Key events
Next up it’s Joel Matip, who is clearly much-loved by his teammates. Followed soon afterwards by head of fitness and conditioning Andreas Kornmayer, which could be a first. General manager of first team operations Ray Haughan, a club servant of 16 years, is next. We could be here a while …
First out through the guard of honour to receive an Anfield farewell is Thiago Alcantara. He hugs Virgil van Dijk, who I now notice has his own SLR camera strapped around him.
At Anfield there’s a plinth set up in the centre circle. John Henry is out there, as is Kenny Dalglish. Out come the players to form a guard of honour. Klopp comes out wearing a red hoodie emblazoned with the words: “I’LL NEVER WALK ALONE AGAIN.”
Roberto De Zerbi gets a warm send-off at the Amex as he bids goodbye to Albion’s fans. Where he will rock up next is anyone’s guess …
And the final Premier League table:
Full-time scores
Arsenal 2-1 Everton
Brentford 2-4 Newcastle
Brighton 0-2 Man Utd
Burnley 1-2 Nottm Forest
C Palace 5-0 Aston Villa
Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Liverpool 2-0 Wolves
Luton 2-4 Fulham
Man City 3-1 West Ham
Sheff Utd 0-4 Spurs
But back to Anfield, where Jürgen Klopp is embracing every member of Liverpool staff he can find. John Henry gets a quick hug too.
“I’ve got no words,” Virgil van Dijk tells Sky Sports. “It’s been an emotional day. It was always going to be a tough afternoon.
“You can’t prepare for these situations, these moments. He deserves every bit of the love that he is getting at the moment.”
Luton are relegated
Full-time at Kenilworth Road and confirmation of what was already basically confirmed before kick-off, Luton are down.
Manchester City are champions!
It’s all over at the Etihad and Manchester City are Premier League champions for a fourth time in a row.
A weird delay at the Etihad as Bernardo Silva and Haaland attempt to convince some pitch-invasion-ready fans to return to their seats. Unsuccessfully.
Klopp signs off with a win
As the chants ripple around Anfield the referee blows his whistle and brings the Klopp era to an end. Liverpool have finished it off with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolves.
That was a strange one. Again, given the score at City, it’s a footnote. But that would’ve gone down as a famously controversial decision had West Ham surprised City.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Everton
It stands, despite what looked to be a handball from Jesus in the buildup.
GOAL? Arsenal 2-1 Everton
Havertz pokes home an 89th-minute winner for Arsenal. How dramatic that might’ve been in other circumstances. Instead it’s a footnote. And VAR is now getting involved. Oh good.
West Ham briefly think they have a goal back … but Soucek has extremely obviously handballed before bundling home. That might’ve made the final few seconds a little tense.
Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe hits the bar with a volley as the Gunners look for a winner.
GOAL! Brighton 0-2 Man Utd
Unlike Klopp, De Zerbi isn’t going to get a winning farewell at the Amex. Rasmus Højlund makes it 2-0 to the visitors.
Ten minutes to go in the 2023-24 Premier League season. Tissues at the ready at Anfield, champagne on ice at the Etihad.
A bit of confusion at Bramall Lane. Trusty the process – he’s not in fact been sent off.
GOAL! Brentford 2-4 Newcastle
Bruno Guimaraes restores Newcastle’s two-goal lead and solidifies their grip on seventh spot.
Red card! Auston Trusty proves anything but at Bramall Lane – he’s been sent off.
GOAL! Burnley 1-2 Nottm Forest
Josh Cullen gives the Clarets hope at Turf Moor.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 5-0 Aston Villa
Eze with his second – this is turning into a pretty miserable day for Unai Emery’s side.
GOAL! Brentford 2-3 Newcastle
Yoane Wissa brings Brentford back into it – and Newcastle’s grip on European football is looking a little looser.
GOAL! Brighton 0-1 Man Utd
United have had a bit of a pasting at the Amex by all accounts but Diego Dalot has given Erik ten Hag’s side the lead.
Havertz hitz the bar with a header at the Emirates. Arsenal need a miracle now, though.
GOAL! Luton 2-4 Fulham
Harry Wilson makes it four for the visitors.
Salah is briefly through on goal at Anfield but Wolves get enough players back to smother the chance. At the Emirates, David Raya pulls off a fine save to keep Arsenal in with at least a smidgeon of a shout.
GOAL! Sheffield Utd 0-3 Tottenham
Kulusevski scores the 104th goal Sheffield United have conceded this season.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 4-0 Aston Villa
It’s a final-day hat-trick for Jean-Philippe Mateta. As it stands, Palace are leapfrogging Brighton into a top-half finish.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 West Ham
THAT COULD BE THAT! Rodri slots home from the edge of the area but Areola will be very disappointed in the West Ham goal. The Etihad erupts, Pep Guardiola punches the air in delight and an unprecedented four in a row is within sight.
