Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle secure Champions League spots
Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Everton - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - May 25, 2025 Newcastle United players celebrate qualifying for the Champions League after the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith REUTERS
Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Chelsea - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - May 25, 2025 Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood in action with Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo and Chelsea's Reece James Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes REUTERS
Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Chelsea - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - May 25, 2025 Chelsea's Levi Colwill scores their first goal REUTERS/David Klein
Soccer Football - Premier League - Fulham v Manchester City - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - May 25, 2025 Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne with Ruben Dias after the match REUTERS/Toby Melville
Soccer Football - Premier League - Fulham v Manchester City - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - May 25, 2025 Fulham's Jorge Cuenca in action with Manchester City's Matheus Nunes Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge REUTERS
LONDON - Manchester City and Chelsea both secured their Champions League places with victories on the final day of the Premier League season and Newcastle United joined them despite stumbling to a last-day defeat at home to Everton on Sunday.
City, whose season has generally been one to forget, only really required a draw at Fulham but cruised to a 2-0 victory which meant they finished in third place.
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea, who began the day in fifth place - the last spot for Champions League qualification - won 1-0 at seventh-placed Nottingham Forest to finish fourth.
Newcastle will be breathing a sigh of relief as their 1-0 defeat by Everton could have opened the door for Aston Villa to climb above them.
But Villa went down 2-0 at Manchester United to end in sixth place and take a place in the Europa League.
City ended up with 71 points, Chelsea on 69 and Villa on 66 but with an inferior goal difference to Newcastle on the same points.
Forest, who still had hopes of a top-five finish going into the last day, will go into the UEFA Conference League.
Champions Liverpool ended their campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Crystal Palace in a party atmosphere at Anfield.
Runners-up Arsenal, who ended 10 points behind Liverpool, beat bottom club Southampton 2-1 away.
Brighton and Hove Albion brought Europa Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur down to earth with a bump as they won 4-1 in north London to finish eighth, but that will not be good enough to secure a European berth for the south coast side next season.
Tottenham finished a woeful league season in 17th place, their worst performance since being relegated in 1977. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Cruz Azul thrash Vancouver Whitecaps to win CONCACAF Champions Cup
Soccer Football - CONCACAF Champions Cup - Final - Cruz Azul v Vancouver Whitecaps - Estadio Olimpico Mexico 1968, Mexico City, Mexico - June 1, 2025 Cruz Azul's Ignacio Rivero lifts the trophy with teammates after winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup REUTERS/Henry Romero MEXICO CITY - Mexican club Cruz Azul clinched a record-equalling seventh CONCACAF Champions Cup title with a crushing 5-0 victory over Canada's Vancouver Whitecaps in the final at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday. A dominant performance in front of an ecstatic home crowd saw Cruz Azul join Mexican rivals America as the most successful clubs in the 60-year history of the competition and also secured them a spot in the 2029 Club World Cup. Vicente Sanchez was only appointed Cruz Azul's coach in January and while there have been reports suggesting he may leave the club he said his only focus was on repaying the faith shown in him. "Giving back to the people who trusted in me is the best thing that can happen, today we are giving an international title to Cruz Azul," the Uruguayan told reporters. "The truth is that I live in today, I'm happy, I don't think about the future." The hosts struck early, taking the lead in the eighth minute as Carlos Rotondi slid in to square the ball for captain Ignacio Rivero, who calmly finished in a one-on-one. Lorenzo Faravelli doubled the lead 20 minutes later, winning back the ball and unleashing a superb strike that curled in off the far post, before Angel Sepulveda added another from close range in the 37th minute. Mateusz Bogusz made it 4-0 seconds before the break and Sepulveda scored his second goal with a powerful header five minutes into the second half as he became the tournament's top scorer with nine goals. Major League Soccer side Vancouver failed to record a single shot in the entire match and were left frustrated in their bid to become the first Canadian team to win the continental title. "We came with hope and aspiration and ambition, of course now there's devastation," Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen told reporters. "We made a great tournament, we've beaten great teams on our way but today we couldn't put on a performance to beat a really good team like Cruz Azul, that's how sometimes it is with sports. "I feel sorry for the players... to win we needed our best performance and today it was quite the opposite. Cruz Azul was just better in every aspect." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Lorenzo Musetti swings past Holger Rune into French Open quarter-finals
Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in action during his fourth round match against Denmark's Holger Rune at the French Open. PHOTO: REUTERS PARIS - Lorenzo Musetti's impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on June 1 when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time. World No. 7 Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane's shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game. For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. "Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight," said Musetti. Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand. "I complain less now, I'm more steady," he said. The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead. The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold. COMPOSED The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune's side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune's inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game. Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti's rhythm. The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match. Errors crept back into Rune's game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed. Having adjusted to Rune's frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots. He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest. It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court. Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters. Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: "To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you've stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
McLaughlin-Levrone impresses in 100m debut in Philadelphia
FILE PHOTO: May 4, 2025; Miramar, FL, USA; Sydney McLaughlin (USA) wins the women's long hurdles 400m in 49.69 during the Grand Slam Track Miami at Ansin Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ventured beyond her usual 400 metres event, clocking an impressive 11.21 seconds to take second place in her first professional 100 metres flat race at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on Sunday. The American four-time Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400 metres hurdles, accustomed to dominating the one-lap event, found herself beaten by Jamaica's Ackera Nugent, who won in 11.11 seconds. Nugent's victory completed a weekend double, securing the women's short hurdles group with a perfect 24 points following her success in Saturday's 100 metres hurdles. American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden scorched the track with a blistering time of 10.73 seconds in the 100 metres, cementing her victory in the short sprints group with 24 points after her 200 metres triumph on Saturday. Meanwhile, Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino dominated the women's long sprints group with 24 points, having won the 200 metres in 22.46 seconds. Britain's Lina Nielsen also shone, capturing the 400 metres hurdles in 52.60 seconds, while Etiopia Diribe Welteji secured victory in the 800 metres in 1:58.94. In the men's events, American Kenny Bednarek shaved one-hundredth of a second off his personal best in the 100 metres, finishing in 9.86 seconds and took the short sprints group getting 24 points. Meanwhile, Olympic silver medallist Josh Kerr from Britain beat gold medallist Cole Hocker by just seven-hundredths of a second in a thrilling 1500 metres race, finishing in 3:34.44. American Trevor Bassitt provided late drama in the 400 metres hurdles, outduelling Alison dos Santos and Chris Robinson to win in 45.47 seconds. He also won the men's long hurdles group with 20 points. There were also wins for Americans Trey Cunningham in the short hurdles group 100 metres with a time of 10.36 seconds and Nico Young in the men's 3000 metres in his first Grand Slam Track appearance, while Dominican Alexander Ogando took the men's 200 metres with a time of 20.13 seconds. The Grand Slam Track season will conclude with its fourth meeting in Los Angeles on June 27-29. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
