The 2022/23 Premier League season came to an exhilarating end on Sunday with exciting outcomes across 10 stadia in the United Kingdom.

Though Manchester City were already crowned champions of the campaign and the UEFA Champions League race decided prior to the final matchday, there were still more than enough to look out at the rear end of the league table as teams scrambled to avoid relegation.

With Southampton’s relegation confirmed after 11 years in the top division following Saints’ 2-0 defeat to Fulham in the matchday 36 of the campaign, two teams out of Everton, Leicester City and Leeds United were billed join Southampton as the clubs that will go down to the second tier of the English football league at the end of the day’s business.

Incidentally, it was Everton that secured their place in next season’s premiership with a narrow 1-0 victory over Bournemouth; all thanks to Abdoulaye Doucoure’s second half stunner from yards out from the 18-yard box.

The outcome gave Leicester City, who gained promotion to the Premier League in the 2013/14 season, no chance of escaping the relegation ship despite securing a 2-1 over West Ham United at the King Power Stadium. They were joined in the sunken ship by Leeds United who were walloped 4-1 by Tottenham at Elland Road.

In the results from other matches of the final matchday, Manchester United defeated Fulham 2-1 to finish third in the campaign, Arsenal thrashed Wolves 5-0 while Liverpool and already-relegated Southampton played out an eight-goal thriller draw at the Saint Mary’s Stadium.

Brentford piped Manchester City 1-0 – they are the only team to beat Pep Guardiola’s side both home and away in the just concluded campaign. Chelsea and Newcastle United played a one-all draw while Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest settled for the same score line. Super Eagles forward Taiwo Awoniyi scored Forest’s goal in the game.

Lastly, Aston Villa defeated Brighton 2-1 to finish seventh on the league table and qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League.

UEFA Champions League

Champions Manchester City, their neighbours and arch-rivals Manchester United, Arsenal, who finished runners up in the campaign and Newcastle United will represent the Premier League in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

The Red Devils will make a return to the top-flight of the European interclub competition after missing out on the current edition. Both Arsenal and Newcastle United have been long-time absentees in the Champions League. The Gunners last played in the competition in the 2016/17 season while Newcastle had been absent for 20 years.

Meanwhile, Manchester City are on the course to win their first Champions League in the club’s history – the Cityzens will tango Inter Milan in this year’s final scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkiye on June 10.

UEFA Europa League

Both Liverpool, three-time winners of the competition and Brighton, who finished sixth in the just concluded season, will represent the Premier League in the second tier of European interclub competition next season.

Liverpool failed to qualify for Champions League football for the first time since the 2015/16 campaign but would hope to further extend their bragging rights as the most successful English club in the competition when it begins later this year. On the other hand, the Seagulls will be playing in Europe for the first time in the club’s 121 years of existence.

Premier League may be able to field three clubs in next season’s Europa League given West Ham United can beat Italian Serie A side Fiorentina in the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League final billed for Prague, Czech Republic on June 7. The winner of the competition will secure automatic qualification for the Europa League.

UEFA Europa Conference League

After defeating Brighton to finish seventh on the table, Aston Villa automatically qualify for UEFA Europa Conference League final playoffs round where the Villans will tango with a yet-to-be decided club in a two-legged tie to reach the finals of the competition.

They become the third Premier League to participate in the third tier of European interclub competition after Tottenham, in the maiden edition and West Ham, finalists in the second edition.

Individual awards winners

Erling Haaland put on an impressive performance in his debut season in England to clinch the coveted Premier League Golden Boot. The Norwegian scored a record-breaking 36 goals to clinch the honour.

Meanwhile, Haaland’s Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne won the ‘Playmaker Trophy’ with 16 assists.

It was all-Manchester day this season as Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was awarded the ‘Golden Glove’ after keeping 17 clean sheets. The Spain international clinched the honour for the second time in his career in England after winning the award in the 2017/18 season with 18 clean sheets.

Nigerian players who were relegated with clubs

Four players in the Nigeria national team setup were relegated with two clubs apiece. Midfielder Joe Aribo and forward Paul Onuachu, who moved to England from Belgium in the January transfer window, both dropped out of the top-flight division with Southampton while Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho went down with Leicester City.

Full final matchday results;

Arsenal 5 vs 0 Wolves

Aston Villa 2 vs 1 Brighton

Brentford 1 vs Manchester City

Chelsea 1 vs 1 Newcastle United

Crystal Palace 1 vs 1 Nottingham Forest

Everton 1 vs 0 Bournemouth

Leeds United 1 vs 4 Tottenham

Leicester City 2 vs 1 West Ham United

Manchester United 2 vs 1 Fulham

Southampton 4 vs 4 Liverpool