Premier League Final Day: European Hopes, Managerial Exits, and Player Farewells

Last week’s costly defeat to Leeds means Brighton must overcome Manchester United on the final day to ensure they secure a place in Europe for the second time in their history. The good news is that Michael Carrick’s side have nothing to play for and United have a wretched record at the Amex, losing in three of their past four visits in the Premier League including a 4-0 drubbing back in 2022. Danny Welbeck could be key against his former club having enjoyed his most prolific season with 13 league goals. The veteran striker still has a chance of finishing as the highest scoring English player in the division if he can find the net on Sunday, with World Cup rival Ollie Watkins leading the way on 14 as it stands. Ed Aarons

This is, without doubt, the biggest match of the final day of the season. The wooden-spoon showdown in the Premier League, to finally ascertain who was the worst team in the top flight this season. It’s been less of a rollercoaster and more like being stuck on the teacups, going round slowly in circles for 10 months for Burnley and Wolves. The serious element is that there is some hard cash at stake for the club that finishes 19th, and £2m extra “prize” money, which is not to be sniffed at in any climate. Their respective seasons have been dreadful; if their points were combined, it would only result in sitting 17th in the table. Alphabetical order meant Wolves started bottom and a win at Turf Moor would move them off the foot for the first time. It feels like a draw would be a fair result for football – this could be time for the two to prove everyone wrong. Will Unwin

All eyes were expected to be on Oliver Glasner’s team selection against Arsenal given the potential significance of that game. But Manchester City’s failure to beat Bournemouth means that Sunday’s meeting of two European finalists should be a carnival atmosphere as Arsenal celebrate their Premier League title and Crystal Palace’s Austrian manager takes charge for the final time at Selhurst Park. Expect wholesale changes from both sides as Palace prepare to face Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League on Wednesday night in Leipzig and Arsenal’s players try to recover from their big night out on Tuesday. There could even be a first Premier League start for Christian Nørgaard since he joined Arsenal from Brentford last summer. EA

Could a dead rubber against Newcastle be Marco Silva’s final match in charge of Fulham? With José Mourinho on the verge of joining Real Madrid, Silva has been heavily linked with Benfica, although Fulham’s manager insists “no decision has been made”. Silva has unfinished business in his homeland; the last time he managed there was 2015, when he was reportedly sacked by Sporting because he did not wear a club suit on the touchline. Benfica’s pull is strong: one of Portugal’s biggest club can offer European football next season and a chance to work again with the director of football Mário Branco, whom Silva thrived alongside at Estoril. Fulham are seemingly caught in a merry-go-round being spun by Jorge Mendes: Mourinho and Silva are both clients of the super agent, while another in Filipe Luís is now one of the favourites to replace Silva at Craven Cottage, if the 48-year-old does depart. Michael Butler

Liverpool are scrambling over the line in the race for Champions League qualification and, despite Bournemouth needing two favourable results plus a six-goal swing to clinch fifth place, even that is not a certainty on current form. There are so many subplots to the final day at Anfield that emotional send-offs to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson might not prove the main event. Will Salah play after his latest public attempt to undermine Arne Slot? What reception awaits the Liverpool head coach? Will Keith Andrews complete a highly impressive debut season in management by taking Brentford into Europe? Who else is saying goodbye to Liverpool? But at some point Salah and Robertson will take centre stage and the acclaim they deserve for their magnificent Liverpool careers. The salute should also be extended to a third member of Jürgen Klopp’s great team. Jordan Henderson exited via the back door in 2023 and without the fanfare his contribution as captain deserved. His first appearance back at Anfield is an opportunity to put that right. Andy Hunter

Farewell Pep, thanks for coming. What a decade it has been at Manchester City, where their head coach has changed the course of English football for ever. Kids are desperate to play out from the back and technique, for a long period, was favoured over physique. Like when Jürgen Klopp left Liverpool, it will be a sad day for the Premier League, not that opposition fans will admit it. Nor will they be too bothered that Bernardo Silva is on his merry way too, having distinguished himself as one of the smartest operators to have graced the league, while being incredibly consistent over nine years. The Portuguese bows out with John Stones, who at his best is one of the finest defenders in world football, but has been held back by injuries during his career. City fans will miss all three but it feels like everyone should take a moment to acknowledge their achievements. WU

Elliot Anderson has spent a mere two years at the City Ground but has had an incredible effect on the team and club. He will be going to the World Cup in the summer and will juggle playing in midfield for his country with the swirling rumours of where his future lies. Manchester City and Manchester United are very keen on the former Newcastle man but the former are leading the race in many people’s eyes. “The market is the market and everything can happen,” Vítor Pereira said after losing at Old Trafford. “What I can say to you is that the club wants to keep him playing for us, for sure. The club wants to keep almost all the players because this is a very good group with quality and character and we have a very good base for next season.” Wherever he ends up, Sunday will be a chance for the Forest fans to laud Anderson’s ability, potentially, for one final time. Forest could finish 15th with a win, but Anderson’s ambitions are higher than that and the reality that he will be sold is apparent on all sides. WU

A point will, barring a ludicrous turn of events, be enough to keep Tottenham’s head above water. It’s been another dreadful domestic season for the club, that will at best conclude with a second consecutive 17th-placed finish. Their team is not good enough to play for a draw, nor is it Roberto De Zerbi’s style to be conservative. Spurs will have to go out and try to win the match against an Everton side who would love to ruin everyone’s day in north London. A raucous atmosphere feels a necessity for the hosts and one way to inspire would be to start James Maddison. A creative spark is required to push the side forward and having their captain on the pitch from the start for the first time this season would provide a huge boost to fans and teammates alike. After a year of adversity for Maddison and the team, they are seeking mutual success, however small. WU

Back in August, newly promoted Sunderland were overwhelming favourites to suffer an immediate, and, almost certainly, ignominious, return to the Championship. Now, Régis Le Bris is a manager of the year contender and Europe remains almost within touching distance. If Sunderland beat Chelsea at the Stadium of Light and either Brentford or Brighton stumble they will finish either seventh or eighth and start looking forward to Conference or, perhaps even, Europa League football next season. It would be only the second time in their history Sunderland have been involved in such continental combat. Back in the 1973-74 season they entered the old European Cup Winners’ Cup in their capacity as FA Cup holders but were knocked out by Sporting Lisbon in the second round. Chelsea are unlikely to underestimate Le Bris’ team, particularly after being on the wrong end of a 2-1 Sunderland win at Stamford Bridge in late October. The Londoners, currently eighth, two places and one point ahead of their hosts, are also keen to please their incoming manager, Xabi Alonso, by securing a European place of their own. Something has to give. Louise Taylor