It has been another memorable Premier League campaign, with plenty of fine individual performances.
Here, the PA news agency picks out 11 players who have impressed over the 2022-23 season.
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Gunners stopper Ramsdale has enjoyed a stand-out campaign. The 25-year-old, who recently signed a new long-term contract, produced a string of fine saves to help rescue positive results which would otherwise have seen Arsenal’s title bid fade much earlier. England international Ramsdale has kept 13 clean sheets heading into the final weekend to rank among the Premier League’s best goalkeepers.
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle)
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Signed from Atletico Madrid during January 2022, full-back Trippier, continued his integration this season to become one of the key voices in the Magpies dressing room as Eddie Howe’s transformed squad pushed towards a top-four finish. As well as offering a threat from free-kicks, the England defender also provided an outlet on the overlap to supply Newcastle’s marauding forward line. Trippier, voted Newcastle’s player of the season, also topped the statistics for crosses.
William Saliba (Arsenal)
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Frenchman Saliba – who had loan spells at former club Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille – enjoyed a superb debut season in the Premier League before a back injury curtailed his progress in mid-March and in turn perhaps also derailed Arsenal’s title drive. The Gunners won almost 80 per cent of the 27 league matches in which Saliba played, conceding an average of just under a goal per game, which showed how much of a key part of the defence he was.
Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
Long-serving club captain Dunk played an integral role in the progress under new Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi, which resulted in his recall to the England squad for the first time in five years. Revelling in a quarter-back role at the centre of defence, Dunk has proved a key link in Brighton’s fast transition style which won so many plaudits. The 31-year-old has produced more than 3,200 completed passes this season – which set him top of the overall league statistics – as Brighton secured European qualification for the first time in the club’s history.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
England left-back Shaw has excelled under new United boss Erik ten Hag this season. Shaw’s consistency and versatility has also seen him deployed in the centre of United’s defence when required.
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Gunners captain Odegaard has led by example this season, both creatively and clinically as he weighed in with 15 Premier League goals. The Norway playmaker was always on the front foot looking to make space for those around him or often finding a slide-rule pass when nothing appeared on.
Declan Rice (West Ham)
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The Irons may have been scrapping for points to stay clear of the relegation battle for much of the Premier League campaign, but midfielder Rice tackled every game full on as if they were in a title charge. The England midfielder also played an integral part in helping David Moyes’ side reach the final of the Europa Conference League.
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Belgium captain De Bruyne passed a century of Premier League assists this season, becoming only the fifth player to do so. The 31-year-old again tops the domestic statistics so far with 16 as his regular supply line to City’s forwards continued to pay dividends. De Bruyne also played a central role in City’s run to the Champions League final, scoring a fine equaliser away to Real Madrid the first leg of the semi-final.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Another instrumental player in Arsenal’s drive to the top of the table which had looked to set them on course for a first title since the ‘Invincibles’ 2003-04 campaign. However, the 21-year-old’s influence drifted over the final weeks of the campaign as the Gunners’ championship dream faded, with the last of his 13 league goals coming in the 3-3 draw against Southampton. Nevertheless, Saka was still one of the stand-out players of the season.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
While it may have been another turbulent season for Tottenham, Kane continued to try to push the team on with 28 Premier League goals. Kane became Spurs’ all-time record scorer when his 267th strike for the club in the 1-0 win over Manchester City during February saw him pass the long-standing mark of Jimmy Greaves. The 29-year-old also went ahead of Wayne Rooney as England’s leading scorer and overtook the former Manchester United striker in total Premier League goals, sitting now behind only Alan Shearer.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Haaland has enjoyed a remarkable first season after moving to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund. Any questions over how the 22-year-old would adapt to the hustle and bustle of Premier League football were soon put to bed as he scored a record nine goals in his first five games, with hat-tricks against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. Haaland’s staggering return – his current tally of 36 in the Premier League is another record – helped fire City to the title once again as well as into the finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League, with Pep Guardiola’s side now chasing the treble.
