Nottingham Forest v Chelsea LIVE: Premier League final day results and reaction after Levi Colwill strikes
Chelsea, Man City and Newcastle secured places in the Champions League on a day devoid of drama
Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United all secured places in the Champions League on a lacklustre final day in the Premier League that offered little drama.
Given the easiest task ahead of kick off Pep Guardiola’s City ensured they breezed into Europe’s top-flight after Ilkay Gundogan’s scissor kick sent them ahead against Fulham and Erling Haaland secured the points from the spot.
Things were slightly more tricky at the City Ground where Chelsea defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0. It took until the second half for the breakthrough to come as Neco Williams failed to deal with an aerial ball into the box and set Pedro Neto free. He squared a pass to the back post and Levi Colwill netted the winning goal. Forest offered little threat with Chris Wood missing their best chances.
Newcastle, meanwhile, owe their Champions League spot to Aston Villa after losing at home to Everton. Villa needed to defeat Man Utd at Old Trafford to leapfrog the magpies but went down 2-0 and ended up sixth. Forest’s seventh place finish sends them into the Conference League.
Follow the latest updates from the Premier League’s final day in our live blog below:
How Sunderland’s talent for surprise can help them survive in the Premier League
They have been to Accrington more recently than Anfield, Cheltenham more recently than Chelsea. They played Morecambe, not Manchester United, AFC Wimbledon not Arsenal. The fixture list bore an incongruous look with Fleetwood and Burton, Rochdale and Scunthorpe. Sunderland were slumming it, the club marooned in League One for four seasons.
They would happily get stuck in a division again; now that, as the chant went, they are Premier League, the return to the elite sealed in spectacular fashion at Wembley. For manager Regis Le Bris, whose players had told him earlier in the season they wanted to get promoted, “they believed in their dream”.
How Sunderland’s talent for surprise can help them survive in the Premier League
Guardiola on Rodri's return
Rodri is set to play a part in today’s clash with Fulham having returned from a long-term knee injury as a late substitute against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola said: “We’re really pleased he’s back, really pleased for the reaction from our people to him.
“I am pretty sure he is so pleased for that but he’s a long way to be what Rodri was.
“We always have to be careful, otherwise you have muscular problems and this kind of stuff. It is the first kind of step, for his mind, for his knee, but still it is not the Rodri we know.”
Guardiola promises to take care of ‘baby boy’ Foden
Pep Guardiola has promised to give Phil Foden the rest he needs this summer after a challenging season for the Manchester City midfielder.
Foden spoke this week of the difficulties on and off the field he has experienced during a campaign in which City have failed to match their usual high standards.
City manager Guardiola said: “It’s true, Phil said that and of course he has not been. Not (only) for him, all of us, his family – for us he’s a baby, a baby boy from the academy and becoming a star with us.
“We want to help him, that’s the most important thing. He needs rest and it’s going to happen now, after Sunday.
“Step by step he is going to come back, that is what we want. I just want want to help him. I don’t care about his performance on the pitch. I want him to feel good and after the rest will come in an easy way.”
NottinghamForest vs Chelsea team news
The biggest clash of the day is between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. The winner of this one will almost-certainly play in the Champions League next season (Villa and Newcastle results depending).
Here’s a look at the early team news:
Nottingham Forest will assess centre-back Murillo who has been unable to train this week.
Callum Hudson-Odoi made his comeback from a hamstring injury as a substitute on Sunday but Taiwo Awoniyi is recuperating following abdominal surgery.
For Chelsea, Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu are both available after recovering from injury.
Nicolas Jackson is still suspended but Jadon Sancho is back in contention.
A Forest victory will give them a top-five spot unless both Newcastle and Aston Villa win.
Manchester City’s bloated squad leaves Pep Guardiola facing tough transfer choices
Pep Guardiola isn’t quitting. He wasn’t in the worst run of results in his managerial career and he won’t, even if Manchester City fail to get the point on Sunday that would earn them a 15th successive season in the Champions League.
