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Premier League scores: Manchester City win the title with stunning late comeback; Leeds avoid relegation

The final day of the league season did not disappoint

Manchester City are the Premier League champions for the fourth time in five years, and they claimed their latest trophy in dramatic fashion on Sunday. Down 2-0 at home to Aston Villa late on, City scored three goals in just over five minutes to win 3-2 and clinch the crown. With Liverpool beating Wolves, 3-1, City had to win to avoid seeing their title rivals claim glory, and they delivered when it looked like it was slipping away. 

The key for City was sub Ilkay Gundogan, who came off the bench and scored twice for Pep Guardiola's men, putting home the winner on a back-post tap-in in the 81st minute.

At full time, there were some incredible scenes at the Etihad after pulling off another crazy title-clinching victory.

Here's everything to know about the day:

Final 2021-22 Premier League standings

1) Man City, 93 pts
2) Liverpool, 92 pts
3) Chelsea, 74 pts
4) Tottenham, 71 pts
5) Arsenal, 69 pts
6) Man United, 58 pts
7) West Ham, 56 pts
8) Leicester, 52 pts
9) Brighton, 51 pts
10) Wolves, 51 pts
11) Newcastle, 49 pts
12) Crystal Palace, 48 pts
13) Brentford, 46 points
14) Aston Villa, 45 pts
15) Southampton, 40 pts
16) Everton, 39 pts
17) Leeds, 38 pts
18) Burnley, 35 pts
19) Watford, 23 pts
20) Norwich, 22 pts

Relegation battle

When it comes to the relegation battle, Leeds were safe thanks to a 2-1 win over Brentford, with Burnley losing at home to Newcastle 2-1. Leeds had taken the lead, conceded and then got a clinching goal in the 94th minute from Jack Harrison to wrap it up. Burnley losing meant a draw would have been enough for Leeds, but they left no doubt, ending a five-match winless streak at the most opportune time.

European qualification

Here's how the qualification looks for European competitions thanks to the final standings. Tottenham's 5-0 cruising at Norwich City punched their ticket to UCL after a two-year hiatus, sending rival Arsenal to Europa League after UCL was looking likely in the weeks prior. 

Here's who will be playing where next season:

Champions League

  • Man City
  • Liverpool
  • Chelsea
  • Tottenham

Europa League

  • Arsenal
  • Manchester United

Conference League

  • West Ham
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Live updates
 

Spurs go ahead!

Dejan Kulusevski opens the scoring after a rebound and as of now, the final Champions League place belongs to Spurs. 

 
 

Digne receives treatment but should continue

He was hit in the face by an attempted pass by Callum Chambers. Aston Villa have caused City some trouble early but so far so good.

 

Sa is living dangerously

Wolves were able to stop Liverpool's attack but VAR also needed to review things in case there was a penalty shout. There's only a matter of time until Liverpool can score a goal of their own.

 
 

Title race

1) Man City, 91 pts

2) Liverpool, 89 pts

With the current results, City are looking at a two-point lead over Liverpool with the Reds down early thanks to Neto's goal. 

 

Oh no Liverpool!

Pedro Neto gives Wolves the lead only two minutes into the match. Kounate wasn't prepared for the ball over the top and the Reds are behind already. 

 

And all the games have kicked off!

Today decides it all in the Premier League!

 

It's a sendoff for Edinson Cavani at Manchester United

Hannibal also starts as Rangnick names a youthful bench as well to face Crystal Palace. Will this be enough for United to secure a Europa League place or will they end up in the Conference League? Crystal Palace rolls with a full strength side but Jesurun Rak-Sakyi will get his first Premier League start after a strong season in the Premier League 2 scoring 15 goals and assisting six more.

 

Relegation battle

It's down to Burnley or Leeds. Only one can stay up, while the other will go down on the final day. The race is less hectic than it could of been after Everton's improbable come-from-behind victory over Crystal Palace on Thursday to cement their spot in next season's Premier League. Leeds will need to earn more points than Burnley on Sunday to stay up.

16. Everton, 39 points (-19 GD)
17. Burnley, 35 points (-18 GD)
18. Leeds, 35 points (-38 GD)
19. Watford, 23 points (Relegated)
20. Norwich, 22 points (Relegated)

 

Europa League and Conference League

This race is a bit clearer as Arsenal and Manchester United appear headed to UEL. There is a slight chance that West Ham could sneak back into Europa League though. Here's how it looks.

5. Arsenal, 66 points (+9 GD)
6. Manchester United, 58 points (+1 GD)
7. West Ham, 56 points (+11 GD)

Arsenal will qualify for Europa League with ...

  • A draw or loss against Everton

or

  • A win against Everton combined with a Tottenham win

or

  • A win against Everton, a draw for Tottenham, and the Gunners failing to make up the -15 goal differential

Manchester United will qualify for Europa League with ...

  • A win against Crystal Palace

or

  • If West Ham fail to beat Brighton

West Ham will qualify for Europa League with ...

