Man City, Liverpool finish in top four

Manchester City and Liverpool claimed the last two Champions League qualifying spots with comfortable wins yesterday that meant Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal missed out on Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 20 years.

The big guns blew away the rest on the final day of the Premier League season - City thrashing Watford 5-0 and Liverpool beating relegated Middlesbrough 3-0 - to leave the top six places exactly as they had been at the start of play.

That meant Arsenal failed to qualify for Champions League football for the first time since Wenger became manager in 1996.

Despite beating Everton 3-1 with only 10 men - defender Laurent Koscielny was sent off and will miss the FA Cup final against champions Chelsea this weekend - Wenger’s team was left stranded in fifth position as Manchester City and Liverpool finished in the top four behind Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Latest media reports have indicated that Wenger will sign a new contract whatever the result at Wembley Stadium, in the face of disillusionment with his stewardship by many Arsenal fans.

On a day full of goals - 37 in the 10 matches - Tottenham led the way with a 7-1 thumping of hosts Hull City four days after winning 6-1 away to dethroned champions Leicester City. England striker Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the week to finish as the clear winner of the Golden Boot with 29 goals from only 30 games.

Chelsea’s 93 points was the second highest total since the Premier League began in 1992 and they became the first Premier League team to register 30 victories in one season.

Antonio Conte’s side was presented with the trophy after beating bottom club Sunderland 5-1 at Stamford Bridge, where departing club captain John Terry made an emotional farewell speech to the crowd.