Gameweek 34 of the 2024/25 Premier League season proved to be decisive in terms of the title as well as the relegation places.
Liverpool defeated Spurs to become champions-elect, while Ipswich Town became the third and final team to confirm their relegation this season after losing to the Magpies. Chelsea remained in the hunt for Champions League places with a win over the Toffees, while the Seagulls snatched a thrilling late win from the jaws of the Hammers.
Let’s take a look at all that unfolded in Gameweek 34.
Chelsea 1-0 Everton
Chelsea secured a narrow win against the Toffees at Stamford Bridge.
Noni Madueke and Marc Cucurella came close to give the Blues the lead, which the team deservedly took in the 27th minute through Nicolas Jackson, whose drilled low shot found the far corner from an Enzo Fernández through ball. Everton had a massive scare at the other end when Vitalii Mykolenko went to head a cross but Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez clattered into him when punching the ball. Thankfully, the Everton defender got up amid great concern.
Chelsea started the second period with intent. A near-post effort from Madueke off a corner was saved by Jordan Pickford, while Sánchez denied Beto at the other end. A lively Madueke caused Everton plenty of problems down the left-hand side and one of his mazy runs resulted in another save by Pickford. A long-range Cucurella effort was then parried off by the England No. 1, but Jackson managed to tap in from the rebound, though the goal was disallowed for offside. Everton had a late chance to equalise when Carlos Alcaraz’s cross found Dwight McNeil in the box, but his volleyed effort was saved superbly by Sánchez.
With this win, Chelsea kept their CL qualification hopes alive, while Everton suffered a second straight defeat in the league.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 Leicester City
Wolves maintained their incredible form with a comfortable win against the relegated Foxes.
Matheus Cunha linked up with Rayan Aït-Nouri on the left side for the opener—the Algerian provided the cross to an unmarked Cunha for an easy finish in the 33rd minute. Minutes later, Cunha raced down the right side and provided a cross to Jørgen Strand Larsen, who couldn’t wrap his foot around the ball and pulled it wide.
Ten minutes into the second period, Leicester’s Bilal El Khannouss had a sight of goal from 20 yards, but his shot curled away from the goal. Seconds later, the hosts went on the counter courtesy of main man Cunha yet again, who found a delightful pass to Strand Larsen for Wolves’ second goal. The Foxes were awarded a penalty for a foul by José Sá on forward Jamie Vardy, who stepped up to take the spot-kick only for his effort to be saved comfortably by Sá.
Wolves piled more misery on Leicester with another counter-attacking move in the 85th minute as Pablo Sarabia found Cunha with a long-range pass before the Brazilian found Rodrigo Gomes, whose low shot found the far corner.
With this win, Wolves have now won six of their last six games in the league and are the most in-form team in the competition, while Leicester, already relegated, will want to end their campaign on a positive note before resuming life in the Championship next season.
Newcastle United 3-0 Ipswich Town
Newcastle United boosted their chances of CL qualification with an emphatic victory over ten-man Ipswich.
The Magpies were finding it difficult to break down a resolute Ipswich defence until defender Ben Johnson was sent off in the 37th minute with a second yellow. On the cusp of half-time, Alexander Isak gave the hosts the lead when as he converted a spot-kick awarded after Julio Enciso had pulled down Bruno Guimarães in the box with a cross coming his way and the VAR ruled in Newcastle’s favour.
With the numerical advantage on their side, Newcastle went all-out on attack in the second period. In the 56th minute, Dan Burn found Kieran Trippier’s cross flung at the far post to head home from point-blank range. The Tractor boys could hardly find a response and William Osula killed the game in the 80th minute with a perfectly-placed powerful header into the far corner.
Newcastle returned to winning ways after the setback against Aston Villa in the previous Gameweek, while Ipswich were confirmed as the third and final team to be relegated from the Premier League.
Southampton 1-2 Fulham
Fulham came back from an early goal to snatch all three points in dramatic fashion against the long-relegated Saints at St Mary’s Stadium this weekend.
Southampton took the shock lead in the 14th minute when Ryan Manning whipped in a tantalising cross into the box, which Jack Stephens headed home past Bernd Leno. Fulham couldn’t find an equaliser as the Saints went 1-0 ahead into the break.
The visitors came back into the second half with intent and started to create chances. An Adama Traoré pass found Willian in the box, but his shot hit the crossbar. Leno then made a fantastic save from a Kyle Walker-Peters effort after the Englishman had dribbled past his marker and two other Fulham defenders. Emile Smith Rowe then came off the bench to draw Fulham level with a fortuitous deflection that looped into the net off Jan Bednarek in the 72nd minute. The Cottagers snatched all three points in stoppage time as Ryan Sessegnon lunged on to the ball and headed home from a Traoré cross into the box.
