PL Review: Arsenal crowned & West Ham downed

24 May 2026 · 52 min · 22 chapters

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In short

Final Premier League Review of the season. West Ham are relegated after 14 years despite a 3-0 win over Leeds; Tottenham survive after a 1-0 win over Everton. Arsenal end a 22-year wait to win the title. European qualification: Sunderland and Bournemouth secure Europa League; Brighton go to the Conference League; Brentford and Chelsea miss out. The hosts also discuss end-of-season awards and next-season outlooks.

Guests (interviewed/featured)

  • Luke Edwards (Telegraph Northern football writer; co-host).
  • Matt Jarvis (former West Ham winger; commentary at London Stadium; provides analysis of West Ham’s relegation).
  • Jarrod Bowen (West Ham captain; post-match interview).
  • Trey Hulme (Sunderland player; post-match interview).
  • Mikel Arteta (Arsenal manager; quoted interview).

Key claims

  • West Ham’s relegation is traced to poor club direction and recruitment, including the Moyes sacking and wasted Declan Rice money; managers Lopetegui and Potter “didn’t work out.”
  • Tottenham’s survival is credited to De Zerbi’s short-term impact and, crucially, supporters unifying behind the team.
  • Sunderland’s rise is credited to recruitment and Granit Xhaka’s leadership “on the pitch.”
  • Arsenal’s title is framed as defensive solidity plus a strong squad.

Notable examples

  • West Ham vs Leeds (Bowen scores; Leeds “playing for nothing” after first-half competitiveness).
  • Tottenham vs Everton (scrappy goal; home atmosphere).
  • Arsenal title celebration after beating Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
  • Sunderland’s Europa qualification and Xhaka’s dressing-room influence.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Lukes' Holiday and Football Review

1:52 to 2:56

Luke Edwards discusses his holiday and the final review of the season's matches.

“The cast, you know, from Clinton Morrison, Gravy Shoes, David James, Nigel Rio Coker, Andy Cole, we've broken them all.”

West Ham's Relegation Discussion

2:56 to 4:19

A detailed analysis of West Ham's relegation and their performance woes.

“have I dragged you away from any exciting activities, are you in an activity hotel?”

The Downfall of West Ham

4:19 to 6:45

Examining the poor decisions leading to West Ham's relegation and management issues.

“So West Ham, two points behind Spurs at the start of the day.”

Jarrod Bowen's Emotional Reflection

6:45 to 9:47

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen shares his thoughts on the team's relegation.

“I mean, that's the most damning thing you can say.”

Future of Nuno and West Ham

9:47 to 12:10

Discussing the future of coach Nuno and potential changes at West Ham.

“I think then there's been a bit of an uptick in results.”

West Ham's Season Struggles

12:10 to 14:02

Analyzing West Ham's performance struggles and key players throughout the season.

“Well, let's bring in the former West Ham winger, Matt Jarvis, who's on commentary duty at the London Stadium for us this afternoon.”

West Ham's Struggles and Future Challenges

14:02 to 17:47

Explore the factors behind West Ham's poor performance this season and potential player exodus.

“Like, he's a proper goal scorer and he's been really, you know, in my opinion, maybe he could have played a little bit more.”

Tottenham's Recovery and Supporter Impact

17:47 to 21:59

Discuss Tottenham's journey through a tough season and the role of their fans in their survival.

“Former West Ham winger Matt Jarvis there, who was at the London Stadium earlier.”

Arsenal's Title Triumph and Future Prospects

21:59 to 23:03

Analyze Arsenal's first league title in 22 years and the implications for the future.

“an angry Deserby going into the start of the season.”

Arsenal's Title Triumph and Future Prospects

23:52 to 28:00

Analyze Arsenal's first league title in 22 years and the implications for the future.

“So here's the first ball of this series.”
Show all 22 chapters

Manchester United's Challenges Under Carrick

28:00 to 29:20

Discussing Manchester United's performance under Michael Carrick and potential challenges ahead.

“Manchester United under Michael Carrick.”

Arsenal's Title Win and Future Prospects

29:20 to 31:00

Analyzing Arsenal's success this season and prospects for the next.

“But Arsenal aren't going to lose a load of players, are they?”

Sunderland's Remarkable Season

31:00 to 33:30

Celebrating Sunderland's unexpected success and their journey back to European football.

“I mean, PSG are probably the best team, certainly the most attractive team to watch.”

Granit Xhaka's Impact at Sunderland

33:30 to 35:30

Discussing Granit Xhaka's significant influence as a leader on the pitch for Sunderland.

“I don't think anyone even gives us a chance to stay up, never mind, you know, do what we've done.”

Sunderland's Rebirth After Struggles

35:30 to 37:40

Reflecting on Sunderland's transformation after recent hardships and their successful recruitment.

“It was a great documentary, and I think a lot of some of the supporters liked it, but they were a figure of fun.”

Bournemouth's Journey to European Football

37:40 to 39:40

Examining Bournemouth's rise to the Premier League and their exciting playing style.

“Look at those three teams you read out, Rick.”

Brighton's Disappointment and Future Goals

39:40 to 42:00

Analyzing Brighton's season outcome and their aspirations for the next.

“And without him, does it make it that little bit harder to hang on to players?”

Chelsea's Troubling Season Analysis

42:00 to 43:19

Discussion on Chelsea's struggles this season and their management challenges.

“So I think there'll be a little bit of frustration but I also think there'll be immense satisfaction because of that difficult spell you've mentioned, Rick.”

England Squad Snubs and Player Performance

43:20 to 45:29

Debate over player selections for the England squad and standout performances.

“and the fact that these players think they can outlast managers.”

End of Season Awards Discussion

45:30 to 47:28

Hosts share their picks for Player and Manager of the Year.

“Yeah, it should be next cab off the rank, I would have thought.”

Underachievers and Overachievers of the Season

47:29 to 49:19

Identifying teams that exceeded or failed to meet expectations this season.

“Well, I mean, you're the host of the podcast.”

Moments of the Year in Premier League

49:20 to 52:13

Recapping memorable moments from the season and their significance.

“and they have finished 17th for the second three in a row.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00Rick Edwards:This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

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1:07Rick Edwards:On the Football Daily Podcast, Premier League Review with Rick Edwards. Hello and welcome to the Premier League Review, the last of the season. We're going to talk about West Ham's relegation after 14 seasons in the Premier League. Arsenal ending their 22-year wait to be Premier League champions. Bournemouth, Sunderland and Brighton securing European football for next season. And we'll give out our end of season awards, which we've hastily thrown together. With me to do all of that, the Telegraph's Northern football writer, Luke Edwards. And no, it is just Luke, actually, because as you rightly pointed out on text, it's taken us all season.

