Premier League final day: Hammers relegated, Sunderland & Brighton reach Europe, Arsenal lift title | OneFootball

Ollie Whitmore, Chief football news reporter

It was an eventful final day of the Premier League season that saw West Ham’s 14-year stint in the top flight come to an end while Sunderland capped off a remarkable return in some style.

FromTheSpot recaps all the action from the 10 four o’clock kick offs as Arsenal patiently wait to lift their first Premier League title in 22 years and Pep Guardiola’s reign as Man City boss didn’t quite go to plan.

Tottenham survive, West Ham down

Joao Palhinha’s early tap in at the second time of asking was enough for Tottenham, who did their job and ensured they avoided a first relegation from England’s most elite division since the 1976/77 campaign by edging past Everton.

West Ham also did their part, eventually beating Leeds United 3-0 with goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen, and half-time substitute Callum Wilson, but Spurs had control of their fate despite late pressure from former boss David Moyes’ Toffees.

West Ham were exactly where they’ve now ended the season at the halfway stage, collecting just three wins and 14 points from 19 matches while Spurs, who ended as their main rivals in the fight to beat the drop, were 12th under Thomas Frank.

Particularly damaging was a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, also at the London Stadium, to start the new year, a result that began the Trees’ gradual rise away from the bottom three.

Sunderland reach Europa League

Sunderland fans would have likely laughed off the suggestion they’d have returned to Europe at the end of the season. They hadn’t been on the European stage in 52 years.

Lo and behold, managerless Chelsea represented the perfect opportunity for Régis Le Bris to bring continental football back to the Stadium of Light and cement himself as a club icon.

Trai Hume powered his side in front on the volley 25 minutes in, and they were not to be denied after Cole Palmer finally scored again in the Premier League, with an own goal from Malo Gusto and red card to Wesley Fofana enough to make history.

Remarkably, Chelsea registered their eighth red card of the 2025/26 campaign and ended just one short of the record for dismissals in a single season, which Sunderland jointly hold with Queens Park Rangers.

The Blues were unable to avoid a season without European football for the first time since 2015/16, giving Xabi Alonso quite the task to rebuild the former Champions League winners next season.

Guardiola and Salah bit Premier League farewell

The Premier League said goodbye to one of the great geniuses of the game as Pep Guardiola’s 10 years at Manchester City ended with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the Etihad.

Antoine Semenyo got City up and running just as he did in the FA Cup final, only for Ollie Watkins to justify his inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad with a brace to spoil the Spaniard’s big day.

Although it didn’t quite end as planned, Guardiola’s time in Manchester will be remembered for the record-breaking, innovative, and coveted decade that it was and the home faithful now turn to a new era rumored to be led by Enzo Maresca.

As for Villa, Unai Emrey has led them to a Europa League win but didn’t need it in the end to secure Champions League football once again as a fourth-place finish has them back on the continental stage.

It was a slow start without a win in the first five matches, but the Villains’ faith in the Spaniard has been fully restored.

Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Brentford denied the Bees a first season in Europe, despite the brilliant season Keith Andrews has had since being promoted from set piece coach, but the attention was all on ‘the Egyptian King’.

Mohamed Salah will leave Anfield as the club’s all-time Premier League goal-scorer, finding the net 180 times since his debut against Watford in the 2017/18 season, and the fastest player to reach 50 goals for the club.

The ‘Egyptian King’ signed from Roma for just over £36m in 2017. With Pep Guardiola recognizing the £62m addition of Antoine Semenyo as “cheap” after their FA Cup win over Chelsea, Salah represents one of the very best signings in recent memory.

Brighton in Conference League, Fernandes breaks assist record

It was a weird yet memorable day for Brighton as their wait for European football came to an end as Manchester United won 3-0. They had already reached the Champions League, as the focus was on Bruno Fernandes’ record-breaking 21st assist of the season.

His set up for Patrick Dorgu to open the scoring meant that he eclipsed Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne by just one assist, with the United captain sharing his delight in reaction to the achievement and excitement to be led by Michael Carrick.

He said: “It’s great, I feel very happy for that. “It was already special being in their [Thierry Henrry & Kevin de Bruyne] company. We are talking about two players that made the Premier League so great, two of the greatest in the Premier League.

“Today I was lucky enough to get that. Jonny [Evans] believed more than me in that set-piece we prepared for Patrick because I was not so sure he would be able to score with his head. I got my assist but the main thing is we won today and finished very strong.

“We need stability in terms of managing and since Michael came to the club, you know how calm he is and the calmness he gives to the team but also in the moments he needs to put pressure on us he does to. He knows the club.”

Bryan and Mbeumo got the second before Fernandes rounded off his performance with the third goal, as United finish third.

Arsenal finally lift the title

Michael Arteta was greeted by the travelling Arsenal support at Selhurst Park as he walked out to get his hands on English football’s ultimate prize after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 to begin their reign as Premier League champions.

Scorers Gabriel Jesus and Noni Madueke came into the side to cover for Arteta resting several key players for the Champions League final against PSG in just six days time, before Jean-Philippe Mateta gave his side the final say in the tie.

The Gunners were finally able to lift the trophy for the first time in over two decades, becoming the third different Premier League winner in as many years on 85 points – seven ahead of City – and still within reach of a famous continental double.

Arteta becomes the only manager since Arsene Wenger in 2003/04 to lift the trophy, with his only regret likely the fact that he wasn’t able to do so at the Emirates Stadium.

In other news

Burnley’s 1-1 draw with Wolves ensured that the Clarets didn’t end the season as the Premier League’s bottom club, finishing 19th by two points as Rob Edwards’ side begin look ahead to spending next season in the Championship.

Bournemouth were held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest as the City Ground was in high spirits, with the Cherries joining Sunderland in the Europa League while Forest can look forward to another year in the top flight.

The same can also be said for Fulham and Newcastle, as Issa Diop and Tom Cairney earned the Cottagers a 2-0 victory over midtable Newcastle who wonder how different their season might have been with more consistency throughout.