League Final Day: Liverpool Lift Trophy, while others Qualify For Champions League Sports

It was jubilation galore for fans of Liverpool as it lifted the Premier League trophy on Sunday, May 25, while Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle United have qualified for next season’s Champions League.

The European spots were decided on a dramatic last day of the 2024-25 campaign. Goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland did the business for Pep Guardiola’s City, while Levi Colwill scored the only goal between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

Newcastle were beaten 1-0 by Everton but, thanks to Manchester United’s home win against 10-man Aston Villa, will return to the Champions League for the second time in three years.

Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah capped off a brilliant season with his 29th league goal in Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

A big summer is coming up and then the new Premier League season kicks off on Friday, August 15.

The fixtures for the campaign will be announced in less than a month’s time — Wednesday, June 18 for that.

Chelsea Make It To Champions League

Levi Colwill’s goal clinched Chelsea’s place in the Champions League next season with a narrow and nervy win on Sunday at Nottingham Forest, who qualified for the Conference League despite defeat.

The defender’s second-half strike meant Enzo Maresca’s side finished fourth in the Premier League and ended Forest’s own hopes of returning to Europe’s top table.

Chelsea can prepare for the Champions League – a goal which was expected and demanded – with Maresca confirming their transfer targets depended on which competition they are in next season.

Victory also gave them the perfect platform for Wednesday’s Conference League final against Real Betis in Poland.

It was disappointment for Forest, who survived on the final day last term, but even after missing out on the top five their season and seventh place is a success.

Two wins in their final eight games meant they fell away having sat in the top four for large parts of the season, and they will now play in the Conference League, three years after returning to the top flight after a 23-year absence.

Forest ended the campaign winless in four at home and could not rediscover their form as a tense game initially struggled to live up to its billing.

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While intriguing, it lacked the drama of a shootout for a Champions League place.

Pedro Neto and Chris Wood turned over the bar in the first half but there was little action, though that changed when Colwill turned the ball home from close range five minutes after the break.

The hosts could not respond – there was plenty of effort but little quality, and Wood fired over in stoppage time to miss their best chance.

Forest’s Season Of Success – Not Disappointment

Forest gave it their all but fell short. The disappointment of the final few weeks should not overshadow what has been a renaissance at the club, who return to Europe for the first time since 1996.

They ran out of steam, the last few weeks of the season proving too much for a side who looked like they would reach the Champions League in March.

Any recency bias could suggest the season has ended in failure but scatter the results through the entire season and finishing seventh is exceptional.

Nuno Espirito Santo has helped shape a squad of players who bounce off each other and enjoy their team-mates’ company – and that has been evident on the pitch.

The Conference League may not bring the riches of the Champions League, but Forest can now go into a European competition with a viable chance of winning it and building on the exceptional efforts of the season.

Villa Complain After Refereeing ‘Big Mistake’ Costs Them Champions League

Aston Villa have complained to referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after a “big mistake” by official Thomas Bramall contributed to them losing 2-0 at Manchester United and missing out on the Champions League.

With the match goalless and Villa down to 10 men after goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was correctly sent off, the visitors thought Morgan Rogers had given them the lead.

Rogers nudged the ball away from United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir as he attempted to gather and slotted home.