When we look back at the 2022-23 Premier League season, Sunday will likely be the day when the title race was decided.
Even though no club has been crowned Premier League champion yet, Sunday’s results all but gifted the title to Manchester City, which can now clinch the title with a win or an Arsenal loss next weekend.
But along with a massive shift in the title race, Matchday 36 was filled with drama that will affect which teams will represent the Premier League in Europe and which teams won’t even be in the top flight next season. Here’s a roundup of an action-packed weekend:
The Title Chase
Manchester City took care of business Sunday to stay atop the table against an Everton side that has played furiously in recent weeks as it looks to avoid relegation. Backed into a corner, the Toffees drew Leicester City and destroyed Brighton, 5–1, in its previous two matches, leading some to wonder whether they could throw a wrench in the defending champions’ plans. But City was as clinical as ever.
City struggled to break through against Everton early, but İlkay Gündoğan struck in the 37th minute to open the scoring with a stunning goal.
Ilkay Gundogan scores the first goal for Man City against Everton!
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Erling Haaland doubled City two minutes later to extend his Premier League single-season goal-scoring record to 36. Gündoğan, who will be available on a free transfer this summer, then added his second goal of the day to seal the City win and put pressure on Arsenal with a four-point advantage atop the table.
And of course it’s Erling Haaland with his 36th goal of the season!
— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) May 14, 2023
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But it was the Arsenal result that sent shockwaves through the top flight. Needing a win to maintain pressure on City, the Gunners were decimated by Brighton at home in a 3–0 loss. After a scoreless first 45 minutes, Arsenal shockingly conceded three goals in the second half as its title hopes slipped away. Now, Man City can clinch the title as early as Saturday.
Pervis Estupiñán scores Brighton’s third goal to seal the 3–0 win over Arsenal!
— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) May 14, 2023
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The Race for Europe
Last week’s race for Europe took a startling shock with Everton’s rout of Brighton, with the latter honing in on a spot in the Europa League or Europa Conference League. But on the weekend of Matchday 36, there was no such twist—at least, not yet. Fifth-place Liverpool remains hot on the heels of third-place Newcastle and fourth-place Manchester United for a top-four berth, trailing by four points. But a Leicester City side desperate to avoid relegation could be a tough test for Liverpool on Monday in a match that will have plenty of top-four and relegation implications.
Newcastle has reason to be concerned after its weekend performance. After losing 2–0 to Arsenal last week, it only managed to take a point against 19th-place Leeds United. The Magpies fell behind early until Callum Wilson converted two penalties to give them the lead. But Newcastle then blew a chance at what seemed to be three easy points by conceding the equalizer in the 79th minute, settling the score at 2–2. Newcastle now will have to try to take maximum points from a tricky remaining slate of matches against Brighton, Leicester City and Chelsea.
After a dreadful loss to West Ham last week, Manchester United took advantage of the Newcastle result with a 2–0 win over Wolves. The victory erased the Red Devils’ two-point deficit and put them level on points with Newcastle in third; however, Newcastle has a massive advantage in goal differential.
The race for the sixth and final spot in European competition heated up with Aston Villa’s convincing 2–1 win over Spurs. Tottenham had previously led Villa by three points in sixth and now finds itself even on points and only ahead by two in goal differential. Meanwhile, Brighton sits in sixth, four points behind Liverpool with a game in hand and one point ahead of Spurs with two games in hand.
The Relegation Scrap
It’s quite remarkable that only now, after 36 matches, the first club has been relegated—a figure that highlights how competitive of a Premier League season it has been. After a 2–0 loss to Fulham on Saturday, Southampton became the first club to be relegated this season, with 24 points and only two matches remaining. The result brings an end to the club’s 11-year stint in the top flight, which included four top-10 finishes and two Europa League appearances.
With two relegation slots left to be filled, four teams will effectively battle it out for survival. Nottingham Forest still could be relegated, but it stole a point off Chelsea in a 2–2 draw to give it a major boost. Forest currently sits in 16th, three points above the relegation zone with two matches remaining. Everton remains in 17th, just one point above Leeds and two ahead of 19th-place Leicester City. But if Leicester defeats Liverpool on Monday, Everton will drop back into the relegation zone.
What to Watch for
In the week ahead, Brighton and Newcastle will meet on Thursday to make up a Matchday 25 fixture in a match that will go a long way toward determining who qualifies for European competition next season. Liverpool vs. Aston Villa on Saturday will have similar implications. As far as the title race is concerned, Arsenal will face Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while Man City will host Chelsea a day later. Once again, an Arsenal loss or a Man City win clinches the title for City.
