4-2 win at Kenilworth Road.
Adama Traore opened the scoring after 43 minutes, but there was still time for Carlton Morris to equalise from the penalty spot before the interval, and then for Raul Jimenez to restore the visitors’ lead.
Jimenez grabbed a second early in the second half to put his side firmly in the driving seat and, after Alfie Doughty pulled one back, the influential Wilson scored the pick of the goals to round off an impressive individual performance.
Luton’s result was immaterial: Chris Wood had made certain of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League status with a brace in a 2-1 final-day win over already-relegated Burnley.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s hat-trick capped off an emphatic 5-0 victory for Crystal Palace over Aston Villa and inspired his side to equal both a best-ever 10th-placed and 49-point Premier League finish.
The Frenchman, who has now scored nine times in the Eagles’ last eight matches, became just the second Palace player to score three in a Premier League contest, and the first to do so at Selhurst Park.
Mateta opened the scoring for Oliver Glasner’s side nine minutes after kick-off adding another before the break but had a fourth chalked off in the second half.
Eberechi Eze’s brace buried any hope of a Villa comeback, adding to Palace’s highest goal tally, 57, to close out a campaign that was at one point characterised by concerns about their attack.
While there was little for Unai Emery’s Champions League-bound side to cheer about, one exception for the Villa boss was the sight of his goalkeeper son Lander, named among his father’s substitutes for the final day of the campaign.
Premier League results
- Arsenal 2-1 Everton
- Brentford 2-4 Newcastle
- Brighton 0-2 Manchester United
- Burnley 1-2 Nottingham Forest
- Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
- Crystal Palace 5-0 Aston Villa
- Liverpool 2-0 Wolves
- Luton 2-4 Fulham
- Manchester City 3-1 West Ham
- Sheffield United 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
