Premier League final day of the 2022/23 season – as it happened
All the updates as Leicester and Leeds are relegated, Everton survive, and Aston Villa secure European football.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were all the updates from the last day of the 2022/23 Premier League season:
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were all the updates from the last day of the 2022/23 Premier League season:
- Everton survive on the last day of the season for a second year in a row, as Leicester and Leeds are relegated.
- Aston Villa secure the final European spot in the Europa Conference League ahead of Tottenham and Brentford.
- League champions Manchester City will be joined in next season’s Champions League by Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle. Liverpool and Brighton will finish fifth and sixth, respectively, for spots in the second-tier Europa League.
That’s a wrap
That’s all from us as an enthralling Premier League season comes to an end. But stay tuned for more football coverage on Al Jazeera over the next few weeks!
Emery: ‘To achieve European place is the best possible end’
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery had this to say after the club secured a Europa Conference League qualifying place: “I am very proud. These players have really followed me for the last six months. It has been demanding, but we have been committed.
“We finished perfectly in the last six matches at home. We beat a very good team [today], and to achieve the European place is the best possible end. We will be in Europe, which for me is very important.
“Europe adds more matches and more difficult moments, but I like that. It is very important for us.”
🤯 What a job he’s done at Aston Villa, from 17th to 𝟕𝐭𝐡 ahead of Spurs into a European competition on the last day of the season.
Unai Emery. 👔 pic.twitter.com/223uyJ6w7a
— PurelyFootball ℗ (@PurelyFootball) May 28, 2023
‘I’m not a hero’: Doucoure
“I’m not a hero. Nobody is here,” Doucoure said post-match. “We work and play for Everton football club. We have to be much better than that. We need to realise the mistakes we made this season.
“Everyone showed passion at the end. But next season, we need to come back stronger and put Everton high up.”
Evans: ‘It’s a great club. I have no doubt it’ll bounce back’
Leicester City captain, Jonny Evans, spoke with Sky Sports regarding the club’s relegation: “We knew we had to win our game and hope something went for us. It didn’t.
“As the game went on, we were asking the referee, asking the linesman [about the Everton score]. There were a few cheers [throughout the match], but we didn’t know what they were about.
“It’s hard to put a finger on it. As a club, we haven’t been good enough. We’re out of the league.
“It’s a great club. I have no doubt it’ll bounce back.
We did our job on Filbert Way today, but our latest Premier League chapter comes to an end.
— Leicester City (@LCFC) May 28, 2023
Doucoure is the man
Everton would have taken a scrappy tap-in that deflected off a defender’s elbow today. A 25-yard half-volley, which the keeper could do nothing about, is the stuff of dreams. Doucoure was arguably Everton’s best player on the field today. His tireless movement, drive and verve set the tone for them.
His Everton career so far has been stop-start, but this goal will ensure he goes down in their history books. If you haven’t seen this goal, stop whatever you’re doing, find a clip and marvel at its beauty.
Aston Villa on a high!
The 2022/23 mission is complete. ✅
🔜 @EuropaCNFLeague pic.twitter.com/ScMNBcLyYc
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 28, 2023
Seven years of contrasting fortunes
2016: Premier League champions🏆
2023: Relegated to the Championship 😔
It’s been a wild ride for Leicester City. pic.twitter.com/uIHr6XU0OU
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) May 28, 2023
The 2023/24 season will be Everton's 69th consecutive campaign in the English top-flight, Arsenal are the only club in the competition's history with a longer streak.
Nice. pic.twitter.com/LHonEi0f5d
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 28, 2023
Arsenal wrap up season in style
Wolves’ fans will be licking their wounds as Arsenal end the season with a magnificent 5-0 result.
Will they come back to challenge City’s position at the top next year, though?
Full-time: Arsenal 5-0 Wolverhampton
Change of tune for Everton fans
Chants of “Sack the board” come from Gwladys End. This is the second successive season now that Everton have survived the jaws of relegation by the finest of margins. There’s joy all around, but Everton fans never want to feel the emotions they’ve felt today again.
Aston Villa secure European spot over Spurs
Aston Villa will be delighted with their 2-1 result over Brighton.
Despite Tottenham winning 4-1 against Leeds United, they just miss out on a qualifying place in next year’s Europa Conference League by a single point.
