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:
Nuno Espirito Santo urges Forest players to enjoy the occasion
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo stressed enjoyment was key to his Champions League-chasing side's final Premier League game of the season against Chelsea.
Victory for either Forest or Chelsea could secure them Champions League football next season, while Newcastle and Aston Villa are also in the hunt for a top-five finish.
Despite there being so much at stake for Forest and their rivals on what will be a nerve-jangling finale, Nuno insisted he had only one message for his players.
He said: "To enjoy, to play the game, to compete well against a tough team. We are preparing well. In terms of motivation there is not much to say.
"And one of the parts that we love is that we are enjoying preparing for a big match. Why not enjoy it?
"We have to enjoy it, everybody here. In a game like this in terms of motivation, you just don't have to worry about that because it's already there.
"The players are on fire to play the game, so the message is to stick to the tasks, recognise that it's a tough team to play against and enjoy - play the game like we always do. There's no big message."
Enzo Maresca feels Champions League qualification would reduce Chelsea ‘noise’
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said it is up to his team to quieten the “noise” that surrounds the club by securing Champions League qualification.
Victory for the Blues against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground will seal a top-five finish and a place in Europe’s top competition for the first time in three seasons.
Enzo Maresca feels Champions League qualification would reduce Chelsea ‘noise’
Arne Slot reveals bold ambition to match Jurgen Klopp in one key area
A title triumph in your first season in the Premier League? It’s been a pretty good start for Arne Slot as Liverpool manager, but the Dutchman is far from done, as he told Richard Jolly on Friday.
Arne Slot reveals bold ambition to match Jurgen Klopp in one key area
Cody Gakpo: ‘If I want to keep growing in football, I’ve got to keep my mind open’
Liverpool’s place as champions was confirmed long ago, but today is the day that Arne Slot’s side finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy. Ahead of the title toting, Jamie Braidwood sat down with Cody Gakpo on a balcony overlooking Hyde Park about finding his home on Merseyside, faith and much, much more:
Cody Gakpo, Liverpool’s family bond and faith
Premier League final day fixtures
10 fixtures kicking off all at the same time - this afternoon is going to be a lot of fun. 4pm starts for all of these as we reach the end of a long campaign that began way back on 16 August last year.
Bournemouth vs Leicester
Fulham vs Manchester City
Ipswich vs West Ham
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Newcastle vs Everton
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
Southampton vs Arsenal
Tottenham vs Brighton
Wolves vs Brentford
Champions League qualification permutations: What each team needs on the final day
Yes, it could be a manic end to the season. Here are all the permutations you need to know:
Champions League qualification permutations: What each team needs on the final day
Why a unique Premier League final day will be more interesting than it might appear
If the 2024-25 season won’t exactly stand out in history, it will finish with one genuinely unique element. There have never been so many clubs going for Champions League qualification on the final day. It has admittedly become a bit more than “the battle for fifth”, as it has occasionally been derided. Instead, five clubs are going for three places, with two of them – Nottingham Forest and Chelsea – directly facing off.
The elements are there for an exciting last day, if not quite an epic one.
Why a unique Premier League final day will be more interesting than it might appear
Premier League finale LIVE
The final day of the Premier League season is upon us with a hectic fight for Champions League places in store. Five clubs are bidding for three spots in next year’s top tier continental competition, looking to join champions Liverpool and Arsenal among the English representation.
There will be twists and turns aplenty once the action gets underway across the country at 4pm BST - and we’ll have it all covered...
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