1:44But finally, we've managed to scare off all of the pundits.

1:48Rick Edwards:We've broken everyone. It's just me and you, baby. Well done us. We've broken all of them. The cast, you know, from Clinton Morrison, Gravy Shoes, David James, Nigel Rio Coker, Andy Cole, we've broken them all. Every single one of them. Yeah, yeah. I mean, we were really scraping a barrel. We were asking some terrible people and no one, no one would do it. No, it is holiday season, as you know, Rick. It is holiday season. Yeah, I mean, you're currently on holiday, aren't you? Yeah, I'm coming to you from a sun-kissed island in the Mediterranean. looking that nice shade of light pink that English people haven't seen the sun for eight months ago.

2:25Of all people, with respect, you don't feel like someone who tans well. You just don't.

2:31Rick Edwards:No, I've been sensible, but I have gone, yes, a slight pink in the face, knees, back, shoulders. But yeah, so I'm trying to wind down at the end of the season, but I couldn't not do the final football Sunday review of the season. and what have you mainly because it's just been you on today if I didn't do it I mean some people say it might have been an improvement but anyway thank you, thank you for being here have I dragged you away from any exciting activities, are you in an activity hotel? I'm in a very active activity centred hotel for my son sure for your son there was an event called the Magic Carpet Challenge yesterday which you had to try and run across a swimming pool across an inflatable blue carpet, effectively.

3:20Rick Edwards:The kids are doing it. Don't do that to yourself. Yeah, but the kids were doing it. Yeah, exactly. The clue's there. The kids are doing it, not the adults. I thought, I'll give that a go. Did you not only arrive yesterday? Yes, I was straight on it. Straight onto the magic carpet. You're a lunatic. Straight on it. Guess what happened? You stacked it? Yeah, I stacked it. Absolutely face-planted. And it's caught on video. The thing is, your poor, poor son as well. I know he would have found it funny. Oh, he found it very funny. But he's going to be known as the kid whose dad was that goon. Yeah.

3:54I suppose he's probably known as that anyway. We're only here for a week. Yeah. Overall, today had the potential to be quite exciting and ended up being not that exciting. The thing I really want to talk about is Sunderland because I just think what they have done from where they were at the start of the season or where people thought they were at the start of the season. I think it's absolutely remarkable. But I guess we'll deal with the relegation. So West Ham, two points behind Spurs at the start of the day. 3-0 win against Leeds. Not enough to secure their safety. Spurs beat Everton 1-0 at home.

4:30First, I mean, I think Spurs have only won three times at home this season. And West Ham, you just sort of thought, in the first half, I don't know if you were watching, I was watching both West Ham and Spurs simultaneously. West Ham looked really nervy. But then second half, they came out and they did what they had to do. But by that point, they already knew that it probably wasn't going to be enough. You just thought, this half of football, you just need to replicate that a lot more often through the rest of the season.

5:06Rick Edwards:Yeah, it's fine doing what you need to do on the last game of the season. I mean, it's doing what you need to do in November, December, January. And I think even the most optimistic of West Ham supporters would have probably known that the writing was on the wall. I know there was a lot of talk about David Moyes' Everton, you know, going and doing them a favour because David Moyes, you know, has a lot of affection for West Ham. But Everton didn't really show up, particularly against Tottenham. And West Ham were very good in the second half and blew a Leeds team away who weren't really playing for anything.

5:36Rick Edwards:So this relegation... But Leeds were good in the first half, actually, I thought. But then they're just... I mean, they are literally playing for nothing, really. They're playing for nothing. And your second half away from home and you're thinking of your holidays. It's easy to do that. And this relegation has been coming for West Ham. And we've talked about it in this podcast. You can trace it all back to that decision to get rid of David Moyes because the football wasn't attractive enough. That seemed to be the main complaint. They wasted so much money. If you remember the Declan Rice money, I mean, they got a huge fee for an academy graduate, pure profit, and blew it.

6:11Rick Edwards:Absolutely wasted it. That's a disaster of recruitment. The managerial appointments, Lopetegli and Potter, didn't work out, so they're burnt through managers as well. And it's just been a terribly run football club for some time, a toxic football club with a divided fan base. no great love of anything to do with the match-going experience of going to watch home games. I think there's going to be a lot of reflection. There's going to be a lot of animosity. There's going to be a lot of recriminations coming after this. I don't think it's that big of a surprise. I mean, that's the most damning thing you can say.

6:49Rick Edwards:They are a poor football team, a badly run football club. And ultimately, this is always the risk you're going to take. And they've fallen out of the Premier League. and yeah, it's an absolute disaster for them reputationally and financially as well. But it's been coming, it's been coming. Yeah, the captain scored the second goal, Gerard Bowen. Obviously, he would have been disappointed not to make the England squad. And when he scored the goal, his celebration was, I mean, he looked like he'd just eaten a horrible cake, actually. He just sort of, you know, that kind of like just cursory like fist pump, but he kind of knew it was probably going to be for nothing.

7:27Anyway, he's been speaking to Mark Scott. Gerard, commiserations. Is it any consolation that you at least did what you had to do? I mean, not really, because we never wanted to be in this situation, of course, coming into the game. We had to take care of ourselves and hold on to that bit of hope that we had and the chance that we had. That's all we could do. We had positions to get out of it and give ourselves more breathing space, but we didn't, and that was what we were relying on. We were relying on another result. So yes, we had to come and win the game and hold on to that bit of hope that we had before the game.

7:58But ultimately, it's not enough. I know it's probably quite raw right now, but can you just tell me what you're feeling, what the players are feeling? Just hurt. Speaking from myself, I've been here for six and a half years now. Had a lot of good moments and this outweighs all of it. Getting this club relegated, it hurts. and shouldn't be in the position that we're in. But ultimately we found ourselves in the position that we're in and we haven't done enough to stay up. So the question was, how do you feel? It's just hurt. I think hurt's the only thing that you can speak about an hour after the game.

8:3339 points though. I mean, it's a big total to go down on any other season. You'd have been comfortable. So that must make it even more painful in a way. Maybe, but we've had so many games where we could have got so many more results from it. And of course you can look back and say these, these, these, these. but ultimately we didn't pick the points up. In this league, the quality is so high and we just didn't give ourselves a good enough chance to do it. There'll be a lot of questions about what comes next. Would you like to see Nuno stay and try and get you back up? Yeah, listen, it's still very, very raw.