Fulham returned to winning ways after two straight defeats, keeping their slim hopes of European football for next season alive.
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 West Ham United
The Seagulls and the Hammers played the most entertaining end-to-end game this weekend.
Yasin Ayari put Brighton ahead inside 13 minutes from a sumptuous long-distance strike into the top right corner. At the other end, Tomáš Soucek almost equalised, but his header hit the crossbar. Brighton went into the break with a one-nil lead.
Three minutes after the restart, Mohammed Kudus drew West Ham level with a simple finish from a teasing Jarrod Bowen cross from the right. The game looked to stumble towards a draw but exploded into action after the 80th minute. Soucek made up for his earlier miss with a thumping header from a Bowen cross in the 83rd minute, but the hosts didn’t give up and levelled through Kaoru Mitoma’s diving header one minute from regular time. Brighton weren’t done yet as Carlos Baleba produced a moment of absolute magic in stoppage time to grab all three points for his side with a smashing strike into the top corner.
Brighton kept their European hopes alive with the win, while West Ham would have left the game feeling lucky now that Ipswich’s relegation has ensured their own terrible form does not translate into a late scare.
Bournemouth 1-1 Manchester United
The Red Devils snatched a draw against a ten-man Bournemouth courtesy of a stoppage-time equaliser from Rasmus Højlund.
The talking moment in the first half was Tyler Adams’ tackle on Alejandro Garnacho for which he received a yellow card, though the replay told a different story. Minutes later, the hosts opened the scoring in the 27th minute from Antoine Semenyo’s low drilled shot at the near post after the ball had been snatched from Patrick Dorgu and crossed into the box. Garnacho had a superb opportunity to draw his team level but fluffed his 1v1 opportunity from a Bruno Fernandes’ long range pass as Kepa Arrizabalaga made the save.
The Cherries came back out with intent in the second half and could have doubled their lead right away, but Semenyo’s curled effort went inches past the right post. United started to grow into the game after that scare as Kepa denied Harry Maguire. Bournemouth remained a threat as Dango Ouattara’s effort struck the woodwork. However, their threat was reduced in the 70th minute when Evanilson was sent off for a high foul on Noussair Mazraoui. The visitors upped their efforts in a bid to find an equaliser, but a resolute Bournemouth held them at bay for most part. However, late in stoppage time, United finally restored parity through Højlund as he poked into the net from a Manuel Ugarte effort from distance.
Bournemouth’s dip in form must be a concern for manager Andoni Iraola, with their hopes of European football dashed massively in recent weeks. On the other end, the spirited draw would have given United some confidence going into their Europa League semi-final first leg against Athletic Club.
Liverpool 5-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool secured their 20th League title with an emphatic victory at Anfield this Sunday.
The Reds needed only a draw to win the league but conceded the first goal from a former player—Dominic Solanke headed home inside 12 minutes from a James Maddison corner kick. The hosts responded instantly, though, through Luis Díaz, who was teed up by Dominik Szoboszlai in the 16th minute. The goal was initially denied for offside but the VAR overturned the on-field decision as the player was onside. The hosts never looked back from thereon, scoring their second through Alexis Mac Allister with a powerful effort from the edge of the box in the 24th minute. Ten minutes later, Cody Gakpo scored Liverpool’s third when the ball fell into his path from a corner kick as he dribbled inside a crowded box to find a neat finish in the far corner.
Liverpool came out for the second half looking for more. In the 63rd minute, Mohamed Salah put the result beyond doubt with a low strike at the near post as Szoboszlai set him up on the counter. Their fifth arrived in the form of a Destiny Udogie own goal in the 69th minute.
Massive celebrations followed at the famous old ground as the full-time whistle blew. Spurs, meanwhile, turn their focus to their only source of redemption for the season—the Europa League.
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Brentford
The race for top five keeps getting more thrilling, with Forest having lost this midweek fixture to the Bees.
The visitors looked the brighter side in the opening exchanges of a cagey first half. Sepp van den Berg’s close-range header was denied by a super Matz Sels save. In the 43rd minute, though, Brentford delivered the telling blow when a long ball forward wasn’t dealt well by Forest right-back Ola Aina. Kevin Schade capitalised on the error and slotted in the opener.
Forest started the second half with intent as Anthony Elanga drew a superb diving save from Mark Flekken. The normally clinical Chris Wood then missed a golden opportunity to level the proceedings as his header went wide off the target. The Tricky Trees then conceded the second goal the same way they had conceded the first—a long ball forward from Flekken couldn’t be handled by Nikola Milenkovic as Yoane Wissa latched on to it and lobbed it over Sels to double Brentford’s advantage.
Forest couldn’t find a response and succumbed to a defeat at home—a massive setback in their quest for Champions League football.
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