Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United secured the remaining Champions League spots on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season while Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest failed in the race for the top five.
Villa was left with a sense of injustice after having a goal ruled out against Manchester United just moments before going behind and eventually losing 2-0 at Old Trafford. A draw would have been enough for Unai Emery's team on a day when Newcastle lost 1-0 at home to Everton. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was shown a red card for a bizarre outside-the-box foul on Rasmus Hojlund that put Villa on the back foot. However, United took over 70 minutes to finally break the deadlock before doubling the lead from the spot through Christian Eriksen.
Elsewhere, Manchester City's disappointing season ended with the consolation of a place in the Champions League after a 2-0 victory at Fulham on Sunday, 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.
Chelsea beat Forest 1-0 to secure a return to the Champions League after a two-year absence. Last year's champions City ended the season in third place with a 2-0 win against Fulham. Arsenal was second behind champion Liverpool.
Brighton & Hove Albion left Tottenham Hotspur with a hangover by thrashing the Europa League winners 4-1 away on Sunday but missed out on a European place after finishing eighth in the Premier League standings. Meanwhile, Bournemouth secured ninth place in the Premier League, matching their previous best campaign, as Antoine Semenyo grabbed a double for a 2-0 home win over already relegated Leicester City.