  • A win combined with a United draw or loss
 

Salah and Van Dijk are fit for the bench 

In the other title decider, Wolves will play their top keeper in Jose Sa versus Liverpool but Toti Gomes will deputize in the back line in quite a big spot. Jota, Maned, and Diaz will lead the Liverpool attack that will be out to score as many goals as possible today. While it's improbable that they'll overturn City's advantage, that means that it isn't impossible.

 

Patrick Bamford misses out due to COVID

Joe Gelhardt will lead the line again for Leeds United as Jesse Marsch rolls with an attacking lineup. With Robin Koch, Liam Cooper, and Diego Llorente all fit there's a chance that Leeds could be in a back three. Brentford only has one change with Janelt coming in for Norgaard. Can Leeds avoid relegation on the final day?

 

Top four

Chelsea have punched their ticket to the UEFA Champions League, so now it is all about who is going to finish in fourth. It's down to two rivals in Tottenham and Arsenal, with Spurs having crushed the Gunners 3-0 last week to jump them in the table. Arsenal are coming off a loss at Newcastle that now sees them need help to qualify for the Champions League. 

3. Chelsea, 70 points (+42 GD)
4. Tottenham, 68 points (+24 GD)
5. Arsenal, 66 points (+9 GD)

Tottenham will qualify for UCL with ...

  • A win over Norwich

or

  • A draw against Norwich, as long as Arsenal don't win and overcome the -15 goal differential 

or

  • An Arsenal draw or loss 

So, a draw for Spurs will almost certainly be enough.

Arsenal will qualify for UCL with ...

  • A win over Everton and a Tottenham loss

or

  • A win over Everton, a Tottenham draw and the Gunners making up the -15 goal differential
 

Arsenal bench Ben White

Most of the lineup is as expected but Rob Holding comes back from suspension right into the starting lineup. Lucky for  Mikel Arteta, Frank Lampard is giving everyone a game after securing safety. Richarlison won't be risked and Dele Alli, Tom Davies, Jonjoe Kenny, and Asmir Begovic all start for Frank Lampard. 

 

The view from the Emirates

This was a much bigger match when I made plans to attend even a week ago, let alone before the north London derby. Not only was there going to be a top four race to consider but a relegation battle which Everton were in the thick of. Now Frank Lampard's side have dragged themselves to safety and Arsenal need a miraculous win for Norwich over Tottenham before they even worry about what they can do here.

Their task has at least been aided by an Everton side that has been significantly rotated and may be feeling a little bleary eyed after their win over Crystal Palace on Thursday night. There's no Richarlison, no Jordan Pickord and the likes of Seamus Coleman and Vitalii Mykolenko have been left on the bench. Arsenal's squad is hardly at the peak of its powers, however, with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu unable to play through injuries once more.

 

John Stones returns for City

Kyle Walker is only fit to make the bench meaning that Stones will likely deputize at right back. Laporte misses out but Pep Guardiola will have essentially a first choice side while Villa rotates. Emi Martinez doesn't make the squad which will see Robin Olsen make his debut in net. It will be interesting to see if the front three of Buendia, Watkins, and Coutinho are able to cause City's defense trouble.

 

Premier League title race standings and scenarios

It's a two-horse race for the title, as it has been since the league kicked off in August. Manchester City have been the favorite all along with their incredible attack and are now on the brink of winning back-to-back league crowns. They enter the final day with a one-point advantage, and even if they finished tied on points with Liverpool, the title would still be theirs in all likelihood thanks to goal differential.

1. Manchester City, 90 points (+72 GD)
2. Liverpool, 89 points (+66 GD)

Manchester City win the league with ...

  • Win vs. Aston Villa

or

  • Draw vs. Villa and Liverpool draw vs. Wolves

or

  • Liverpool loss vs. Wolves

Liverpool win the league with ... 

  • Win vs. Wolves and Man City draws or loses vs. Aston Villa

or

  • Draw vs. Wolves and Man City loses vs. Aston Villa with Liverpool overcoming goal differential advantage 
 

To see the remaining things to watch

Check out James Benge's story as he touches on the Golden Boot race, fond farewells and more.

 

5. Millions to make

It is that time of season where we are reminded that there is plenty at stake even for those not duking it out in the European places and relegation zones. Indeed, every step you clamber up the Premier League table should mean around $3 million more come the end of the season.

If a few extra millions on the club's balance sheet might not be enough to motivate players to go that extra yard, there might at least be some that see reasons to give it their all on the final day. In particular, that mass of clubs between Brighton in 10th and Aston Villa in 14th might all see plenty of prestige to be won from a top-half finish, something that few expected from either Crystal Palace or Brentford when the season was begun. That might just be enough for their managers to get the best out of them.

 

4. The fight to avoid the Conference League

Just below Spurs and Arsenal is another European battle, one that Manchester United would never have imagined they might be involved in come the end of the season. As they travel to Crystal Palace, they have West Ham breathing down their necks, desperate to return to the Europa League after their invigorating run to this season's semifinals. 

After all the disappointment that defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt bought, there seems to be a real motivating force to go better next time. Speaking last week, Michail Antonio even said: "As much as Manchester City want to win the league, we want to be back in the Europa League again." They showed that in a more than credible 2-2 draw at the London Stadium.