9:05Talking about futures is disrespectful to the club, the fans, everything like that. This club deserves to be in the Premier League. That's our aim now. The season's done. Our aim now is to get this club back in the Premier League. that's as simple as it is. Just finally, what's your gut feeling though? Would you like to be the man to lead them back up as captain? Yeah, like I said, it's disrespectful to everyone to start speaking about futures and saying what's going to happen but like I said, I want this club to be in the Premier League. It's a club that means so much to me, that's given me so much so my vision is getting this club back in the Premier League.

9:38West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen there who will be disappointed to hear that I'm about to be very disrespectful to the club by talking about its future. Luke is Nuno going to stick around? He seems to be yeah

9:54Rick Edwards:I think that that was certainly the messages coming out certainly two or three weeks ago that he would he would stay obviously he's got experience of getting clubs promoted from the championship I think he's done an okay job I think they've paid the price that they started very slowly when he went in there was right backs playing at left backs and left backs playing at right back and some slightly strange team selections at the start. I think then there's been a bit of an uptick in results. And we were sort of saying not so long ago, a month ago, that West Ham had the momentum and they had the good feeling behind them.

10:29Rick Edwards:Well, they did. They did. But they did. But then ultimately, you know, there's the... We can talk about the Arsenal goal. The goal against Arsenal, they get a draw in that game rather than the VAR intervention. I think maybe that was like sticking the pin in the balloon of everybody. But then you go away to Newcastle knowing that Tottenham are away at Chelsea and you don't turn up for 20 minutes and get absolutely steamrolled by one of the most outperformed teams in the Premier League at that stage. I mean, that is unforgivable. And then you get comments like that from footballers saying West Ham deserve to be in the Premier League.

11:04Rick Edwards:And I don't have a massive go at Jarrod Bowen because I think he's probably been one of the rare positives, again, for West Ham this season. But they don't deserve to be in the Premier League. That's ultimately it. You can cry about the fact that you're going down with 39 points. Tough. Tough. You weren't good enough to get out. I mean, he wasn't crying about that, was he? He wasn't crying. No, but the question was, he was questioned. You know, do you feel, sorry, I'm having a go at journalists now, but, you know, the question was, do you feel sort of hard done by 39 points? Does that make it harder?

11:30Rick Edwards:No, it doesn't. You know, Burnley and Wolverhampton have been probably two of the least impressive sides we've seen in the Premier League for some time. And they've been the third worst. And that's all that matters. But as I said, we can sit there and analyse the team, the players. I think it comes down to the direction of the football club and how it's been run from the very, very top. To sack a successful manager because you don't like the way the style of football is played and you want the more expansive style, well, let's be a warning to anybody who goes down that route. It feels like a lesson, doesn't it?

12:02Cautionary tale. Yeah, exactly.

12:04Rick Edwards:But yeah, they should be. There's going to be a big clear out of players. Jared Bowen's future is not certain by any means. I mean, he's on big money there. he is one of their sellable assets and the one thing you know when you go into the Championship clubs will instantly be looking at them their squad and see if they can pick over the boat of it and get anything good from the carcass which Harold Bowen would be one of those players that obviously can still play in the Premier League so I think they'll be very very concerned about him going Somerville exactly there'll be a few but Somerville and Bowen certainly will be two players that I think will be coveted by other Premier League clubs and unfortunately West Ham is going to have to take their medicine yeah they're going to have to take their medicine because their best players now are going to go because the club will need to sell them.

12:44Well, let's bring in the former West Ham winger, Matt Jarvis, who's on commentary duty at the London Stadium for us this afternoon. Hi, Matt. Hi, good afternoon. That was, well, in the second half, it was quite good from West Ham. But by that point, I think everyone in the stadium knew that it didn't feel like it was going to be enough. and by the end, the feeling in there was not great, was it? No, I mean, even the first half, it was a nervous first half. I actually thought Leeds, they played really well first half. They did, yeah. They always looked a threat. They were comfortable in possession.

13:25West Ham had some chances, but they never really felt like in control and they got booed off at half-time. And then second half, from a corner, they get the goal from Tati, who's, you know, he's done so well since he's come to the club. And Somerville and Juve on that left-hand side were a great combo all game. They're just, it's that final pass, that final shot at goal. They've really struggled with all season, but they do have spells in games. And I can go back to so many different games across the season where they have spells, where they have 20 minutes and they're really good and they just don't capitalise.

14:01But it's fitting that Bowen scores and Callum Wilson as well. Like, he's a proper goal scorer and he's been really, you know, in my opinion, maybe he could have played a little bit more. I was going to say, has he been underused? Because when he came on at half-time, you thought, well, yeah, like, if I desperately need goals, Callum Wilson feels like a guy to have on the pitch, right? Yeah, he does. He just gets himself into areas where you know he's going to get opportunities and he takes them. He is their goal scorer and that's what this West Ham team have been needing. You can then have Tati that can do his running because he brings energy.

14:40He brings so much to the team that maybe Callum Wilson maybe couldn't bring. But what he does bring is goals and that's the finish. He almost got another one, if not for a Darlow, fantastic save.

14:52Rick Edwards:If you can pinpoint one thing that's gone wrong this season, what is it? Well, I think performances. I don't think they've been good enough at all. you look at the first 23 games or something like that, it's just not good enough. Whether that's, you can blame the managers that are there, you can blame the system, you can blame whatever. Ultimately, the players haven't performed on the pitch for whoever or whatever has been asked. And when you talk about it and you go through the 39 points, this, that, ultimately, wherever you finish is where you deserve to finish. And they just haven't been able to be good enough this year.

15:27Everyone can go through about injuries. everyone can go through about unfair decisions. But unfortunately, it just wasn't enough this year. And last year, you could look at it and go, we've probably got away with it, really. So this year, it's been a disaster start. And then it's been really difficult to gain momentum. And I think you can go back in loads of games and just think, really, do you think if that was like the last game of the season, needed something, you could probably get something out of it. and everything's just gone past far too easily. Is there now a danger, Matt, that West Ham go down, as we were just discussing, there's probably going to be a bit of an exodus of players because they're going to need to sell some and there's going to be a handful of players who definitely will want to stay in the Premier League and could play a part in the Premier League.