He won’t, despite his rather exaggerated choice of words on Tuesday when he said the size of his squad would make him walk away. Guardiola being Guardiola, he was complaining he had too many players, not too few.
But there will be departures from the Etihad Stadium this summer. Guardiola is preparing for a clearout. He has a squad of 26; too many, he says, when all bar the injured John Stones and the suspended Mateo Kovacic are available for Sunday’s trip to Fulham. He has had to dispense too much bad news recently, to omit too many players from matchday squads.
Manchester City’s bloated squad leaves Pep Guardiola facing tough transfer choices
Can Aston Villa leapfrog Chelsea?
Astonv Illa have a tough task on their hands but one they can realistically achieve.
They are reliant on Chelsea and Nottingham Forest playing out a draw at the City Ground whilst also ensuring they defeat Manchester United.
In their favour, United remain without long-term absentee Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt may also miss out. Ruben Amorim’s men are still licking their wounds after the Europa League final defeat and it could be a good time to play them.
Unai Emery has Jacob Ramsey available after suspension but Marcus Rashford is ineligible to face his parent club.
Villa's player of the season Youri Tielemans returned to training on Friday and could be involved after a two-match absence with a calf issue.
Man City in pole position
Of the five teams vying to secure Champions League football on today’s Premier League finale, Manchester City sit in the best position.
They are third in the table and need a draw or better against Fulham to secure a place in the top five. That’s due to their superior goal difference over Aston Villa.
Pep Guardiola will hail it as a massive achievement but more pressingly today’s match will give Rodri a better run out before the Club World Cup this summer.
The midfielder has been absent for the majority of the season with an ACL injury but made a substitute appearance in City’s last match. Guardiola has confirmed he will not start at Craven Cottage but expect to see him on the pitch at some point.
As for City’s other injury concerns, John Stones is the only injury absentee although Mateo Kovacic is suspended.
Newcastle early team news
Newcastle United take on Everton in the Premier League this afternoon and know that a victory will guarantee them a spot in the Champions League next season.
A draw might even be enough but they will leave themselves vulnerable to be overtaken by two of Chelsea, Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest.
Eddie Howe’s men have a good chance against the Toffees and will hope to utilise their home advantage to cap off a great season.
In terms of team news, top scorer Alexander Isak has not trained this week but Howe says there's still a chance he could be involved.
Kieran Trippier is also a doubt but fellow full-back Matt Targett may return to the squad after a month out.
Unai Emery insists Manchester United still carry aura of 'greatness'
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery insisted today’s opponents Manchester United still had an aura of "greatness" despite their ongoing struggles.
Villa are bidding to seal a Champions League place on the Premier League's final day and visit Old Trafford four days after United's Europa League defeat to Tottenham compounded one of their worst-ever seasons.
Emery's side are level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea and one better off than Nottingham Forest as the race for a top-five finish goes down to the wire.
Despite United's woes, Emery said: "Always, (I expect) the best of them. The best. The greatness of Manchester United is still there. The great coach (Ruben Amorim) they have is still there.
"He did a fantastic job in Sporting Lisbon, fantastic and not for one year, not two years, not three years - consistently. When he arrived here, it was a difficult moment.
"Only one of them in the (Europa League) final could achieve their objective and they (United) lost. But their greatness is still being there. The coach is a great coach and the players are very good players.
"We have played here with Aston Villa for three years and I didn't beat them here (Old Trafford). My respect is a massive respect for Manchester United, their players and for the coach."
Ruben Amorim plans apology to fans for dismal season after Villa clash
Ruben Amorim plans to apologise to Manchester United fans after a dismal season comes to close against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Four days after their last hope of salvaging anything from the campaign was extinguished in a 1-0 Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, United will show their appreciation to their suffering supporters after the final whistle at Old Trafford.
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