With the title already a foregone conclusion and relegation fates confirmed well ahead of time, the battle for the Champions League places headlined the final day of the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Manchester City took home the bronze medal thanks to their 2-0 beating of Fulham, while Chelsea came up trumps 1-0 in their crucial clash with Nottingham Forest to finish in the top five at the Garibaldi's expense.
Newcastle United's surprise 1-0 home defeat to Everton also did not prove fatal, as Aston Villa controversially went down 2-0 to Manchester United and were consigned to a spot in the Europa League.
Further up the division, Liverpool's winless end to the campaign continued in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace before the long-awaited trophy lift, but Arsenal made absolutely sure of second place with a 2-1 success over Southampton.
Brighton & Hove Albion's 4-1 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur also guaranteed their eighth-placed ranking at the expense of Brentford, who had to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Finally, Bournemouth closed out the campaign with a 2-0 success over visiting Leicester City, while West Ham United left Ipswich Town's Portman Road base with a 3-1 win under their belts.
For the final time this season, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the latest round of matches.
DEFENCE
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At a time where his England number one credentials are being called into question, Jordan Pickford sent a loud and clear message to both Thomas Tuchel and Dean Henderson, making six saves, four high claims and three punches to inspire Everton to victory against Newcastle.
From an England stalwart to a man who has just snubbed the Three Lions team, Aaron Wan-Bissaka - about to earn his first caps for the DR Congo national team - was exemplary up and down the right flank against Ipswich, setting up Jarrod Bowen's first while registering two interceptions, two tackles and completing 92% of his passes.
However, Man City maestro Ruben Dias can better the latter statistic by one percent, registering a 93% success rate during a stellar display in his side's win over Fulham, where he also came up with seven clearances, three blocks and two interceptions, in addition to winning three of his four aerial duels.
Joining Dias's City in next year's Champions League, we have Levi Colwill's Chelsea, as the England international calmly tapped home the goal against Forest that sealed the Blues' place in the top five. Also putting in six clearances and boasting a 100% duel success rate from three aerial battles, Colwill stood tall when Chelsea needed him most.
Colwill's Chelsea career is only just beginning, but Kieran Tierney's Arsenal chapter closed at St Mary's, where the departing defender marked his final Gunners appearance with an emotional - and excellent - goal. The Scotsman told Mikel Arteta he would score on his last match, and he kept his promise with a deft near-post finish, in addition to creating one big chance and only misplacing two of his final 51 passes in a fabulous farewell.
MIDFIELD
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Brighton's new goalscoring machine, Jack Hinshelwood followed up his winner against Liverpool with two instinctive finishes against Spurs, which came about in eerily similar fashion. Both times the ball ricocheted to the versatile midfielder from a corner, and both times he readjusted his feet expertly, crashing his first into the roof of the net before an exquisite backheel for his second.
Copying Hinshelwood with a finish into the roof of the net, Ilkay Gundogan set City on their way to victory at Fulham with his first - and last - Premier League goal of the season, and the experienced German also won four fouls and created five chances on a day where he was simply too hot to handle.
ATTACK
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Picking two Cherries for our final Premier League Team of the Week of the season, Bournemouth wing wizard Antoine Semenyo did his transfer value no harm whatsoever with both goals in the beating of Leicester. Marcus Tavernier maybe did not contribute directly, but the 26-year-old's all-around play was nothing short of sensational, as he created three big chances for his teammates, had five shots and drew four fouls in a performance that warranted at least one goal or assist.
However, one man who did score and provide a helper in his side's success was West Ham talisman Jarrod Bowen. The ex-Hull City man put the ball on a plate for James Ward-Prowse to open the scoring before restoring the Irons' lead mere moments after Ipswich had levelled, and what a goal it was too, cutting inside from the left and firing in a delicious 20-yard rocket.
Speaking of team talismans, Bruno Fernandes once again demonstrated why Man United must stop at nothing to retain his services this summer. As well as teeing up Amad Diallo against Villa for his 11th assist of the league season, the Portuguese playmaker completed 92% of his passes, registered four accurate long balls from four attempts and also put in five tackles to help the Red Devils end a nightmare season on a high.
SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Wan-Bissaka, Dias, Colwill, Tierney; Hinshelwood, Gundogan; Semenyo, Fernandes, Tavernier; Bowen
Ben Knapton