16:20So you have that. Then you have that stadium, which, let's face it, the fans don't like huge stadium in the championship i don't know if they're necessarily going to fill it in the championship it's not felt great at times in in the premier league i suspect it's not going to feel great in in the championship either and actually west ham really struggle next season there i mean it's definitely a possibility you know there's there's quite a number of players that will be wanting to leave i think fernandez has he's been one of their best players all season you know even today you know just even when they're two two new up he's sprinting back into the corner flag and making a last ditch challenge and you know he he's another player that will probably leave Somerville's obviously been injured for a long long period and he was a massive miss because when he's playing and when he's on form he's another player that will be gone yeah um so it is going to be a big clear out um and as everyone knows the championship is not an easy league.

17:18It's not as simple as just coming straight back up and it's going to be is Nuno still going to be here? Then you look at what's going on. If you've got to sell all of these players, you've got to bring in players and you've got to have a squad that's good enough to compete and that's going to be the tricky part and the recruitment is key and as you mentioned earlier, I think recruitment has not been their top thing. Good speaking to you. Cheers Cheers, Matt. Thank you. Thanks, Matt. Former West Ham winger Matt Jarvis there, who was at the London Stadium earlier. So let's talk about Spurs then.

17:56I was, my family were from Tottenham, so I was baiting my uncle and cousin. Of course you were. Of course you were, Rick. Just sent him a lovely come on you irons just before kickoff. I said, sorry, wrong person. Stay loved. But honestly, Spurs were good. like particularly in the first half that they were really the atmosphere and you're never quite sure with Spurs the atmosphere was really good fans were positive and partly buoyed by the fact that the team were going out and looked strong and looked sort of front foot and then they get the goal scrappy goal but the emotion the emotion that poured out I mean of course because it's a massive goal but you know it meant an awful lot.

18:46Rick Edwards:I'll tell you what, the fans at Tottenham have really, really played their part in this recovery because I think... Well, they've got behind De Zerbe. They're like, OK, this guy, yes. They've been put through a lot. They didn't like Frank. They didn't like Tudor. And I think they just got to a point when they realised... Not sure if Tudor likes anyone. Igor Tudor. I mean, someone needs to write a book on his spell at Tottenham. It wouldn't be many pages, but it'll be interesting, I think. But they've been through a lot. And I think there was a lot of disgruntlement and anger. And I think last season took its toll on them as well, despite winning the Europa League, a fantastic European trophy for them.

19:23Rick Edwards:But Postacoglu going and they've been on this downward spiral. And then Thomas Frank came in and they didn't like the football. And it was all a bit average, wasn't it? Basically, under Thomas Frank. And they sort of got dragged into the relegation battle. And then there was so much sort of anger around the football club. But then suddenly, I think, when they realised how much trouble they were in, I think the supporters were absolutely brilliant. I think they just thought, like, we've got to forget all of that. We've got to forget all our anger and sort of poison towards people who are running the clubs and the decision-making.

19:53Rick Edwards:We've just got to get behind the team. And you know what? That really fired, I think, Tottenham to survival. And we have to say De Zerbe because you mox him, Rick. You mox him, as you tend to do on this podcast. He didn't quite win all five games. No. As you know, he wasn't actually a man of his word, but he came pretty close. He did. And he, in a very, very short period of time, I think he changed the atmosphere in the dressing room. I think he got very quickly to grips with what the team needed. And they improved very, very quickly. But none of it would have been possible without the supporters saying, do you know what, this isn't the time for division.

20:29Rick Edwards:We've got to be unified. And they were brilliant. The atmosphere today was absolutely superb. It has been in the last few home games. And they've managed to get out of trouble. Now, the worry for Tottenham is this is a scare, but they can't be here again. That's two seasons in a row where they have been the biggest underachievers, in my opinion, in the Premier League with the budgets they have. 17, two seasons in a row. I don't know if they need to sort of reframe their expectations, but I suspect they don't. I think they just don't quite. No, they can't have this again, Rick. You can't have this again because we've seen with West Ham that this direction of travel was coming.

21:03Rick Edwards:This relegation was coming. Well, if you finish 17, two seasons in a row, and everyone can't just assume at Tottenham, oh, it's all right, we'll get it right. We've got De Zerbi in now. We're going to be fine. We're going to be back competing for Europe. They might not be. I mean, I think this has to be the catalyst for something. They have to get this summer right. It's obvious that squad needs a rebuild. It needs rejuvenating. They're going to have to move players out and they're going to have to reinvent themselves. De Zerbi is a very good manager, but he's also very, very demanding. And a bit volatile.

21:31Rick Edwards:And a bit volatile. Yes, he's an emotional man. Which I like. Let me put... Well, I'm not going to say that, but he's emotional. And if he doesn't get what he wants, he will kick off. And if this summer goes badly, then the whole negativity could very, very quickly restart at the beginning of August if he hasn't got the players he wants. So they've gone for a hot-headed manager, a very talented one, but they have to get the players he wants this summer to not be in this situation again. Because the last thing you want is an unhappy Deserby, an angry Deserby going into the start of the season. And as I say, that negative atmosphere.

Read the full transcript

22:05Rick Edwards:could easily spill over. But I think they've got a good manager. He's just high maintenance. A bit like me on this podcast. Well, half so, yes. So Tottenham, I'll let you decide which half. Tottenham's three home wins this season is the joint fewest by a team's survive relegation in a Premier League campaign, along with... Any ideas? You never get this, actually. No, don't even start. Hull. Hull, but of course are back. Who are back? 08-09. Who are back after beating Middlesbrough in the playoff final on Saturday. Olly McBurney popping up with a goal. The two worst teams, Burnley and Wolves, to decide once and for all who were the worst team in the league this season.

22:45And it sort of feels fitting somehow that neither of them won. But Wolves do ultimately finish bottom as we sort of thought they would from the very start of the season because they've been absolutely dreadful.

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23:46Learn more at brex.com slash AF. Five likes for... So here's the first ball of this series. All the cricket unit off. Check for LBW. Ouch.

23:59Rick Edwards:Lives on BBC Sounds. Smash straight back down the ground, this girl. Hear ball-by-ball coverage of the biggest competitions on the domestic and international circuits. It's a fourth week and it's the huge one. Jeez. Settle down, tough. Sorry. Cricket on Five Live Sport. Oh, I've lived every ball of this. Listen on BBC Sounds.

24:23On the Football Daily Podcast, As I was cycling into the studio today, I was cycling through North London, there was a lot of Arsenal shirts out and there was a lot of very jubilant scenes around in the sunshine. And it was basically just a coronation at Palace. They'd already, obviously, they'd won the title. They won 2-1 at Selhurst Park. Didn't really matter. Let's hear from Mikel Arteta. It's an incredible moment and what a joy and how privileged we are to be able to go through this together. I think you can sense something special because I think the manner that we've done it, it's special.

