London, May 22 (IANS) Manchester City celebrated their Premier League title with a 1-0 win at home to Chelsea.
Julian Alvarez scored the only goal of the game to give another three points to a much-changed City side that had already been confirmed as champions 24 hours earlier, reports Xinhua.
Chelsea hit the post through Conor Gallagher, but misfired once again, while the absence of Joao Felix will raise a lot of questions over whether the player on loan from Atletico Madrid will play next season.
Guardiola’s side were confirmed as champions on Saturday without kicking a ball as Arsenal lost 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s 19th-minute goal decided the game, meaning that Arsenal couldn’t catch City in the title race, but also assuring Forest have secured their top-flight survival in their first season back in the Premier League.
Newcastle United and Manchester United both need just a draw to seal their places in next season’s Champions League after United won 1-0 in Bournemouth thanks to Casemiro’s volley, while fifth-place Liverpool were held 1-1 at home to Aston Villa.
Roberto Firmino drew the curtain on his Anfield career with an 89th-minute equalizer to cancel out Jacob Ramsey’s 27th-minute opener for the visitors.
The result leaves Liverpool three points behind Newcastle, who play relegation-threatened Leicester City on Monday, and Manchester United, with Jurgen Klopp’s side having just one game left this season.
A win for Villa in their last game should assure them a place in next season’s Conference League after Tottenham’s miserable season continued with a 3-1 defeat at home to Brentford.
Although Harry Kane put Spurs ahead in the eighth minute, Brentford, who were without the suspended Ivan Toney, fought back with two second-half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and one from Yoane Wissa.
Those results allowed Brighton to assure they will play in next season’s Europa League as they won 3-1 at home to already-relegated Southampton.
Teenager Ewan Ferguson scored twice in the first half to put Brighton 2-0 ahead, and although Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled a goal back for Southampton, Pascal Gross’s 69th-minute effort assured Brighton will finish sixth.
Yerry Mina scored a 99th-minute goal to give Everton a 1-1 draw and a vital point away to Wolverhampton, who had led through Hwang Hee-chan’s first-half opener.
That draw means Leeds United have to beat Tottenham at home in the last game of the season and hope that Everton fail to win at home to Bournemouth if they are to have any chance of survival.
Leeds opened the scoring away to West Ham through Rodrigo Moreno’s 17th-minute goal, but Declan Rice equalized in the 34th minute and second-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lazini gave West Ham a 3-1 win.
Everton’s better goal difference means a draw in their last game would probably be enough to keep them up.
Finally, Fulham and Crystal Palace drew an entertaining game 2-2, with Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring twice for Fulham, while Osdonne Edouard and Joe Ward netted for Palace.
–IANS
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