Villa’s return to European competition will undoubtedly be celebrated long into the night by their fans.
Full-time: Aston Villa 2-1 Brighton
Final scores
Everton survive by the skin of their teeth, as Leicester and Leeds are relegated. Aston Villa hold on to take the last European spot.
- Arsenal 5-0 Wolves
- Aston Villa 2-1 Brighton
- Brentford 1-0 Man City
- Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle
- Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest
- Everton 1-0 Bournemouth
- Leeds 1-4 Tottenham
- Leicester City 2-1 West Ham
- Man Utd 2-1 Fulham
- Southampton 4-4 Liverpool
Everton stay up
The relief on the ground feels tangible. This was by no means an easy win, but Everton remained resolute and hung on. Sean Dyche has done it. It wasn’t always pretty, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a single Evertonian who cares.
Despite repeated warnings by the stadium announcer to not run onto the pitch, Everton fans have swarmed the pitch. Scenes of euphoria all around.
FULL TIME: Everton 1-0 Bournemouth
Leicester City win, but face relegation
The referee calls time as the match ends rather anti-climatically, despite the positive result.
Leicester did their bit, but the remaining minutes at Goodison will ultimately decide if they stay in or are playing in the championship next season.
Full-time: Leicester City 2-1 West Ham
Leeds relegated as Lucas Moura scores for Spurs
Moura darts in from the right, speeds past several Leeds players and wrong-foots the keeper with a cheeky dink to score on his last game for Spurs.
Seconds later, the whistle blows for full time and boos ring out at Elland Road as Leeds are relegated.
A great result for Spurs, but Villa’s win over Brighton denies Tottenham European football next season.
Full time: Leeds 1-4 Tottenham
Brentford secure 1-0 win over City
Brentford finish their 2022-23 campaign with a memorable 1-0 victory over City.
Full-time: Brentford 1-0 Manchester City
Pickford with a crucial save
Vina catches one sweetly from the edge of the box but Pickford does well to palm it out to safety. That was close!
90+5 mins: Everton 1-0 Bournemouth
Ten minutes of added time at Goodison Park
That’s going to feel like an eternity for Everton fans. It’s loud, it’s tense, it’s nerve-wracking.
90+1 mins: Everton 1-0 Bournemouth
Six minutes added for Leicester City-West Ham
As a result of a feisty second half, the fourth official has signalled for six minutes of additional time.
Meanwhile, over at Goodison Park, they will be playing out an additional 10 minutes, so plenty at stake in terms of regulation permutations as we wind down.
90+1 mins: Leicester City 2-1 West Ham
Brentford with late goal against City
Not many would have predicted this, but with five minutes remaining, Brentford have managed to go 1-0 up against City.
Courtesy of Bryan Mbeumo’s glancing header, Ethan Pinnock is able to finish from about 10 yards out to give the home side a fantastic opportunity of pulling off an upset.
85 mins: Brentford 1-0 Manchester City
First change for Everton
Demarai Gray goes off and is replaced by Ellis Simms. Five minutes to go.
86 mins: Everton 1-0 Bournemouth
Wolves capitulating at the hands of Arsenal
Make it 5-0 as Arsenal are finishing off the season in style!
A rather unassuming chance from Jakub Kiwior as a result of a corner somehow manages to get past Sa as he tries to get his fingers on it.
Pretty much sums up the day they have been having so far.
79 mins: Arsenal 5-0 Wolverhampton
Bournemouth asking questions of Everton
It has been all Bournemouth for the past few minutes. Everton have sat back and are inexplicably inviting pressure. The Cherries are getting closer with each move. It’s getting tense here at Goodison.
83 mins: Everton 1-0 Bournemouth
Fornals pulls one back for Hammers
The change from David Moyes has done the trick as Pablo Fornals makes it 2-1.
Fornals picks up the ball just left of the box on the outside, and despite Faes closing in on him, he is able to eke out just the right amount of space.
He fires in a low chance at the near post, which just evades Iversen.
79 mins: Leicester City 2-1 West Ham
As things stand
Heading into the last 10 minutes, Everton are currently staying up as they lead Bournemouth 1-0 while Leicester (2-1 up against West Ham) and Leeds (losing 3-1 at home to Spurs) are going down.
Villa lead Brighton 2-1 and are holding on to the final European place.
But there is still time for everything to change.