25:11It's been a journey full of moments, full of difficulties, full of challenges, but this is the beauty of a sport, that when you persevere, when you keep working, when you have faith in the people around you, at the end, good things can happen. You did come under immense pressure, didn't you? And the defeat at Manchester City, as it turned out, you won the next five matches. You know, you responded to the pressure, didn't you? What do you think tipped the balance to get you to where you are now with that medal around your neck? I think we have showed an incredible capacity to connect with people and between them and generate a very special energy around the team.

25:52I think we have shown an incredible commitment as well because in tough times is where you see how people are made and we have a very clear purpose, we stick to it. And then courage because there are moments that it's not easy and you say, what about if we don't do it as well? And you really have to step forward and take responsibility, be accountable and deliver. And what the players have done is just incredible. Can I just say, well done, Mikel Arteta. Yes. I mean, I think we have to. I think we absolutely have to. We have to.

26:23Rick Edwards:Yeah, we do have to. Some of us stuck with them all season. Some people, you know, prominent broadcasters, pundits, myself, you know, stuck with them, said Arsenal would win the league. But, you know, I had a little wobble. I think everybody had a little wobble. I think every Arsenal had a little bit of a wobble. Yeah, they had a major wobble when everything got a bit tense. But they fought through that. Now, I've heard some people say that they think this will be a period of Arsenal dominance in the Premier League. I don't think it's going to be that. I really don't. But first Premier League title in 22 years.

26:55Rick Edwards:Mikel Arteta has proven himself to be an excellent manager for that football club. And I think they deserve it. And if that means they can wear their replica shirts in North London on a hot summer's day in May, good on them. They can. If you can't wear them after winning the title, when can you wear them? I think it might be at the start of a period of dominance. Oh, do you? Well, look at the teams around them. City without Pep. Who knows? Obviously, City have got some phenomenally good players, but Pep Guardiola is probably the greatest. Well, he's certainly one of the greatest managers of all time.

27:32Losing him is going to have an impact. Liverpool with slot.

27:35Rick Edwards:So, you know, they could be terrible. Liverpool with slot I don't think are going to be troubling me at the top of the table, frankly. Chelsea under Alonso. I mean, Chelsea have had a miserable, miserable end to the season. And, I mean, Alonso has done very well in Germany. Had a really tough time at Real Madrid. I don't think anyone quite knows. Manchester United under Michael Carrick. I mean, obviously he did enough to get the job. I don't know. Does Bruno Fernandes have another season this good? Maybe you're talking me round, actually, Rick. I just... Where else are the challenges? I don't know.

28:19There's no obvious...

28:20Rick Edwards:Liverpool can't be as bad. Liverpool can't be as bad. They're not far away, Liverpool. Manchester City has still got a brilliant squad. I don't think... I've watched, I think, almost every... I didn't watch Liverpool's game today, actually, because I thought, what's the point? Other than saying goodbye to Salah. and I need to watch the other games. Liverpool have been atrocious this season. You might make a valid point, actually. You're saying because of the weakness of the other clubs. The weakness, yeah, yeah. Not necessarily that I think... Although all season, pretty much all season, we have said you look at Arsenal's squad and that is the best squad in the league and they should win it and they have.

28:58And fair play to them. I think the likelihood is that going into next season they will also have the best squad.

29:03Rick Edwards:But we also fought with Liverpool. Arguably the best manager as well. But we thought this about Liverpool 12 months ago. So we thought, oh my God, they've won the Premier League title. They're brilliant. Oh my word, look at the summer business they've done. They're going to win the title. True, true. It's a long way off. There's a lot of twists and turns. But Arsenal aren't going to lose a load of players, are they? No. And they're playing with that kind of less pressure and that they've got the title done. So maybe it spills into one. I think Manchester City will be fascinating in the post-Pep world.

29:33Rick Edwards:Completely. Because we all thought Liverpool would suffer in the post-Clopp world, but they ended up winning the league as soon as Clopp left. But then you look at Manchester United and you would compare more readily Guardiola's influence at Manchester City to Ferguson's influence and legacy at Manchester United. So Manchester City remain the richest club in the country. The new manager will once again be back this summer. And they haven't missed out by that much this season. I mean, they still won both domestic cups and have just fallen short. So I think Manchester City are really, really interesting.

30:07Rick Edwards:I think we shouldn't be talking about it at the end of this podcast because we were talking about it at the start of August. I think next season's Premier League could be thrillingly unpredictable in terms of the title. I mean, Manchester City finished on 78 points. That is not very impressive, is it, for them? For them? Well, it's not, is it? All right. Well, you know, OK. They haven't won the Premier League for two years. Time for Pep to go. It's a good thing you walked before you got that. Off you go, mate. Can Arsenal beat PSG? Yes. Yes. I mean... Yes. Anything's possible. Yeah. Best defence versus best attack.

30:44Rick Edwards:Yes. I would. You think Arsenal... You'd make Arsenal favourite? I seriously think Arsenal could beat PSG. It's best defence versus best attack. Yeah. Do you think they will, though? I'm going to say yes. I tipped Arsenal to win the Premier League title. I'm going to tip them to win the Champions League. Yeah, why not? I mean, it's a big order. I mean, PSG are probably the best team, certainly the most attractive team to watch. And they don't like hearing this, but they have a far easier domestic competition where they can rest lots of players so that they're all nice and fresh for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

31:17Rick Edwards:But I just think Arsenal having won the league, I think they're a massively underrated team, Arsenal, in terms of how good they are. and I think they can nullify most teams. Well, that's the thing. That defensive solidity is, you know, you can laugh about the fact they score from corners a lot and blah, blah, blah, but fundamentally that team is built on they just don't concede goals. And they've got a brilliant goalkeeper. So I think in a one-off game, in a one-off game, Champions League final, of course they can do it. Yeah, absolutely. Is it Maresca, you reckon, for City? Sounds like it, doesn't it?

31:55Rick Edwards:It certainly seems to be, given that he told Chelsea he was talking to Manchester City in December, which is one of the reasons why, as well as basically saying he didn't want the job, he also told them, oh, yeah, I'm talking to one of our direct rivals in the Premier League about taking over for the... Any good to you? Yeah. Do you want to find me now? Shall I go now? No. Is that all right, if I just go and talk to Man City? Or do you want me to pack my bags? Right, OK, brilliant. Yeah, I would be very surprised if it wasn't Moresco. If you look at the managerial market in terms of who's available, Areola's the curveball, isn't he?

