Super Eagles duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi missed out on Champions League qualification as Chelsea and Liverpool join Manchester United and Man City after securing top-four finishes on the final day of the Premier League season.
The dramatic battle for a top four spot went down to the last game of the 2020/21 campaign, with Liverpool leapfrogging Leicester into fourth last week to set up a nail-biting finale.
A Kasper Schmeichel own goal and a late double from Gareth Bale condemned the Foxes to a 4-2 defeat by Tottenham while 2-0 win for Liverpool saw them finish third.
Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa meant Brendan Rodgers’ side would have sealed a top-four finish with victory over Spurs and they started well, Jamie Vardy putting them ahead from the penalty spot.
Harry Kane – in what could prove to be his final game for the club amid rumours he wants to leave – pulled Spurs level before the interval, though, with a goal that secured this season’s Golden Boot ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Another Vardy spot-kick restored Leicester’s lead early in the second half, but there was late heartache for the hosts when Schmeichel – one of the heroes of last weekend’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea – punched into his own net from a corner 14 minutes from full-time.
Bale’s late brace then ensured Brendan Rodgers’ side finished the campaign a point adrift of Thomas Tuchel’s fourth-placed side.
Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero scored twice in a fairy-tale Premier League farewell as Manchester City completed its title-winning campaign by thrashing Everton 5-0 on Sunday.
City’s record scorer, who is leaving the club following next week’s Champions League final after 10 years at the Etihad Stadium, hit a quick-fire double after coming off the bench with 25 minutes remaining.
That added to earlier strikes from Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus and Phil Foden as City showed no sign of letting up ahead of the final against Chelsea in Porto on Saturday.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
