As we head into the final Gameweek of the 2025/26 campaign, the Premier League table has almost fully taken shape.
The Gunners have officially been crowned champions of England for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth mathematically ended Pep Guardiola’s side’s hopes of retaining the title.
Arsenal’s Premier League triumph is the reward for the patience and faith the club’s hierarchy placed in Mikel Arteta, who has now spent six years rebuilding the North London side into genuine title winners.
The victory also arrives at the perfect moment, providing Arsenal with a huge confidence boost ahead of their clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final, where they will aim to secure the first Champions League trophy in the club’s history.
Although Manchester City managed to cut Arsenal’s nine-point lead and even climbed to the top of the table at one stage, Guardiola’s side ultimately failed to sustain the momentum. Costly draws against Everton and Bournemouth saw the Cityzens drop four crucial points in the title race.
And with Guardiola’s exit from Manchester City after a decade now seemingly inevitable – with Enzo Maresca’s arrival at the Etihad also appearing to be all but confirmed – the Spaniard still leaves on a respectable note after guiding City to both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season.
Premier League Table Race: The Final-Day Battle for Champions League and Europa League Spots
Aston Villa have become the fourth side in the Premier League table – after Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United – to secure a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League after sealing qualification through two separate routes.
Unai Emery’s side first guaranteed a top-five finish in the league standings with an impressive 4-2 victory over Liverpool at Villa Park, which sealed their UEFA Champions League qualification.
Villa then capped off a remarkable campaign by defeating Freiburg 3-0 to lift the 2026 UEFA Europa League title, a triumph which also automatically secures a Champions League spot.
Because England earned an additional European Performance Place through UEFA’s coefficient rankings, the top five teams in the league are already expected to qualify for the Champions League.
However, with Aston Villa’s Europa League victory as well as finishing inside the top five, their European qualification place could now be passed down to the team below them.
That scenario could potentially open the door for a historic sixth English club – with Brighton and Bournemouth both still dreaming of Champions League qualification.
Liverpool have almost booked their spot for UCL football next season, but mathematically, they have not confirmed their place yet, and it will take a last-minute meltdown for them not to qualify.
The Reds, who have had a poor season, can technically still be caught by Bournemouth. Arne Slot’s side currently sit fifth with 59 points in the Premier League table, while the Cherries are sixth with 56 points.
For Liverpool to miss out on Champions League football next season, they must lose at Anfield against Brentford, while Bournemouth must win away at Nottingham Forest, by a margin of at least six goals to be able to top the Reds on goal difference.
Chelsea’s turbulent domestic campaign over the past six months – which saw the club sack Enzo Maresca, appoint Liam Rosenior, dismiss him shortly afterward, and then turn to interim boss Callum McFarlane – has effectively ended their hopes of securing Champions League football despite a recent 2-1 victory over Tottenham.
Instead, their focus on the final day will be on securing a place in the Europa League.
The Blues, who announced Xabi Alonso as their new coach, currently sit in eighth position, and to qualify for the Europa League, they must win their final match away at Sunderland and hope Manchester United defeat Brighton.
Meanwhile, a defeat could see Sunderland or Brentford leapfrog them and leave them completely out of European football for next season.
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Premier League Table: Spurs and West Ham Fighting to Avoid Final Relegation Spot
The 2025/26 Premier League relegation battle is going down to an unprecedented two-way shootout between London rivals Tottenham and West Ham United.
With Wolves and Burnley already relegated to the Championship, it has set up a tense final-day battle for both teams. Roberto De Zerbi’s side sits 17th, with West Ham in 18th place, separated by just two points in a dramatic fight to avoid the final relegation spot.
When Tottenham faced Chelsea in their last game, they needed just a point to secure their Premier league survival, but a 2-1 defeat instead handed West Ham a lifeline heading into the final game of the season.
Now, ahead of the final day of the Premier League relegation battle, Tottenham will survive if they win against Everton at home. Also, thanks to a superior goal difference of +12, a draw could effectively guarantee their survival.
Even if they lose, they will still survive as long as West Ham fail to win their match. While for the Hammers, they will survive if they pull off a dramatic escape by defeating Leeds United at home and Tottenham loses to Everton.
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Credit: IMAGO / Every Second Media
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