32:29Rick Edwards:He is available this summer, but no, I think all of the chat seems to be it'll be Maresca, who's obviously been assistant in the City before, so well known to the City group executives. Well, let's talk about the European places then and what I really wanted to talk about at the start, which is Bournemouth and Sunderland have secured Europa League football. Brighton will be in the Conference League. Brentford and Chelsea both miss out. And Sunderland. I just think it felt like most people thought Sunderland will go down. Absolutely. I really do. And they have defied expectations in the most extraordinary way.

33:10When was the last time that a newly promoted team finished that high? Don't know. It's Ipswich.

33:16Rick Edwards:It's Ipswich in the early noughties. under George Burley. It's a phenomenal, phenomenal achievement. And we can hear from Sunderland's Trey Hulme. I think, you know, coming up at the start of the season, I don't think anyone even gives us a chance to stay up, never mind, you know, do what we've done. And, you know, it's full credit to the owner and the staff, the players they've brought in, the players they've kept. And, you know, the way we've worked every single day, we've worked our socks off. And, you know, I think we fully deserve that. and especially I mentioned to the fans, they're the heartbeat of the club.

33:54They've been through a lot of tough times and they deserve this moment of the day. You really set about Chelsea from the off. There was a real confidence about your team. No, that comes from us as players. Like I said, we worked really hard throughout the week and the fans, if you didn't see them when we were coming into the stadium, it's absolutely amazing. They give us that extra push to go in there and get after teams. This is their home, never mind ours. and we just go out there and work our socks off for them. Grant Shaka was on the pitch after the game and just saying thank you so much to the supporters, saying this is the beginning, we want more, enjoy the moment.

34:35He has to be one of the shouts for signing of the season, doesn't he?

34:41Rick Edwards:Yeah, absolutely. And he's like a manager on the pitch as well. It's sort of been talked about at length, but he really is. I mean, he drives standards in training. You talk to anybody at Sunderland and Granit Xhaka will come up in conversation about how important he is. And it's not just that he remains a really good player, by the way, a fantastic player, but it's the influence he has on that dressing room. He is Regis Labrissi. In the same way Roy Keane probably was at Manchester United under Ferguson, he is the manager on the pitch. If you watch Sunderland play, he will be issuing instructions to defenders, to forwards.

35:11Rick Edwards:He'll be telling the attacking players which runs to make. He'll be telling the defenders which positions to take. and so in terms of impact as a signing he's right up there probably had more impact on the football club than anyone else so it's just a brilliant story for Sunderland because you have to remember they had to go to their lowest ebb you know they were in League One they had their lowest ever league finish in League One they were in League One for several years they came up through the playoffs and it was a really dark time it was a figure of fun football club it was a Netflix documentary and nothing else it was stripped right back to the bare bones I love that documentary so much, though.

35:46Rick Edwards:So good. It was a great documentary, and I think a lot of some of the supporters liked it, but they were a figure of fun. They were a source of entertainment for all the wrong reasons. And actually, that takes its toll on a fan base after a while. And they're a big, passionate fan base, big club in the north-east of England, football-mad part of the world. They came up via the playoffs again in the Championship. Like you said, after two years of all three promoted teams being relegated, they were tipped to go down. And the job that Regis Labrice has done is phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. They completely rebuilt the team.

36:18Rick Edwards:We talk about clubs getting recruitment wrong. So we talk about West Ham's relegation being because of their terrible recruitment over a sustained period of time. Sunderland got their recruitment absolutely bang on. They shopped around Europe. They brought back, Zaka obviously, back to the Premier League. But they brought young, hungry players. But they mixed them with experience as well. And that actually is an incredibly difficult thing to gel in one pre-season. But they started the season well and then they got the most powerful thing that you could have particularly with the North East clubs when you have the momentum when you have the synergy between the fan base and the football club and the city they are never more powerful and this is Sunderland's greatest season in a generation it's their greatest season since Peter Reid was manager that's how long ago that it is and they are playing in European football for only the second time in their club's history and it's the Europa League they fought about maybe the Conference League it's going to be the Europa League so this makes all of that misery that they had in League 1 all that time they spent being laughed at and mocked, not least by the neighbours at Newcastle.

37:17Rick Edwards:This makes it all worthwhile and this is why I love football and this is why we all hang in there year after year, all through the misery, all through the embarrassments, all through when you just turn up and it's a chore. You hang in there for seasons like this and this is exactly what Sunderland's got and I'm absolutely delighted for them. I really am. And I know how much that will mean to everybody at Sunderland and the football club, but more importantly, the city as well. And it means I'll be back in Europe next season covering them, so that's nice. Oh, well, that's fantastic. News for everyone.

37:44And sort of a parting gift of Europa League football to Bournemouth from Andoni Iriola, who is another one who's done a sensationally good job at Bournemouth and will be, well, we know is a highly, highly sought-after coach, and rightly so.

38:03Rick Edwards:Yeah, and isn't it just brilliant? Look at those three teams you read out, Rick. Sunderland, Bournemouth, Brighton are playing in Europe. Now, that's so important for English football because it just, it gives you hope. It allows everybody to dream. If you're a Wolverhampton Wanderer supporter now, feeling really, really low, because you've had a miserable season. Shout out my dad. That's well, Rick's dad. But you just don't know. There's always that chance that you can turn things around, get things right. And we need to have those stories. You know, you go back to Wimbledon in the 1980s, coming through the leagues and having that period where, you know, they won the FA Cup.

38:37Rick Edwards:You just need that. You need those examples to follow. And Bournemouth, incredible model. You've done well, not to mention Leicester there, by the way. Well, I've done well. Well, Leicester, well, of course Leicester. Well, of course Leicester. But they've gone the other way. They're having the rough side of the coin now, aren't they? They've had their moment in the sun and now they're in League One. But they are where Sutherland were, so not so long ago. So it's great. And Bournemouth, to answer your question, Iriola lost his entire back four, lost Semenyo in January. They play some of the most exciting, pleasant, easy on the eye, sorry, football in the league.

39:09Rick Edwards:and what a story that is as well because they were in league totem not so long ago. They are this generation's Wimbledon, in fact. Will they, without Iriola, will they be able to hold on? They've got some really, really good young players and there are categorically, again, going to be teams sniffing around. Now, given Europa League football, given that they're increasing the capacity, the direction of travel is great for Bournemouth but Iriola must be such, he must have been such a draw for players. And without him, does it make it that little bit harder to hang on to players? Whether it makes it harder, I don't know, Rick, because I'll tell you the one thing in football that talks louder than anything.

