Relegation drama and Guardiola's goodbye: Five things to look out for on the Premier League's final day | OneFootball

The 2025/26 Premier League season comes to an end this afternoon and there are plenty of talking points ahead of the final fixtures. Here are five things to look out for on the final day.

A coronation at the Palace

Arsenal avoided a nervous final fixture after being crowned champions in midweek. Manchester City's failure to beat Bournemouth confirmed Arsenal as Premier League champions, and there will be a party atmosphere at Crystal Palace.

The newly-anointed champions will lift the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park, a moment their fanbase have been waiting for for 22 years.

Mikel Arteta's side has been the best in the Premier League this season, and now get to officially celebrate that title.

Which capital club survives?

The title race is done and dusted, but down at the other end, there is much to be decided.Wolves and Burnley have fallen through the relegation trap door, and will be joined by one shock side in the Championship next season.

West Ham have it all to do, and even a win against Leeds United might not be enough. Just three years on from winning a European trophy, the Hammers are on the brink of relegation, in what would end a 14-year stay in the Premier League. It would be the first time since the club's move to the London Stadium, the third-largest club ground in English football, that West Ham have played second-tier football.

Their brief is simple: Win and hopeEverton can do them a huge favour.

Relegation rivals Tottenham host Everton in North London. A draw will almost certainly be enough for Spurs, given their vastly superior goal difference, but defeat could see them relegated for the first time since 1977. One of six ever-present Premier League clubs, that status has never been under more threat.

Guardiola's goodbye at the Etihad

Pep Guardiola this week announced that he will step down as Manchester City manager this summer.

A decorated decade comes to an end after today's fixture withAston Villa, as the Spaniard says adios to the Etihad. Guardiola's impact cannot be overstated.

He's won 20 trophies in 10 seasons with the Cityzens, a period that includes six league titles, the Champions League, and countless records. Centurions, domestic treble winners, treble winners, and a four-peat, achievements many of which were unprecedented.

City have played some of the most spellbinding football England has seen under his management, with its ripple effect seen far further down the football pyramid. John Stones and Bernardo Silva also make their Etihad exits this weekend, with emotion sure to be high.

Anfield farewells for Liverpool legends

The Cityzens are not the only club preparing for emotional farewells this weekend, asMohamed Salah and Andy Robertson represent Liverpool for the final time. The word legend is bandied around too often in modern football, but it feels apt here.

The pair signed for Liverpool in the same summer and have been pillars on which the club's successes have been built over the last nine years.

Salah's signing was greeted with scepticism after a tough time atChelsea earlier in his career, but after a record-breaking debut season, he has never looked back.

The Egyptian ends his time at Liverpool as the highest-scoring foreign footballer in Premier League history and fourth overall, the third-highest scorer ever for Liverpool, and with records that include four Premier League Golden Boots and three PFA Player of the Year awards.

Robertson's arrival was even less heralded. Signed from relegated Hull City, he evolved into arguably the world's leading left-back at Anfield. His relatable background and unrelenting work rate earned him the love of the Liverpool support, alongside 60 assists - a Premier League record for a left-back.

Together, the two won a clean sweep of major honours, including two titles and the Champions League. This afternoon marks the end of an era.

Who wins the European battle?

The European race is the event which has the most wiggle room for final-day twists. Arsenal, Manchester City,Manchester United and Aston Villa have all secured Champions League qualification, while Liverpool are almost certain to join them with a top-five finish.

However, Villa's win in the Europa League means that sixth place could secure Champions League football, but only if Unai Emery's team lose at Manchester City, and Liverpool beatBrentford to leapfrog them into the top four.

Bournemouth are currently the side that would benefit.Brighton could also claim sixth if results go their way, while Chelsea, Brentford andSunderland are all in the mix for European football too.

Sunderland host Chelsea at the Stadium of Light, and can secure European qualification for the first time in 52 years with a win, and if Brentford fail to win. The Bees, meanwhile, are aiming to join Bournemouth as first-time European qualifiers this season.