GOAL! Sheffield United 0-2 Tottenham
Pedro Porro hammers Spurs into a two-goal lead and more or less wraps up a fifth-place finish for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
35 minutes of the season to go … and just two goals will change the destination of the title. City look much the more likely against West Ham, while Arsenal are on top against Everton without carving much out.
GOAL! Luton 2-3 Fulham
Alfie Doughty keeps Luton in the match (if not in the Premier League) .
GOAL! Crystal Palace 3-0 Aston Villa
Eberechi Eze makes it 3-0 at Selhurst. What a way to sign off for the summer.
GOAL! Luton 1-3 Fulham
Raul Jimenez has another and Fulham have a 3-1 lead at Kenilworth Road.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Just 28 seconds after Sterling’s effort, Badiashile deflects Enes Unal’s shot past his own goalkeeper.
GOAL! Brentford 1-3 Newcastle
Vitaly Janelt pulls one back from Brentford. And there’s more!
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Bournemouth
We’re back under way and we’re back amongst the goals. Raheem Sterling doubles Chelsea’s lead from close range.
Half-time email dept. Here’s Simon McMahon: “Afternoon John. All the drama would appear to be happening in Scotland today. Ross County’s failure to beat Aberdeen in Dingwall, coupled with St Johnstone’s win in Motherwell, means that the Highlanders finish in the relegation playoff spot on goal difference. Aberdeen played the last half hour with 10 men, and County hit the woodwork twice as they sought the winner that would have guaranteed their safety, but it finished 2-2. Ross County will now face Raith Rovers home and away to determine who plays in the Scottish Premier next season. Oh, and Celtic scored a 90th minute winner against Hibs to secure the Scottish Women’s Premier League title on goal difference from, you guessed it, Rangers.”
And just to balance things out I should point out one goal I missed amid the madness in the first half – Nottingham Forest are 2-0 up at Burnley, Chris Wood with his second of the afternoon.
Not to blow my own trumpet or anything but …called it:
Rumour that City had equalised just went round the Emirates. Tension everywhere you look!
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) May 19, 2024
Half-time scores
The whistles are a-blowing around the grounds. And, as so often it seems on the final day, it’s been a bit of a goal-fest – 18 by my count across the 10 first halves.
Arsenal 1-1 Everton
Brentford 0-3 Newcastle
Brighton 0-0 Man Utd
Burnley 0-2 Nottm Forest
C Palace 2-0 Aston Villa
Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth
Liverpool 2-0 Wolves
Luton 1-2 Fulham
Man City 2-1 West Ham
Sheff Utd 0-1 Spurs
GOAL! Luton 1-2 Fulham
Three goals in six minutes at Old Lady Kenilworth. Raul Jimenez restores Fulham’s lead with his first goal since December.
At the Emirates, Hope is marauding through the stands, cackling as it does so, weaving its dangerous spell. Meanwhile at the Etihad, Haaland scoops over from close range.
GOALS! Luton 1-1 Fulham
Adama Traoré gives Fulham the lead, but seconds later Carlton Morris equalises from the penalty spot. It’s all happening.
GOAL! Man City 2-1 West Ham
What a goal this is! Mohammed Kudus has brought West Ham back into it at the Etihad with an utterly ludicrous overhead kick.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Everton
Smiles on a few faces at the Emirates again, Tomiyasu thumps an effort home from 12 yards to draw Arsenal level.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-0 Aston Villa
Palace fans seem set to go into the summer with a real spring in their step – Mateta has his second of the game and Oliver Glasner’s side have a 2-0 lead.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Wolves
Liverpool double their lead against 10-man Wolves. Quansah pokes in on the line to make sure’s Salah’s effort makes it way home, after Wolves failed to clear a corner.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Everton
Ah, it’s not going to be Arsenal’s day is it? Gueye’s free-kick takes a huge deflection, wrongfooting David Raya, and Everton lead at the Emirates!
GOAL! Brentford 0-3 Newcastle
Newcastle are running riot in west London. Alexander Isak makes it 3-0 inside the first 40 minutes.
GOAL! Brentford 0-2 Newcastle
It’s been a good weekend for the Murphy family. Josh scored a couple at Wembley for Oxford on Saturday and now Jacob has put Newcastle two up at Brentford.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Wolves
Alexis Mac Allister nods home Harvey Elliott’s cross to boost the party atmosphere at Anfield. It had been coming.
Brighton – saying farewell to Roberto De Zerbi today – are knocking on the door against Manchester United.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin comes close to really bursting what’s left of the celebratory bubble at the Emirates, but his effort from close range finds the side-netting.
Red card!
A VAR check at Anfield as Semedo goes over the top of the ball in a challenge with Mac Allister. He’s initially booked but a quick look at the screen and it’s upgraded to a red. Wolves and VAR haven’t exactly been friends this season, though I don’t think they can have too many complaints about that one. If it wasn’t a red it’s at least a very deep orange.
