Chelsea back in UCL after 2 years; Newcastle pip Villa to 5th on final day

Manchester City, Chelsea, and Newcastle United edged out Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest for the Premier League's final three Champions League berths on the last day of the season Sunday.

Everton's shocking 1-0 win over Newcastle at St. James' Park would've eliminated the Magpies from contention if not for Villa's 2-0 loss to Manchester United. Even in defeat, Newcastle managed to claim fifth place on goal difference.

Chelsea only had to beat Forest to end their two-year absence from the Champions League, and Levi Colwill's 50th-minute winner sealed it.

Manchester City posted a straightforward 2-0 victory over Fulham to end an otherwise disappointing season just three points behind Arsenal in a respectable third.

Villa drop into the Europa League, while Forest settle for Conference League football. Crystal Palace go into the Europa League as FA Cup winners and Tottenham Hotspur enter the Champions League as Europa League holders, giving the Premier League nine teams in Europe.

Villa's hopes of qualifying took a massive hit before halftime of their match at Old Trafford when Emiliano Martinez was sent off for a bodycheck outside of the area. Morgan Rogers thought he had given Villa an improbable lead when he dispossessed United 'keeper Altay Bayindir, but the referee had blown the whistle and ruled the play dead. Amad Diallo scored for United seconds later, and Christian Eriksen converted a penalty in his final match for the club.

Forest were attempting to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since they were defending European Cup champions in 1981 and had been as high as third in the standings. But Chelsea were fighting to end a drought that felt just as long, even if it was only for a fraction of the time. The Blues had failed to finish in the top four in each of the last two seasons despite spending more than £1.2 billion on transfers since Clearlake Capital's takeover in May 2022, and they filtered through four managers in that time.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca endured plenty of criticism for his conservative tactics, but he managed to close the gap and clinch fourth place with five wins in the club's final six Premier League games.

Forest can still take solace in achieving their highest Premier League finish since coming in third in 1994-95, a huge improvement on the 17th place they mustered while narrowly avoiding relegation last season.