Premier League: Spurs survive dramatic final day as Bournemouth seal historic UEL berth; Pep Guardiola bows out with defeat
London, May 24
Tottenham Hotspur survived relegation on a nerve-shredding final matchday of the Premier League 2025-26 season and Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola signed off with defeat.
The 38th and final matchday delivered drama across the table as West Ham United, Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated to the Championship.
At a tense north London stadium, Spurs finally delivered when it mattered most. Joao Palhinha's decisive strike secured a 1-0 victory against Everton that guaranteed Premier League survival after an alarming campaign. Emotional scenes followed the final whistle as manager Roberto De Zerbi sprinted onto the pitch with arms outstretched while players collapsed in relief. James Maddison sat on the turf, and Pedro Porro was left in tears as Tottenham confirmed safety.
It was Spurs' first home league win since December and only their third overall victory of 2025-26, equalling the fewest home wins by any team to avoid relegation in Premier League history.
West Ham did everything possible in their own fixture, beating Leeds United 3-0, but the result proved insufficient. Despite the commanding win, the Hammers were relegated after Tottenham's victory. Burnley and Wolves, whose relegation had already been confirmed, played out a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in an emotional farewell match that saw Burnley veteran Ashley Barnes make a final appearance.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth capped a remarkable season by qualifying for the UEFA Europa League with a 1-1 draw away at Nottingham Forest. Under departing manager Andoni Iraola, the Cherries finished sixth and sealed European football for the first time in club history after an impressive unbeaten run to end the campaign.
Sunderland has also qualified for the UEFA Europa League after a commanding 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
At the Etihad Stadium, Aston Villa defeated Manchester City 2-1 as Ollie Watkins struck twice to secure fourth place for Unai Emery's side. The defeat marked Guardiola's final game in charge of City.
Champions Arsenal ended their title-winning season with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, while Brighton secured UEFA Conference League football despite a 0-3 home defeat to Manchester United after Liverpool and Brentford drew 1-1 at Anfield.
Fulham also finished strongly, beating Newcastle United 2-0 to end just one point shy of the European places.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Pep Guardiola's final game ending in defeat... feels like the end of an era. But what a legacy he leaves behind. That said, I'm more shocked about West Ham going down. They beat Leeds 3-0 and still couldn't stay up. Football can be so cruel sometimes.
As an Arsenal fan living in India, this has been a beautiful season. 🏆 Champions at last! But credit to Bournemouth and Sunderland—qualifying for Europe is a massive achievement. The Premier League never fails to deliver entertainment till the very last kick.
I know everyone is celebrating Tottenham's escape, but honestly, a team winning only 3 home games all season should not be safe. It just shows how poor the bottom half has been. Burnley and West Ham deserved better based on their performances. Relegation should mean something.
Watching from Bangalore, this was absolutely mad. 🥲 James Maddison sitting on the turf, Porro in tears—you could feel the pressure through the screen. But I feel for West Ham fans. They did their job and still got relegated because of someone else's result. Brutal game.
Bournemouth in the Europa League! Who would have imagined that a few years ago? Andoni Iraola has done a fantastic job. Meanwhile, Manchester City without Pep next season will be interesting. Guardiola bowing out with a defeat—poetic justice for all those who complained about his dominance. 😅
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