Last Day Champions: Manchester City Lift League Title for the Eighth Time as Liverpool Concede and Burnley are Relegated

The last day of the English Premier League 2021/22 carried a lot of weight as it was the day that would reveal the champions and also the last of the three teams to be relegated to the championship. As things turned out Manchester City lifted the league title for a record eighth time with Liverpool conceding to second only with a single-point difference and Burnley relegated.

EPL Gameweek 37 Results - EPL 2021/22

Gameweek 37 of the Premier League went on so fast that we could barely catch on. It started on the 15th of May with Brentford beating Everton 3-2, Wolves drawing 1-1 with Norwich, and Man City drawing 2-2 with West Ham, a dismal display of a team panicking in the last sprint of the league. Leicester beat Watford 5-1, a sign that they still have what it takes, as Brighton drew Leeds 1-1. Aston Villa also drew Crystal Palace 1-1 as Tottenham beat Burnley 1-0. In turn, Newcastle beat Arsenal 2-0 as Liverpool beat Southampton 2-1. On the 19th, Chelsea drew Leicester 1-1, as did Aston Villa who also drew Burnley 1-1. Everton closed the gameweek with a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.

EPL Gameweek 38 Results - EPL 2021-22

Gameweek 38, the final gameweek of the EPL, took a single day of matches. It was a very crucial day as it was the day to determine the winner of the EPL 21/22. Arsenal beat Everton 5-1 but were stripped of their top-four position when Tottenham beat Norwich 5-0. Leeds beat Brentford 2-1 as Brighton beat West Ham 3-1. Newcastle beat Burnley 2-1, as did Chelsea who also beat Watford 2-1. On their part, Crystal Palace beat Manchester United 1-0, as Leicester beat Southampton 4-1. In somewhat dual title deciders, Liverpool beat Wolves 3-1 but needed Man City to lose points in their game which they didn’t as City beat Aston Villa 3-2. Man City’s win was a late comeback after being down by two goals. They managed to score 3 goals in the last 15 minutes of the game, two coming from Ilkay Gundogan and another from Rodri. This meant that they bagged the three points and despite Liverpool’s win, City were still ahead with a single point thus lifting the EPL Title for the 2021/22 season.

Manchester City: The Champions Blue of EPL 2021/22

Man City lost out on the UCL final this season but have somewhat consoled themselves with the EPL title win. The boys celebrated with their captain Fernandinho lifting the cup on his final day with the club. When asked about the win, Pep Guardiola called the boys “legends” saying that they are “so special” for having won the league four times in five seasons.

Liverpool: Second but Not Second Best

Liverpool may have missed out on the EPL this season with a single point but they already have a singing cabinet of trophies this season. Liverpool won both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and are still in the gunning for the UEFA Champions League title, which they will contest for in the UCL Final on the 28th of May. As such, Liverpool may have ended up second but not second best, considering that they only lost by a single point.

Tottenham are Going to the UEFA Champions League!

I’ve often said that Antonio Conte came with his magic but my goodness! He really changed the trajectory of the team in a matter of weeks! As we speak, Tottenham will be going to the UCL next season having unseated Arsenal from the fourth spot in the EPL Table. The team will join Man City, Liverpool, and Arsenal to contest the UCL next season. Let’s hope that Liverpool will be defending champions then.

The Golden Boot of Salah and Son

Spurs have done phenomenally well as have their forward Son Heung-Ming who will be sharing the golden boot for the EPL 2021/22 with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, having both scored a refreshing 23 goals.

Burnley Relegated

The last day of the EPL 21/22 also saw Burnley relegated, with Watford and Norwich City already having their fate of relegation to the championship sealed. It was then a question of who between Burnley and Leeds United would salvage themselves on the last day. As it turned out, Leeds saved themselves from relegation with a 2-1 win against Brentford with Burnley failing to beat Newcastle and losing out 1-2. As such, Watford, Norwich, and Burnley will not be joining the English Premier League 2022/23 and will be relegated to the championship or First Division of the Premier League.

Manchester United Headed to the ICU for a Thorough Reconstruction

Manchester United, the team that I am a fan of, disgruntled as I may be, finished the league sixth. A number that is unappealing as it is destitute for such a club with legacy, culture, and the coffers to kick the ball around. United’s last game was against Crystal Palace which they lost 0-1, a shocking yet confirmatory loss that United is rotting from the core. Sorry to say but going forward, United need a reconstruction. A thorough yet ruthless breaking down and re-imagination of the team’s structure, leadership, training, and strategies. At this point I am sorry to say that if it’s Ronaldo that’s ailing the club or Maguire or Fernandes or Cavani or whoever, they need to go. Simple as that.

Will a New Coach Change Manchester United’s Luck?

The final game of this season for Man United was their 0-1 loss to Crystal Palace but also marked a win as it was the last game under caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick. We say that with a lot of respect for the man because, after all, he inherited a team on its very knees and one that was almost dying. We wish him well but we are very glad that former Ajax Coach Erik ten Hag has now officially joined Manchester United as their new manager.

Europa League and Europa Conference League Slots

The last day also was the deciding day for which of the two between United and West Ham would be headed to the Europa League and Europa Conference League. The sixth team in the EPL gets a chance to go to the Europa League while the seventh goes to Europa Conference League. As things turned out, despite United’s loss to Crystal, West Ham got an even worse beating losing 3-1 to Brighton. Consequently, United will go to the Europa League as West Ham lose out and will be heading to the Europa Conference League.

EPL Standings

The EPL may be over but we now need to see where each team ended up along the journey. Atop sit Man City with 93 points, closely followed by Second Place Liverpool with 92 points. Chelsea come in a decent third with 74 points, followed by Tottenham with 71 points. In fifth place is Arsenal with 69 points, followed by Manchester United with 58 points. West Ham are seventh with 56 points, followed by Leicester with 52 points. Brighton come in ninth with 51 points, followed by Wolves who also have 51 points. At eleventh place are Newcastle with 49 points, followed by Crystal Palace with 48 points. Brentford are thirteenth with 46 points, followed by Aston Villa with 45 points. At fifteenth place are Southampton with 40 points, followed by Everton with 39 points. At seventeenth place are Leeds with 38 points.

The Relegation Spots

The last three teams in the EPL are relegated to the championship and this season they start with Burnley who are eighteenth with 35 points, followed by Watford who are nineteenth with 23 points. Last but not least, number twenty, Norwich City with 22 points. The three teams will have to go battle in the championship and hopefully get a chance to come back to the EPL on qualification.