Man United end season ranked 15th after controversial win over Aston Villa

Al Jazeera

25-05-2025

Manchester United have ended their disappointing 2024-25 season with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League campaign, denying the visitors a Champions League qualification spot in the process.
United surprisingly dominated the first half of Sunday's game against a side chasing a top-five finish.
Against the run of play, Morgan Rogers appeared to have netted Villa a crucial goal 18 minutes from time, but referee Thomas Bramall ruled that he had fouled United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir before slotting home.
The hosts' cause was aided as Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was sent off just before the break.
Furious Villa's mood worsened after Amad Diallo immediately headed the hosts in front down the other end, before Christian Eriksen's penalty ensured United finished 15th and sixth-placed Villa had to settle for a place in the Europa League next term.
Newcastle United breathed a sigh of relief as their 1-0 defeat by Everton could have opened the door for Villa to climb above them with a win over United.
Villa manager Unai Emery confronted Bramall after the final whistle, unhappy at what he believed was a 'big mistake' by the match official.
'The TV is clear with the move but of course we have to accept it,' Emery said. 'It was a mistake. A big mistake.'
At the final whistle, Emery stood motionless on the touchline and stared at Bramall for a long time. After confronting the official as he came off the field, Emery continued his discussions with him as they went down the tunnel.
Protest songs against Manchester United's ownership greeted the final whistle, even if supporters had been treated to a rare home success.Meanwhile, Manchester City's disappointing season ended with the consolation of a place in the Champions League after a 2-0 victory at Fulham, earned by Ilkay Gundogan's overhead kick and an Erling Haaland penalty.
The victory ensured City finish third in the table with 71 points from 38 games, the first time they have ended outside the top two since the 2016-17 season. Fulham finished 11th with 54 points.
City opened the scoring at 21 minutes when Matheus Nunes's chipped shot on the angle was clawed away by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno and into the path of Gundogan, whose acrobatic effort steered the ball into the net off the crossbar.
The visitors doubled their advantage when Sasa Lukic fouled Gundogan in the box and Haaland converted the spot kick to score his 22nd league goal of the campaign, while Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench for the final five minutes in his farewell to City.
City left Jack Grealish out of their match-day squad amid talk he could leave the club, while De Bruyne spent time with the City fans at the final whistle, many of them holding up signs of thanks to the Belgian for his decade at the club.
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.