39:52Rick Edwards:You can love your manager to bits, right? But if someone offers to double or triple your wages, and that is where Bournemouth are always going to be vulnerable because they will have players that are coveted this summer. you can't keep selling your best players and succeeding I know Brighton and Bournemouth have both done it brilliantly I think there will be a dip for Bournemouth next season I don't want to talk in a negative light but Junior Kruppi Alex Scott Alex Scott Alex Scott I know for a fact he was in a lot of top club shortlists this summer Kruppi will be as well but they are brilliant sellers and I think Bournemouth know, they know when they sign these players, they're quite open about it, they know they will sell them, there will come a point when they have to sell them, but they can also charge absolute top whack for those players because Semenyo's gone to Manchester City and succeeded.

40:50Rick Edwards:So, you know, it is a great stepping stone club. They will already know, even if they celebrate European football, they will already know, but they'll probably lose two at least this summer, but there will be a plan to replace them and that's the difference between well-run football clubs and badly-run football clubs. Will Brighton be disappointed to miss out on Europa League, do you think? Yes, yes, because it's great for them to be in Europe, but they have been in Europe before in the not-so-distant past. Hurlitzer was under pressure and there were calls for him to be sacked a few months ago.

41:23They had such a bad patch. So did Bournemouth. That was incredible.

41:28Rick Edwards:Bournemouth and Brighton both had really bad spells this season and obviously stuck with the managers. I think they will be disappointed just in the manner it happened because it was in their own hands going into the final game this season. Then you get pumped by your favourite club, Manchester United. There will be disappointment. And actually, the financial difference between the Conference League and the Europa League is quite sizeable. But, as Crystal Palace have shown this season, Brighton haven't won a major trophy. So that would be great for them. They've got a real chance of winning silverware.

41:59Rick Edwards:and it is, whether you deride it or not, it is a major trophy. So I think there'll be a little bit of frustration but I also think there'll be immense satisfaction because of that difficult spell you've mentioned, Rick. The fact that they have still recovered and got into Europe and have put some pretty big clubs, finished above them and outperformed them over the course of the season. So again, Brighton, brilliantly run football club, have been for a number of years. So from a brilliantly run football club to a basket case of a football club, Chelsea, who've had such a horrible, horrible end to the season.

42:34No European football next season. I guess that may, in the way that it potentially helped Michael Carrick, maybe that helps Xabi Alonso when he comes in. I don't know. One thing that is very clear is that, and we spoke about this more towards the start of the season, but it really said again, They've got a discipline problem. An eighth Premier League red card in their defeat to Sunderland today.

43:05Rick Edwards:Yes, I don't think that's a good dressing room, Rick. I think we've got a body of evidence now to prove that it's not. I think some of that comes down from the way that these players are recruited and the length of contracts they're in. I think some of it comes down to the churn of managers and the fact that these players think they can outlast managers. I think that Alonso, that is the first thing he's got to get to grips with when he comes in. Not the disciplinary problems as such, just what I mean is the dressing room as a whole. He's got, and I think you're right, I think playing one game a week will help them.

43:38Rick Edwards:But let's not forget, they're the world club champions, Rick. World club champions to a team that does not qualify for Europe. I had forgotten that, actually. But then you can also look at that involvement in that tournament. We all warned about it. We all said at the time, anyone who knows anything about fitness conditioning in football said, they're playing too much football. These players are going to be burnt out this season. You look at Cole Palmer's season, for example, and compare the player from last season to the one who's just been left out of the England squad. I think fatigue does come into it.

44:08Rick Edwards:So that offers mitigating circumstances. Of course it does. But Chelsea are a mess. Their recruitment's been a mess. And I think Alonso needs to get to grips with the dressing room. But he also, I think they have to be true to the word. and they have to move away from this desire to hoover up some of the best young players on long contracts in Europe and they need to add a bit of experience to that dressing room. And I think they need some leaders on the pitch. They need a Granit Xhaka. I don't think they're going to get a Granit Xhaka precisely, but that's the sort of personalities they need in that dressing room, I think.

44:39Rick Edwards:And I think he will benefit from the fact they're not playing in Europe. Of course he will. But this has been an unacceptably bad season for Chelsea. And they only have, again, a bit like West Ham, they only have themselves to blame. I think the real blame lies with the board, rather than the board leading the direction of the whole football club. On the subject of the England squad, briefly before we move on to our end of season awards, which I'm excited about, Morgan Gibbs-White didn't make the England squad, which I think is a travesty. He scored in the one-all draw with Bournemouth today for Forest.

45:16He scored 18 goals this season. I don't know what that guy had to do to get in. Noni Madweke went off injured for Arsenal. I wonder if that is a little opportunity for him. I mean, it should be, shouldn't it?

45:31Rick Edwards:Yeah, it should be next cab off the rank, I would have thought. And worth noting, Morgan Gibbswhite didn't moan, didn't complain, didn't get his mum to moan about his decision not to pick him in the England squad. Unlike Harry Maguire, Morgan Gibbswhite didn't go around to do a load of media interviews, complaining about how good he would have been and how he should be in the squad. Now, Morgan Gibbs-White has done exactly what he should have done. He's kept his own counsel. He's hidden his disappointment. He's internalised it. And now, sure enough, I would have thought if Mathew Aki is missing, I would think Morgan Gibbs-White would get in there because of his versatility.

46:08Rick Edwards:Thomas Tuchel has talked a lot about wanting good characters and good squad members. And by that, I mean people are going to go away from home for seven or eight weeks and live in a hotel who might not be playing, who are not going to be the bad apple in the bunch. So I think Morgan Gibbs-White would have a definite chance. And as you say, 18 goals, wonderful in the league, but it's his versatility and he's captain of Nottingham Forest, which probably tells you a little bit about his character as well. So I think he might be well getting a call if Madiwaki's injury is as bad as it looked. Right, let's do our end of season awards then.

46:42So we'll rattle through these. Player of the year?

46:45Rick Edwards:I voted for in the FWA Bruno Fernandes, so I'm going to stick with that. He's broken the assist record. I know people are mocking the assist record, but when you look at the players he's beaten to this record, I think it's pretty phenomenal. And I just don't think Manchester United would have had anything like the same season they have done if he hadn't have been there all year. Yeah, I think that's it. I think I've just about gone for him as well. It's either him or actually... Who's your other? Well, two others actually. Granit Xhaka, who we've already talked about. Yes. And Maugham Gibbs-White, who we've just spoken about.

