London, May 24: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes capped off a remarkable season by becoming the outright holder of the Premier League’s single-season assist record as his side defeated Brighton & Hove Albion in Michael Carrick’s first game as permanent manager.
Fernandes, already crowned Premier League and Football Writers’ Player of the Year, supplied the corner from which Patrick Dorgu headed home in the opening half to register his record-breaking assist, surpassing marks previously shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
United, who have enjoyed a strong revival under Carrick, added further goals through Bryan Mbeumo after a slick move involving Amad Diallo and Mason Mount, before Fernandes himself completed the scoring early in the second half.
Despite defeat, Brighton managed to sneak into next season’s UEFA Conference League after results elsewhere went in their favour.
Fulham ease past Newcastle
Fulham ended their campaign on a positive note with a comfortable victory over Newcastle United at Craven Cottage amid uncertainty surrounding manager Marco Silva’s future.
Defender Issa Diop opened the scoring after reacting quickest to a rebound from a free-kick that struck the crossbar. Veteran substitute Thomas Cairney later sealed the win with a stunning long-range effort into the top corner.
Newcastle struggled to create meaningful openings, with Lewis Hall and Joe Willock both denied by desperate defending and goalkeeper Bernd Leno respectively.The result lifted Fulham above Newcastle into 11th place, while Eddie Howe’s side slipped to 12th after ending the season on a flat note.
Arsenal win over Palace
Newly crowned champions Arsenal continued their celebrations with a routine away win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
In a match lacking competitive intensity, Gabriel Jesus broke the deadlock late in the first half before Noni Madueke doubled Arsenal’s advantage shortly after the interval from another well-worked set-piece.
Palace substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta pulled one back near the end, while Yeremy Pino had a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out for offside.
Aston Villa spoil Guardiola farewell
Aston Villa ruined Pep Guardiola’s emotional final game in charge of Manchester City by fighting back to secure victory and seal a top-four finish.
City initially looked set to give Guardiola a winning send-off when Antoine Semenyo volleyed home the opener. However, Villa responded strongly after the break through a clinical double from Ollie Watkins.
Watkins first capitalised on a defensive error by John Stones before calmly finishing a second after racing through on goal. A late Phil Foden strike was ruled out for offside, denying City a dramatic equaliser.
The defeat marked a sombre ending to Guardiola’s glittering decade-long reign at the Etihad Stadium, during which he won 20 trophies.
Liverpool secure Champions League return
Liverpool confirmed qualification for next season’s Champions League despite being held to a draw by Brentford at Anfield.
The day was dominated by emotional farewells for long-serving stars Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, both making potentially their final appearances for the club.Salah struck the post with a first-half free-kick before later providing the assist for Curtis Jones to score Liverpool’s opener. Brentford responded through Kevin Schade shortly afterwards to earn a draw.
Sunderland stun Chelsea
Sunderland secured qualification for European competition for the first time in over five decades after beating Chelsea at the Stadium of Light.
Trai Hume’s superb first-time volley gave Sunderland the lead before Chelsea defender Malo Gusto inadvertently turned the ball into his own net after a dangerous attack.
The victory allowed Sunderland to leapfrog several rivals and finish seventh, earning a place in next season’s Europa League, while Chelsea missed out on Europe entirely.
Tottenham survive relegation scare
Tottenham Hotspur avoided relegation after edging past Everton in a tense finale to a miserable season.
Knowing a draw would be enough to preserve their top-flight status, Spurs eventually claimed all three points thanks to Joao Palhinha, who reacted quickest after his own header rebounded off the post.
Everton offered little attacking threat until stoppage time, when goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky produced a brilliant save to preserve the result.
The final whistle triggered scenes of immense relief among Tottenham supporters after a turbulent campaign that saw three managerial changes.
West Ham relegated despite win over Leeds
West Ham United were relegated from the Premier League despite defeating Leeds United at the London Stadium.The relegation brings an end to West Ham’s 14-year stay in the top flight.
Burnley,Wolves share spoils
Already-relegated sides Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers played out a draw at Turf Moor in their final Premier League game before returning to the Championship.Adam Armstrong gave Wolves the lead from the penalty spot after a VAR review spotted handball, but Burnley responded immediately after the interval through Zian Flemming’s composed finish.
Both sides pushed for a winner late on, but the contest ended level, leaving Burnley 19th and Wolves bottom of the table.
Forest draw with Bournemouth
Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White responded to his England omission by scoring in a draw against Bournemouth.
Gibbs-White, left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad, opened the scoring with a clever free-kick routine and celebrated by gesturing towards the crowd in apparent frustration at the snub.Marcus Tavernier equalised after the break for Bournemouth, who narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification despite securing Europa League football for the first time in club history.
Forest, meanwhile, finished 16th after a turbulent campaign that featured four different managers. (Agencies)
