Debacle for Chelsea

Roundup: Glasner’s Farewell and the Relegation Battle

A win on the final matchday is not enough for West Ham United to avoid relegation.(Bild: AP/Nick Potts, AP/Frank Augstein)

ÖFB international Kevin Danso helped Tottenham secure their Premier League status in a dramatic final matchday. The Spurs scraped out an important 1-0 victory against Everton. As a result, even a 3-0 triumph against Leeds was no longer enough for their direct rival West Ham. Meanwhile, Chelsea lost the battle for a European spot after a 1-2 defeat against Sunderland. Crystal Palace and coach Oliver Glasner missed out on a point against champions Arsenal in the Austrian’s final league match. 

Tottenham Hotspur secured their Premier League survival on their own merits. The team led by Austrian national team player Kevin Danso beat Everton 1-0 (1-0) in the final round on Sunday, thereby sending local rival West Ham United down to the second division. In his final home game as Crystal Palace manager, Oliver Glasner fell 1-2 to champions Arsenal. Pep Guardiola bid farewell to Manchester City with a 1-2 home loss to Aston Villa.

Liverpool qualified for the Champions League with a 1-1 draw against Brentford. Chelsea missed out on European competition with a 1-2 loss at direct rival Sunderland. Newcomer Sunderland still managed to jump from tenth place into the Europa League because Brighton & Hove Albion lost 0-3 to Manchester United.

Farewell in Leipzig
Glasner was briefly able to celebrate a successful comeback during his emotional farewell at Selhurst Park. However, the supposed 2-2 equalizer was ruled out for offside, and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late goal (89th minute) was not enough. Arsenal had taken the lead through goals by Gabriel Jesus (42nd minute) and Noni Madueke (48th minute). With an eye on Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta rotated nine players. Crystal Palace finished the season in 15th place but, despite a significant loss of personnel, had been free of relegation worries for some time. On Wednesday, Glasner aims to bid farewell in Leipzig with the Conference League trophy. The opponent is Rayo Vallecano.

Tottenham, with Danso in the starting lineup, could breathe a sigh of relief. Joao Palhinha converted the rebound after a header hit the post, rewarding the “Spurs” for a strong first half (43’). Playing it safe, Tottenham held on to the lead, thus averting the worst-case scenario with a successful late surge under coach Roberto De Zerbi. For West Ham, even a 3-0 win over Leeds United wasn’t enough.

Sturm Graz benefits from Villa’s strong showing
Aston Villa turned the game around in Manchester during Guardiola’s farewell match thanks to Ollie Watkins (47th, 61st) and held onto fourth place. This has implications for the 2026/27 European Cup seeding list. Sturm Graz also benefited; Austria’s runner-up will now face Scotland’s second-place team, Hearts, or Poland’s second-place team, Gornik Zabrze, in the second round of Champions League qualifying at the end of July. Facing Bodö/Glimt or Fenerbahçe would have posed a much tougher challenge. Salzburg hoped in vain for an improvement from fifth-place Liverpool FC. The “Bulls” will now definitely enter in the third round of Europa League qualifying.

At Anfield Road, Mohamed Salah once again showcased his class in his farewell match. The Egyptian first hit the post with a free kick and then set up the opening goal by Curtis Jones (58') with a pass from the outside of his foot. Kevin Schade’s equalizer (64') wasn’t enough for Brentford. The new club of Austrian Jannik Schuster narrowly missed out on European competition. After the final whistle, Salah and Andrew Robertson—who is also leaving LFC after nine years—were celebrated by the fans amid tears.