Coventry City 2-3 Hull City: Tigers win five-goal thriller to keep play-off hopes alive
Hull City kept their hopes of gatecrashing the Championship play-offs alive with a thrilling 3-2 win over beaten FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City on Wednesday.
Noah Ohio scored the winner with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute as Hull moved within three points of sixth-placed Norwich City with two games to play.
Coventry, meanwhile, saw their own hopes of returning to Wembley Stadium for a second successive play-off final all but ended, as they sit six points further back with three matches remaining.
Three days on from their remarkable comeback against Manchester United, the Sky Blues twice fought back to level things at Coventry Building Society Arena. Jaden Philogene's shot squirmed under goalkeeper Bradley Collins to put Hull ahead 31 minutes in, but Kasey Palmer levelled within five minutes with a stunning free-kick.
Hull went back ahead in controversial circumstances on the stroke of half-time, Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho converting from the penalty spot despite replays showing Joel Latibeaudiere's foul on Liam Delap took place outside the area.
Mark Robins' men again dragged themselves back into the game as Bobby Thomas headed Jay Dasilva's cross in just before the hour mark, but it was Liam Rosenior's visitors who found a winner.
Thomas went from hero to villain as his poor back pass sold Collins short, and Ohio got a toe to the ball to score the winner, keeping Hull's hopes of Premier League football intact.
Van Dijk: Liverpool have 'no chance' in title race after derby defeat
Virgil van Dijk conceded Liverpool might be out of the Premier League title race after they suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat to Everton in Wednesday's Merseyside derby.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in either half to give the Toffees their first win over Liverpool at Goodison Park since 2010.
Liverpool struggled to find a way through the Toffees' defence despite dominating for long periods, and the Reds' captain says they will not outlast Arsenal and Manchester City without major improvements.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk said: "If we play like today, then we have no chance to consider ourselves in the title race.
"We have to just focus on the next game and that will be a tough one anyway, so we will see.
"We're very disappointed, in so many ways. I think everyone has to look at their own performances. Did they really give everything, and do they really want to win the league?
"We're still fighting and there are still games after tonight, but if we play like we did overall in the game today – not winning challenges and giving the referee a chance to give free-kicks like he did many times, then you have no chance to win the title."
Howe: Newcastle performance in Palace defeat 'way off' Spurs win
Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle United's performance in the 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Wednesday was "way off" the one that saw them thump Tottenham in their previous game.
Howe's men hammered Spurs 4-0 in their last match, but they never got close to matching the attacking verve from that outing and a Jean-Philippe Mateta double condemned the Magpies to defeat at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle didn't even manage a shot on target until the 87th minute, accumulating just 0.42 xG (expected goals) as the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon struggled to make an impact.
Only against Manchester City in August (one) have Newcastle recorded fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season than their two against Palace, and Howe was critical of his team's display in the loss, one that all but ends their hopes of finishing in the top four.
"[It is a] bad day for us," Howe told Newcastle's club media.
"I thought we were disappointing today, especially in the first 60 minutes. We were way off our levels against Tottenham and our best levels.
"I thought technically we didn't deliver a good performance, and out of possession I don't think it was a particularly good performance either."
Newcastle were unlocked twice for Mateta to score by a Palace side who themselves only generated 0.88 xG.
Howe was left frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, adding: "I think we'll be disappointed with our performance technically today, and that's probably epitomised by the two goals where we're disappointed with how we've given them the ball in those situations and then how we defended.
"I think the goals sum up aspects of our performance where there was some good, lots of moments that could have led to opportunities, but we were slow to shoot around the box," he said.
The defeat, combined with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United, means Newcastle drop to seventh, while eighth-placed West Ham are two points behind with a game in hand.
Newcastle have now lost eight of their last 11 Premier League away games, while they have lost on four occasions in London in the league this term, only doing so more times in a Premier League season in 2000-01 and 2005-06 (both five).
It's been a disappointing season for Howe and his side, especially compared to the heroics of last term when Newcastle finished in the top four, and the Magpies boss knows there's work to be done to get back to those levels.
"It's a day that we have to take our punishment, deal with it, and then try and improve," Howe continued. "It's frustrating because we know we're capable of much better."
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