47:19The other two players who I think have been so instrumental in their club's seasons in different ways. David Raya? Actually, do you know what? Oh, that's a really good shout. Can I change mine?

47:33Rick Edwards:It's a good shout, isn't it? Can I change mine? Well, I mean, you're the host of the podcast. I've changed mine to David Raya, who has been exquisitely good. I mean, by far the best goalkeeper in the league. Okay, manager of the year. I've got three written down here. Oh, you've got a short list? Yeah, go on. Guess my three. Mikel Arteta? Yeah. Keith Andrews? No. Richie Sabrice? Yes. Areola? Yes. I think he's Areola. Areola? Areola is a different thing, isn't it? and I would go for do you know what I think I would go for Arteta which I know is a bit root one but he really had to do it and he did do it okay that's a fair shout it's a fair shout so my three would have been Arteta Andrews and Libris and I'm going to go for Regis Libris because I just think to get your team promoted in your first season and then give them their best season in a generation in the Premier League in your second gives him the nod for me overachievers of the year this is pretty clearly Sunderland isn't it yeah we'd agree on Sunderland absolutely underachievers well I've got a short list of three Liverpool absolute dross Chelsea awful yes and although they just did narrowly escape relegation Spurs I can't disagree we've been spending too much time together this is what happens now we get groupthink because I absolutely 100 % agree with you.

49:12Rick Edwards:And I think I would probably go with, as funny as it is for me to pick Liverpool, I'm going to go with Tottenham because they have the sixth highest wage bill in the league and they have finished 17th for the second three in a row. I think, and I don't know if this is because I'm a fan, I think I would go Liverpool just because I remember so keenly the feeling before the first game of the season that we were going to absolutely walk this title. You were very giddy, and you were very giddy even when you were playing badly all the way through August and September. It's going to come good. It's going to come good.

49:50I wasn't giddy in the sense I was saying, oh, no, we're playing well. I was like, we are looking quite bad at the moment, but I assume it will come good. And it never did. And I think it's been really, really poor. OK, well, I'll go Tottenham, you go Liverpool. Yeah, fine. Lucky it's going for Chelsea now, I think. And finally then, moment of the year?

50:10Rick Edwards:The moment of this podcast was me recording it. Sorry, I'm going to bring up Alexander Isak again. If you remember, I recorded a podcast and we do them sort of early evening on a Sunday where I said Alexander Isak was definitely staying. I do, of course I remember this. And then switched on my phone after it had been recorded. Yeah. And found out from someone very reliable that in actual fact he was going to be sold. and then having that sort of cold sweat feeling going, the BBC are going to put out this podcast and it's going to be there for everybody to listen to tomorrow with me saying that Alexander Isak is going nowhere.

50:42Rick Edwards:And he'd been sold pretty much while I was recording the podcast. So that was a great moment. Moment of the year, I think it would have to be pretty obvious choice, but Arsenal winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years. All of that emotion, all of that tension, all of that stress and coming through it and doing it. Yeah, I think that's my Premier League moment this season. I think ultimately that is what this season will be remembered for the most. I am going, it's sort of related to that. And it's just a really specific moment within Arsenal's title winning season, which is the City fan with the Arsenal bottle.

51:21It's given me so much joy because obviously that in itself was amazing. And then the memes that have subsequently come out that all of the Arsenal players have been absolutely loving. So him mocked up to look like a bottle with the bottle cap in his head. It's just... I'm a sucker for that stuff. It's so brilliant.

51:42Rick Edwards:That is so good. The performative nature of it all. Yeah. The sort of goading. The goading and how happy he was to have, like, you know, get this attention for doing it. It's perfect. And so happy with himself. It's just perfect. To do that... Yeah, it's karma. And then get completely mugged off. Yes, for the rest of the rest. And mocked by... This doesn't happen very often where a specific fan is getting mocked by a load of professional footballers from other teams. It's the world we live in, though, isn't it? It's a fantastic world. It's a world I don't fully understand, but you're right. That is absolutely brilliant.

52:20Rick Edwards:I hope the poor guy has some good people around him because he's going to need them this summer. Oh, bore off. Who cares? Thank you. Thank you very much. Luke, for a largely enjoyable season, I'd say. Yeah, I think largely. I think we've bickered, we've fought. But in the main, I think we've entertained each other and I hope we've entertained our growing number of listeners as well. I'm not sure I've heard anything about a growing number of listeners, but OK, I mean, the disappointing thing is, as you said, we do appear to be sort of synchronising with our opinions, which is very disappointing.

52:52We need to have a look at that for next season. Right, Crystal Palace and Arsenal still have European finals this week. Palace in the Conference League final on Wednesday night. Arsenal against PSG in the Champions League final on Saturday, all on Five Live. That is it for the Premier League review this season. I'm going to be back throughout the World Cup, actually, with Lloyd Griffith to bring you daily reaction from the United States. So join us for that. The Monday Nightclub will be your next episode of Football Daily. Thanks for listening.

53:30Are we including Dame in your title now? You know how much an honour that is. And it's remarkable team! And it's remarkable women! We want to play in a way that they can show their skills, so that's what we're trying to do. Win the World Cup. It's a dream. Listen. With the BBC Sounds app. This episode sponsored by Forkfall. Most meal delivery services promise healthy food, But look closer, and you'll often find cheap industrial seed oils hiding in the ingredients. Forkful does things differently. Forkful delivers chef-prepared meals made with premium ingredients you'd expect at a great restaurant, from center-cut filet mignon to wild-caught lobster mac and cheese.

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From the publisher

Was it a case of too little too late for West Ham? Can Tottenham break the cycle of consecutive 17th place finishes next season under Roberto De Zerbi? And are we set for a period of Arsenal dominance at the top of the Premier League?

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards joins Rick Edwards to discuss all of that and Sunderland’s remarkable return to the topflight, securing Europa League football next season.

Matt Jarvis joins us to talk about West Ham’s relegation to the Championship and we hear from the club’s captain Jarrod Bowen.

Plus, we’ll hear from Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s title celebrations at Selhurst Park and Trey Hume after Sunderland’s seventh place finish.

TIMECODES: 03:13 – West Ham relegated 06:20 – Jarrod Bowen interview 11:37 – Matt Jarvis joins the pod 16:47 – Tottenham survive 22:32 – Is it time for a period of Arsenal dominance? 22:57 – Mikel Arteta interview 30:42 – Sunderland for Europe 31:30 - Trey Hume interview 35:47 – European football for Bournemouth and Brighton 43:01 – Morgan Gibbs-White unlucky to miss out on the World Cup 44:43 – Premier League Review end of season awards

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