EPL Weekly Wrap | All the Headlines - Gameweek 38

The Premier League season is done. All 10 Gameweek 38 fixtures kicked off at 3:00am NZT on Monday morning, and I don’t think a final day has delivered this much drama in years. Here’s what you may have missed.

At the Etihad, the football almost felt secondary. Pep Guardiola took charge of Manchester City for the 593rd and final time, with Bernardo Silva and John Stones also playing their last games. 

Antoine Semenyo put City ahead in the 23rd minute, but Aston Villa turned it around through an Ollie Watkins brace. Villa had won the Europa League in Istanbul just four days earlier. Watkins equalised two minutes into the second half and added a second in the 61st minute. Guardiola’s decade at the club ends without one last win.

Arsenal treated Crystal Palace away as a celebration. Gabriel Jesus scored in the 41st minute before Noni Madueke doubled the lead shortly after half-time. Jean-Philippe Mateta headed a late consolation. Arsenal finished on 85 points and face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest this Saturday.

Bruno Fernandes had a day to remember at the Amex. His corner found Patrick Dorgu for a headed goal off the crossbar in the 33rd minute, and that was his 21st assist of the campaign, surpassing the record held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Bryan Mbeumo tapped in a second before the break, and Fernandes scored the third himself. 

If you follow football betting, I’d argue Fernandes was the best player in the league this season. Manchester United finished third on 71 points.

Mohamed Salah’s farewell at Anfield stole the afternoon. Liverpool drew 1-1 with Brentford, with Salah delivering an outside-of-the-boot cross for Curtis Jones in the 58th minute. That was his 94th Premier League assist, surpassing Steven Gerrard’s tally of 92 for the club. Kevin Schade headed Brentford level six minutes later. Salah left in tears after nine years. Liverpool qualified for the Champions League in fifth on 60 points, but I wouldn’t trust their form heading into next season. 

Anyone checking betting bonuses for the outright market should think twice.

Sunderland beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Stadium of Light to finish seventh on 54 points and qualify for the Europa League. 

Trai Hume opened the scoring in the 25th minute after Luke O’Nien flicked a long ball into his path, and a Malo Gusto own goal doubled the lead early in the second half. Cole Palmer got one back in the 56th minute, but Wesley Fofana’s red card six minutes later killed the contest. Four years ago Sunderland were in League One. 

Now they’re heading into European competition for the first time in 53 years. I don’t think any club in the league had a better season relative to expectations.

Bournemouth drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest to confirm sixth and a Europa League spot. Brighton dropped to eighth but still qualified for the Conference League despite losing 3-0 to United.

West Ham needed to beat Leeds United and for Tottenham to lose at home to Everton. They got the first part right. 

Taty Castellanos headed in from a corner in the 67th minute before Jarrod Bowen added a second in the 79th. Callum Wilson fired in from distance in stoppage time for 3-0. But Joao Palhinha’s scrappy goal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was enough to send West Ham down instead.

Palhinha headed Mathys Tel’s corner against the post in the 43rd minute and prodded in the rebound. Three shots on target in the whole game. Tottenham finished 17th on 41 points with three home wins all season. I thought they were going down, and nobody at the club will look back on this season fondly.

West Ham finished on 39 points, ending a 14-year spell in the top flight. Wolves and Burnley also go down. For NZ punters browsing new betting sites ahead of next season, I’d circle the relegation market as an early one to follow.