Match Week 38 Recap (& More)

In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

  • Premier League Winners & Losers ⬆️⬇️

  • Final Standings & Thoughts 🤔🤔

  • In Case You Missed It 🧹🧹

  • Up Next ⏭️⏭️

  • This & That 🦜🦜

Headlines 📌

PREMIER LEAGUE Winners & Losers ⬆️⬇️

Lots to play for each and every PL season. This season was unique in that the Title was decided early, Relegation was decided early and teams that finished 12th and 17th in the Table got into Europe next season by winning tournaments outside the PL.

The excitement on the Last Match Day centered on Europe Qualification for next season.

• The Premier League will have NINE teams in Europe next season.

• The top 5 in the table will play in the Champions League, #6 is off to the Europa League and #7 to UEFA Conference League.

• In addition,

  • Crystal Palace (12 in table) won the FA Cup to secure Europa League next season.

  • Spurs (17 in table) won the Europa Leage over Man United to secure Champions League next season.

This weekend’s key matches and results leading to Europe Qualifications.

• Fulham 0-2 Man City - A win and City finish third and ensure CL and that is what they did on the road at Craven Cottage. The goal that got things started for City at 21’ by Ilkay Gundogan. Watch

• Forest 0-1 Chelsea - Both sides had CL in their sights. The Blues went on the road and kept a CS at Forest securing all three points and the CL. It was Levi Colwill at the 50’ mark to put the Blues in front. Watch

• Newcastle 0-1 Everton - Newcastle needed a win to assure CL but couldn’t find it as David Moyes and Everton went into St James’ Park and kept a CS and found a late goal. Fortunately for Newcastle, Villa could not get the point they needed at Old Trafford and Newcastle get the last CL spot. Still, disappointing to finish at home in a need to win moment and lose to a side well down the table. Carlos Alcaraz scored the only goal at the 65’ mark. Watch

• Man United 2-0 Aston Villa - CRAZIEST DRAMA BY FAR. Villa needed a point and a Newcastle loss. They got the Newcastle loss but could not get the point at Man United. A major controversial call that took a goal away from Villa late with the score tied at 0 might have cost Villa CL and the additional $100M prize.

  • Terrible error by Villa takes them down to 10-men just before halt. Watch

  • Poor decision by the referee to blow the whistle as that meant VAR could not be consulted. Replay showed the goalkeeper stopped the ball but did not control the ball. This should have been a goal to Villa. Watch

  • Quick turn, as just after this decision United went down and scored. Watch

• $350M. Promotion to the PL means an ADDITIONAL $350M to the clubs over the next 5 seasons. Congrats to Leeds United (The Whites), Burnley (The Clarets) and Sunderland (The Black Cats). The last 2 seasons the 3 teams promoted were then sent right back down - can any of these 3 stay up next season?

FINAL STANDINGS & THOUGHTS 🤔🤔

In Case You Missed It 🧹🧹

Up Next ⏭️⏭️

UEFA Conference League Finals

Real Betis v Chelsea in Wroclaw Poland, Wednesday May 28 at 2pm cst on Paramount+ and CBS SN.

Would be nice for Chelsea to win a European trophy, even if it’s the third league in Europe. The Blues have secured the top league, Champions League, for next season.

Champions League Finals

PSG v Inter Milan in Munich Germany, Saturday May 31 at 2pm cst on Paramount+ and CBS.

Would be nice for Chelsea to win a European trophy, even if it’s the third league in Europe. The Blues have secured the top league, Champions League, for next season.

FIFA Club World Cup

The off-season tournament in the USA kicks off Saturday June 14. There is a “play in game” for the final spot on Saturday, May 31 between MLS club LAFC and Liga Mexico club Cf America. Here is the schedule.

This & That 🦜🦜

• Transfer Window opens June 1. Going to be lots of movement. here are some rumors.

  • Kevin de Bruyne is leaving Man City and heading to Napoli who won Serie A this year under manager Antonio Conte. They will play in the CL next year.

  • Matheus Cunha, Wolves, seems to be headed to Man United.

  • Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool, is heading to Real Madrid.

• Spurs Europa League cup win was their first Europe cup in over 40 years.

• Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win was their FIRST EVER major trophy in their 120-year history.

• Palace’s win comes under US Owners - Josh Harris just bought in for 10% ownership, he is also the owner of the Washington Commanders (NFL), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), and New Jersey Devils (NHL). John Textor, founder of FuboTV has 45% ownership.

• 30 Losses. Southampton lost more matches this season than any other club in the history of the PL.

• Surprising Winners.

  • Newcastle won the Carabao Cup - their first major trophy since 1969.

  • Palace won the FA Cup - they are just the 4th team since 1995 to win the FA Cup outside of the “Big 6” clubs.

  • Tottenham won the Europa League - in their worst season in the PL since 1977-78 they won a major cup, this after their manager Ange Postecoglou said “I always win trophies in my second year”.

  • Forest made a Europe competition - the first time they will be playing in Europe since 1996.

• Former Man United. Napoli just needed a win to secure the Serie A Title in Italy, and it was two former Man United players who delivered.

  • Scott Mctominay was moved to Napoli earlier this season, here he is with the match winner. Watch

  • Romeo Lukaku doubled the lead and put the match away. Watch

• Three of these teams will be promoted to the PL after NEXT season