It is hard to see quite the same energy emanating from Manchester United, who look to have written off this season long ago. If the carrot of Europa League football does not motivate his squad, Ralf Rangnick might at least be able to use the stick of Europa Conference League. Not that there is anything wrong with away days to Lincoln Red Imps, Qarabag and Kairat, of course. But a qualifying round before preseason is even done, perhaps meaning shortened holidays? Perish the thought.

 

3. Spurs couldn't, could they?

This should be the most tied up of all the races. Beat Norwich, the worst team in the Premier League, and Tottenham are back in the big time. But then Giorgio Chiellini's grinning face emerges through the fog. "It is the history of the Tottenham." Lasagna. A 5-1 win at St. James' Park to 10 men. And now Harry Kane is feeling ill?! This would be a choke to eclipse even those great final day disasters.

But it surely won't happen. Antonio Conte's Spurs might have a reputation for struggling against lower ranking, reactive opponents as opposed to clashes with the Premier League's big boys, but the reality is that it has been some time since they faltered against a relegation candidate. You would need to go back to that shock loss to Burnley in late February -- a time when this looked to be a radically different team.

Could Spurs slip at Carrow Road against a Norwich side who, if nothing else, might at least want to give their fans something to celebrate following another crushing return to the top flight? Perhaps. But even then, Arsenal would need to pick up three points against Everton, something that looks beyond a team that may struggle to fill the numbers defensively if Ben White and Gabriel, who missed training this week, are not able to take part. Spurs and Arsenal might have previous for dramatic denouements. Not this time.

 

2. Stakes are high for Burnley

The disappointment that one of Liverpool and Manchester City will be feeling by the time the sun sets on Sunday will pale into insignificance compared to the catastrophe that awaits one of Leeds and Burnley. The former head into the final weekend well aware that their fate is out of their hands. Leeds may be level on points with the Clarets, but their atrocious goal difference means that top-flight survival will be dependent on achieving a better result against Brentford than Burnley get at home to Newcastle.

Whether Mike Jackson's side, who drew against Aston Villa on Thursday to claim control of the final day dogfight, will be weighed down by the sheer pressure on them remains to be seen. Relegation from the Premier League is rarely a pleasant experience for a club's balance sheet; for Burnley, it could be all the more severe. "You wouldn't get out of bed in a morning if you thought about that," said Jackson. "I try not to. I try to keep it level and keep it real."

Relegation to the Championship would force owners ALK Capital, who secured the club in a leveraged buyout in February 2021, to pay back the majority of the $81 million loan that financed their purchase. That would be hard enough at any time, but when their finances have already taken a battering from the pandemic, there would be serious cause for concern at Turf Moor. No pressure then.

 

10 things to watch on the final day

Our James Benge compiled a list of the 10 things to watch on the last day of the Premier League season. Let's go through them, shall we?

1. A title showdown short on drama

After 37 games of hitting lumps out of each other, whether from afar or on the same pitch together, there is still merely the cigarette paper that is a solitary point between Manchester City and Liverpool. Ten years on from Sergio Aguero's dramatic late winner at the Etihad Stadium, we could be in for similar drama on the final day.

Could, however, is very much the operative word here. This should be relatively serene for Manchester City. It has been 15 years since Aston Villa won away at City and 22 years since they travelled to a side that was top of the Premier League and returned with three points. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has never lost on the final day of the English season.

Liverpool will almost certainly keep their end of the bargain up against a Wolverhampton Wanderers side whose season petered out so long ago that they may as well be playing in flip flops. Realistically though, City may well have their game against Villa wrapped up rather swiftly, allowing England's attention to drift elsewhere.

 

Viewing information 

All games kick off at 11 a.m. ET

Arsenal vs. Everton - CNBC and fuboTV
Brentford vs. Leeds United - Peacock
Brighton vs. West Ham United - Peacock
Burnley vs. Newcastle United - Golf Channel and fuboTV
Chelsea vs. Watford - Peacock
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United - Peacock
Leicester City vs. Southampton - Peacock
Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton - USA and fuboTV
Manchester City vs. Aston Villa - NBC and fuboTV
Norwich City vs. Tottenham - Syfy and fuboTV

 

Live table

1) Man City, 90 pts

2) Liverpool, 89 pts

3) Chelsea, 71 pts

4) Tottenham, 68 pts

5) Arsenal, 66 pts

6) Man United, 58 pts

7) West Ham, 56 pts

8) Wolves, 51 pts

9) Leicester, 49 pts

10) Brighton, 48 pts

11) Brentford, 46 pts

12) Newcastle, 46 pts

13) Crystal Palace, 45 pts

14) Aston Villa, 45 pts

15) Southampton, 40 pts

16) Everton, 39 pts

17) Burnley, 35 pts

18) Leeds, 35 pts

19) Watford, 23 pts

20) Norwich, 22 pts

 

It's the final day of Premier League action

What a season that it has been with twists and turns along the way. Roger Gonzalez will join me to provide updates on all the races. The title, Champions League, Europa League, and relegation are all up for grabs, making this quite an exciting day. Follow along as we're here for all the twists and turns. 

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