The Premier League season reaches its conclusion this afternoon, with the focus fixed firmly on the foot of the table where Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will discover which of them is condemned to relegation. Spurs, who have not dropped out of the top flight since 1977, are favourites to survive: a draw at home to Everton at 4pm should be enough. West Ham, by contrast, must beat Leeds United and then hope that Everton – managed by David Moyes, the same man the Hammers sacked in 2024 – do them a favour on the final day.
The stakes could scarcely be higher. Tottenham’s long-standing top-flight status is on the line, while West Ham’s survival depends on a combination of their own result and events at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Moyes, who returned to Everton in January 2025 on a two-and-a-half-year contract after replacing Sean Dyche, now finds himself in the awkward position of potentially deciding the fate of his former employers. West Ham, meanwhile, are now managed by Nuno Espírito Santo, appointed last year.
Elsewhere at the bottom, Burnley and Wolves meet at Turf Moor in a contest that will determine which club finishes rock bottom of the table. The two sides are separated only by goal difference, and the loser will claim the unwanted wooden spoon.
European qualification: Aston Villa’s Europa League win reshapes the race
The battle for Champions League places has been complicated by Aston Villa’s victory in last season’s Europa League – a win that has opened up the possibility of England fielding six teams in next season’s competition. Villa secured automatic qualification for the 2024-25 Champions League through that triumph, but the rules governing the European Performance Spot create a quirk that could benefit others.
As it stands, England’s five Champions League berths are allocated to the top four finishers plus the fifth-placed team, which receives a spot via the country’s coefficient ranking. However, because Villa – as Europa League winners – already have a place, they would not consume that coefficient-based spot if they were to finish fifth. In that scenario, the fifth-place spot would cascade down to sixth place in the Premier League table.
Villa, under Unai Emery, are currently fourth. For the six-team scenario to materialise, they must lose their final match away to Manchester City while Liverpool beat Brentford. That result would drop Villa to fifth, freeing the coefficient spot for sixth. Unai Emery’s side have shown tactical flexibility this season, blending a compact 4-4-2 defensive shape with direct vertical transitions and an exceptional home record – no team in Europe recorded more home wins between October 2022 and December 2025 – but a trip to the Etihad presents a formidable challenge.
Brighton, meanwhile, harbour their own improbable Champions League dream. As one reader outlined, there is a pathway: if Manchester City beat Villa and Liverpool defeat Brentford, the European Performance Spot drops to sixth. Should Nottingham Forest beat Bournemouth and Brighton beat Manchester United, the Seagulls would swoop into that position – a prospect that would have seemed unthinkable four months ago, let alone during the club’s infamous Gillingham groundshare days.
The Premier League’s 10 fixtures all kick off simultaneously at 4pm BST. Liverpool and Bournemouth are also locked in a direct contest for the final automatic Champions League place, with the Reds needing a win to leapfrog their opponents if Villa fail to slip up.
Elsewhere in football: Kane’s double, play-off drama and World Cup build-up
Over in Germany, Harry Kane continued his extraordinary form as Bayern Munich completed the domestic double, lifting the DFB-Pokal Cup after a hat-trick from the England striker. Kane has now played 147 games for the club, scoring 146 goals – a remarkable record that underscores his enduring quality at the highest level.
Attention is already turning to the 2026 World Cup. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has selected Neymar in his 26-man squad, despite the forward’s injury history – including an ACL tear in October 2023 – and ongoing calf problems. Ancelotti said Neymar’s fitness levels have improved, though a final decision on his availability for the tournament is not expected until 27 May. Neymar, now 34, reacted emotionally to his call-up, sharing a video of himself in tears. Many will wonder whether he can emulate Lionel Messi, who lifted the World Cup at 35, and deliver a fairytale finish for his country.
At club level, Pep Guardiola has not ruled out one day managing the England national side. Departing Manchester City after a decade, Guardiola said he needs a break and has no definite plans, though international football is believed to be a role he would favour. The Football Association has reportedly considered him a frontrunner for the position.
On the domestic front, there was drama at Wembley yesterday as Hull City snatched a dramatic injury-time winner against Middlesbrough to secure promotion to the Premier League, in a final overshadowed by a spygate controversy. At the other end of the spectrum, Celtic secured the domestic double, while Charlton Athletic beat Leicester City on penalties to gain promotion to the Women’s Super League.
Later today, Bolton Wanderers face Stockport County in the League One play-off final at Wembley, with kick-off at 1pm. Stockport manager Dave Challinor boasts a remarkable record: in his 16 years as a manager, his teams have finished in a play-off spot or higher in 15 of them. Bolton, meanwhile, will be looking to avoid a repeat of their 2024 final defeat to Oxford United, when Josh Murphy scored twice.
The Guardian has also launched a new daily football game, “On the ball”, available on its app for iOS and Android, where users guess a Premier League player from minimal clues. And across London, Arsenal’s title celebrations continue – the club’s first league triumph in two decades – with a parade scheduled for next Sunday. As one recently arrived resident of Finsbury Park noted, the flags in windows remain everywhere, and several thousand Lime bikes are parked outside the station.
