What's Next for Him? The Sole Slovak Departs the Premier League, Guardiola Also Has His Say

While Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy for the first time in 22 years, Pep Guardiola bid farewell to Manchester City after a decade at the helm, and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah departed Anfield after a similar tenure. Tottenham secured their top-flight status, while West Ham completed the trio of relegated teams.

Arsenal's title triumph was confirmed on Tuesday when City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth. Mikel Arteta's squad still capped off their league season with a victory, defeating Crystal Palace 2-1 to finish seven points clear of Guardiola's side.

"It's very difficult to put into words. What a moment. So much emotion, so much joy and pride. The way we achieved it represents what the lads feel and why this magic happened. I'm happy and relieved. Obviously, we've taken some huge steps on this journey. We've achieved many valuable things. But ultimately, we are here to win big trophies. That was our ultimate goal," Arteta stated during the championship celebrations.

The Gunners still have another significant trophy to contend for – they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final this Saturday. They could win the prestigious trophy for the first time in their history, having lost their only previous final appearance in the 2005/2006 season to Barcelona, 2-1.

"We've already discussed what we need to do in Budapest. How we'll harness all this incredible energy we're carrying into the final, and we'll start preparing for it tomorrow. We can't wait to write a new chapter in our club's history and win the Champions League," the Spanish coach added, according to DPA.

His compatriot and former coaching mentor, Guardiola, also experienced an emotional evening. A 2-1 loss to Aston Villa didn't alter the league standings, as both the Citizens and the Birmingham club had already secured their spots in the Champions League. "I never even imagined how much love I would find here. It's an incredible, immense honor to be your coach, to be here for ten years," Guardiola addressed the fans at the Etihad.

The 55-year-old manager said that whoever takes over at City, he will call them and offer advice: "Be yourself. Be free with your ideas and work hard. Everything will be fine."

Captain Bernardo Silva played his final game in a Manchester City shirt. "(Pep) is my football father. I'm truly grateful for everything he's done for me, for how he trusted me, how he supported me in difficult times, how he helped me see football differently, and then, of course, the victories helped too. Our fans are family and mean so much to us. This will forever be my second home," the 31-year-old Portuguese stated for the club's website.

Defender John Stones also bid farewell to City: "I'm very emotional, very grateful. To experience a send-off like we had today, the love and support shown to us, is incredible. This is my home, and I think the people here made it something special."

Salah and Scottish defender Andy Robertson, who both joined the club nine years ago, wore the Liverpool jersey for the last time. "I think I've cried more than in my entire life. I'm not a very emotional person. We spent our youth here and shared everything from start to finish. We brought this club back to where it belongs," the Egyptian declared to Sky Sports.

The Reds drew 1-1 with Brentford, with the West London team finishing ninth, missing out on European qualification only on goal difference. Liverpool finished fifth, securing a Champions League spot.

Manchester United returned to the Champions League from third place, having not featured in European competition this season. Bruno Fernandes, the newly crowned Premier League Player of the Season, contributed a goal and an assist in their 3-0 victory over Brighton, setting a new league record for assists in a single season. With 21 assists, he surpassed the tallies of Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne.

"He has a talent for creating and scoring goals. He has a natural instinct for creation, and he proved it again today," coach Michael Carrick said of the Portuguese midfielder.

"We had a good run, and third place was more or less confirmed, so I like how we finished. We really focused on this not being the end of the season, but the next phase. Today embodies how well the lads approached the game and gives us a foundation to build on for next season," added the 44-year-old coach, who signed a contract with the club until summer 2028.

London's Chelsea had a less satisfying end to the league season, losing 2-1 to Sunderland and finishing a disappointing tenth. "The end of the season is a disappointment. We should have finished much higher in the league. In my opinion, with this group of players and the talent we have, we should be in the Champions League. We were too inconsistent this year, and it ultimately cost us a lot," admitted interim coach Calum McFarlane, who will be replaced by Xabi Alonso. In contrast, there was great joy in the newcomer's camp, as they qualified for the Europa League from seventh place.

"It's an incredible feeling and it shows that we maintained high standards right to the end. The last three or four games showed that we are still ambitious – it was fantastic. It's crazy. May 24th is a perfect day when you remember last season with our promotion to the top flight, and now we're in the Europa League," celebrated French coach Regis Le Bris.

Sixth-placed Bournemouth will feature in the Europa League after a 1-1 draw with Nottingham, while eighth-placed Brighton will enter the Conference League qualifiers. At the bottom of the table, two traditional clubs, Tottenham and West Ham, battled for survival. The "Spurs" celebrated after a 1-0 victory over Everton.

"Perhaps it was the best performance during my tenure. It was an incredible match and beautiful football, because if you give your best, the results will come. Next season, we need to build a top-tier team. We don't need to make too many changes to the squad, but we need to bring in some top-level players," stated coach Roberto de Zerbi.

West Ham, despite a 3-0 triumph over Leeds, joined Burnley and Wolverhampton in relegation, falling two points short of Tottenham. "Sadness is what we feel. We knew our mission was difficult and not in our hands. We did our part, but it wasn't enough. We must apologize to our fans and thank them for all their incredible support. I'm proud of the lads, it was a tough, tough day. We apologize for the situation, but the club is the fans, and we will need them," coach Nuno Espirito Santo told the BBC.

Following Burnley's relegation, goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka, the only Slovak in the competition, bid farewell to the Premier League. Middlesbrough, with striker David Strelec, failed in the Championship playoff final. Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Hull City secured promotion.