Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United qualify for UEFA Champions League

Jaquob Crooke Updated: 25 May 25 17:51

Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United sealed qualification for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League after finishing in the top five of the Premier League on a dramatic final day.

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Five teams were contesting for three qualification spots entering the concluding round of Premier League fixtures, with Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest all vying for a spot in the top five.

Man City only needed a point from their final match away at Fulham and they quelled any fears of an improbable fall outside the top five as Ilkay Gundogan sent them on their way to a 2-0 success at Craven Cottage, sealing third place in the process.

Chelsea had a mammoth encounter with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, where Nuno Espirito Santo's men required a win and results to go in their favour to secure a seat in Europe's premier club competition.

The Blues themselves knew only a win would suffice and Enzo Maresca's men got the breakthrough they needed when Levi Colwill prodded Pedro Neto's pass into the back of the net.

Attentions then turned to the matches at St James' Park and Old Trafford.

Aston Villa needed to better Newcastle's result against Everton and their quest for three points was severely hampered when Emiliano Martinez received a straight red card for an inexplicable challenge on Rasmus Hojlund just before half-time.

However, the Villans found themselves moving up to fifth when Newcastle conceded in the 65th minute to a Carlos Alcaraz header.

News of Everton's advantage filtered into an encouraged away end at Old Trafford and the travelling Villa supporters were in dreamland a few minutes later when Morgan Rogers pounced on an Altay Bayındır mistake to stroke the ball into an empty net.

But Villa's ecstasy soon turned into dismay as Rogers goal was controversially disallowed and, just moments following the incident, Amad Diallo scored to put Manchester United ahead.

The fate of Unai Emery's men was sealed when Christian Eriksen converted a late penalty, consigning Villa to the UEFA Europa League while Newcastle will return to the UEFA Champions League, despite losing 1-0 at home to Everton.

Chelsea survived a barrage of Nottingham Forest attacks in the dying embers to seal fourth in the Premier League standings and a return to the UEFA Champions League, while the result meant Nuno Espirito Santo's outfit will be playing in the UEFA Conference League next season.