Although the title race was decided with one game to go and Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions for the fourth time in club history, there was still plenty on the line during Matchweek 38 of the 2025-26 season.
After failing to pull off the miracle West Ham have been relegated to the EFL Championship. The Hammers had been on the Premier League since the 2011-12 campaign. For the first time in over a decade, the club—that ironically is—in East London will compete in the second tier of English soccer.
In true ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ fashion, one club in London hit its nadir, while another not too far away was covered in confetti and champagne. The Gunners capped off a sensational season with a win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and hoisted the Premier League trophy in South London. With the title race already over ahead of kickoff, an interesting storyline emerged in the spots on the table competing for European competitions.
| Pos./Team | PTS | GD/END RESULT |
| 1. Arsenal | 85 | +44/PL Champions |
| 2. Man. City | 78 | +42/UCL |
| 3. Man. United | 71 | +19/UCL |
| 4. Aston Villa | 65 | +7/UCL |
| 5. Liverpool | 60 | +10/UCL |
| 6. Bournemouth | 57 | +4/UEL |
| 7. Sunderland | 54 | -6/UEL |
| 8. Brighton | 53 | 6/Conference League |
| 9. Brentford | 53 | +3 |
| 10. Chelsea | 52 | +6 |
| 11. Fulham | 52 | -4 |
| 12. Newcastle | 49 | -2 |
| 13. Everton | 49 | -3 |
| 14. Leeds | 47 | -7 |
| 15. Crystal Palace | 45 | -11 |
| 16. Nottm. Forest | 44 | -3 |
| 17. Tottenham | 41 | -9 |
| 18. West Ham | 39 | -19/RELEGATED |
| 19. Burnley | 22 | -37/RELEGATED |
| 20. Wolves | 20 | -41/RELEGATED |
The push for European cups
Aston Villa—recently crowned UEFA Europa League champions—defeated Man. City and thus finished in fourth place. However, they had already punched their ticket to next season’s UEFA Champions League thanks to their continental conquest.
Had the Villains lost to the Citizens and Liverpool defeated Brentford, Villa would have dropped to fifth, meaning No. 6 in the standings would have secured a Champions League berth as well. That did not happen, so Bournemouth will play in the UEFA Europa League in 2026-27.
In summary, Arsenal, Man. City, Man. United, Aston Villa, and Liverpool will all play in the UEFA Champions League next season. Meanwhile, Bournemouth and Sunderland are headed to the Europa League, and Brighton will compete in the UEFA Conference League.
Relegation battle
Tottenham defeated Everton in a drab affair that ended in a 1-0 victory for the hosts in North London. As a result, West Ham were left with no hope of survival. Even their 3-0 home win over Leeds wasn’t enough.
Jarrod Bowen in tears after relegation is confirmed for West Ham.
In the end, the relegation showdown between the cross-London foes has been decided. The Hotspurs can finally breathe a sigh of relief as they’ve avoided a heartbreaking drop to the second tier.
The gavel has come down, and the Hammers are headed down to the Championship. That means a reunion with rivals Millwall awaits in one of the fiercest and most vitriol-filled rivalries in English football.
Goalscorers and assists table
To nobody’s surprise, Erling Haaland finished as the Premier League’s leading scorer in 2025-26. The Manchester City striker found the back of the net 27 times, five more than the next closest player, Igor Thiago. The Brazilian finished with 22 goals, while Antoine Semenyo rounded out the podium with 17.
| Pos./Player | Goals | Club |
| 1. Erling Haaland | 27 | Man. City |
| 2. Igor Thiago | 22 | Brentford |
As for assists, Bruno Fernandes broke the Premier League single-season record with 21, surpassing the previous mark of 20 jointly held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.
