The title “race” continues as both Liverpool and Arsenal won this weekend, preventing Liverpool from claiming its well-deserved title. While Liverpool’s eventual crowning is yet to officially happen due to Arsenal’s victory, it is all over for Leicester after their 1-0 loss to the league leaders. A well-earned relegation became official on a day that Leicester failed to score for a ninth consecutive home match at King Power Stadium. The Foxes could not even put a single shot off on target on Sunday. Yeesh.
Arsenal was also little troubled at Ipswich Town in a 4-1 victory. To his credit Arsenal Manger Mikel Arteta played a strong side to delay Liverpool’s clinching for another week. Ipswich Town, which has won but once this season at its Portman Road home, inched closer to officially joining Leicester and Southampton in the one and done club. Ironically, it was the already relegated Southampton side which kept Ipswich Town alive for now with a 1-1 draw with West Ham. The Hammers fell to 17th in the table as the Graham Potter experience continues to trend badly.
Wolverhampton leapt over the Hammers and ensured their own safety in a 1-0 win over Manchester United as the success of Wolves Manager Vitor Pereira stands in stark contrast to the futility of Potter. Pereira took over a team in the relegation zone in December and now has them 17 points clear of the drop after their fifth consecutive victory on Sunday. Wolverhampton is now level on points with a Manchester United club which has long since given up on its own Premier League season. The Red Devils 15th Premier League loss on Sunday is the most in a season by Manchester United in 35 years. And yet that’s still three fewer losses than shambolic Tottenham Hotspur has posted in the Premier League this season. Only clubs in the relegation zone have more losses than a Spurs side which was once again booed off the pitch at halftime in a 2-1 home loss to Nottingham Forest. The victory by the Tricky Trees snapped a two-match losing run and launched the club back into third place in the Premier League table.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 21, 2025
Newcastle fell back to fourth after a 4-1 capitulation to Aston Villa which put a halt to a four-match winning run by the Magpies. Sunday’s match was important for Newcastle, but Aston Villa needed it more and played with a greater sense of urgency. Striker Ollie Watkins openly talked of his anger at being left out of the lineup for the midweek match with PSG which eliminated Aston Villa from Champions League. A motivated Watkins was back in the lineup on Saturday and announced himself with a goal one minute into the match. The Villans extended their own winning run to five matches to remain in the thick of the hunt for Champions League qualification.
Beyond Liverpool and Arsenal, there are five clubs now in the chase for the three remaining berths in Europe’s top competition. Villa and Chelsea are locked on 57 points, three points below third place Nottingham Forest. Before climbing to the Trees, however, those clubs first would need to get by Newcastle and Manchester City who are fourth and fifth in the table after the weekend’s action.
Manchester City struggled to overcome a determined Everton at Goodison Park but late goals in the 84th minute and in stoppage time delivered the needed 2-0 result which kept the Citizens in possession of the final Champions League berth for now. Manchester City and Aston Villa, both of whom will be playing in FA Cup semifinals this weekend, now face each other in a titanic clash on Tuesday.
Nottingham Forest, another FA semifinal participant, will then face Crystal Palace on Wednesday. The Eagles ended their staggering concession of ten consecutive goals to opponents in a goalless draw with Bournemouth on Saturday. Last week’s win over Fulham was the only victory for the Cherries in their last eight matches as they hold onto European hopes only due to the failures of other clubs. The draw leaves Bournemouth alone in eighth position, usually the final European qualification slot, one point ahead of Fulham and Brighton who both lost on the weekend. Fulham held a 1-0 halftime lead on Sunday over a Chelsea club which was booed off the pitch by away supporters at the interval. The Blues were once again looking into the maws of defeat for a second straight week before responding late once again in a 2-1 win over the Cottagers. Chelsea had looked miserable for much of a 2-2 draw with lowly Ipswich Town the week before until two late goals salvaged a point. This week, all three points were claimed with Pedro Neto’s stoppage time match winner. Elsewhere in London, Brentford handled Brighton 4-2 to extend the Seagulls winless run to five matches as European hopes for the tenth-place club are fading quickly. Brentford is just two points south of the Seagulls in the table after the Bees’ Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa both scored in the same match for the seventh time this season.
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