Weekend Review: Draw delight for layers in final Premier League weekend

The final Premier League weekend of the 2025-26 season went the way of the bookies as West Ham’s relegation to the Championship was confirmed.

The Hammers (7/10) beat Leeds 3-0 at the London Stadium, but Tottenham’s (9/10) 1-0 win against a lacklustre Everton meant the north Londoners survived by two points.

Midnite’s sportsbook lead Alex Firth said: “On the final day of the Premier League it all hung in the balance for Tottenham and West Ham for relegation, with Spurs going into the day 9/2 for relegation, West Ham 1/8.

“West Ham did their job beating Leeds 3-0 having been 4/6 pre match. However, Tottenham also won (17/20 pre match) which guaranteed their safety.”

Outside of the relegation battle, the layers were pleased as Manchester City and Liverpool failed to deliver on matchday 38.

City fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa (5/1) in Pep Guardiola’s final game in charge. Liverpool’s stuttering season ended with a 1-1 draw (3/1) with Brentford at Anfield.

Burnley and Wolves playing out a 1-1 draw (5/2) and the same scoreline between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth were also well received by operators.

Betfred’s Alan Firkins said: “Arsenal, odds-against as recently as about three weeks ago, in the end cantered to the Premier League title some seven points clear of Manchester City.

“They won 2-1 at Crystal Palace but there were far more bookmaker-friendly outcomes at City (losing at home to an excellent Aston Villa 2-1), Liverpool (a 1-1 Anfield draw with Brentford), plus welcome similar stalemates at Burnley and Forest.”

Arsenal winning the league for the first time in 22 years was also a boost, given punters’ lumping on Liverpool to retain the title at the start of the season.

Arne Slot’s side spent almost £400m in the summer, bringing in the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, before finishing fifth and 25 points behind the Gunners.

Sunderland will play European football next season after a remarkable season under Régis Le Bris.

The newly promoted side were widely expected to be relegated, but a seventh-place finish means Europa League football will be heading to the Stadium of Light.

Firkins continued: “Sunderland joined in, humbling Chelsea at the Stadium of Light 2-1 to confirm Europa League football on Wearside next term, and we’re paying out plenty of shrewdies who supported them at 33s and then 25s for a top-half finish.

“At the season’s start the world and his/her better half wanted to be on Liverpool for a repeat given their omnipotence in 2024-25 and we laid them accordingly, so Arsenal was a highly respectable result.”

Firth added: “Sunderland (11/5) beat Chelsea 2-1 to leapfrog them and finish their season in seventh whilst Ollie Watkins grabbed a brace (14/1) in a 2-1 win away at Man City.”

In horseracing, Precise (4/1) won the Irish 1,000 Guineas to get over her Newmarket disappointment at the start of May. Precise edged out the favourite True Love (4/6).

It was double delight at the Curragh for trainer Aidan O’Brien after favourite Gtsaad cruised to victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Gtsaad went off as the 4/11 favourite and looked relaxed throughout, going clear in the final furlong, with 5/1 Distant Storm in second.

Firkins said: “I fancied and backed Aidan O’Brien’s Precise to win the Betfred 1,000 Guineas at the beginning of the month at Newmarket, but she was drawn low in the two box, and that side of the track struggled all day.

“No surprise then that she showed that form to be highly questionable by winning the Irish equivalent handsomely by two-and-a-half lengths at the Curragh on Sunday under Wayne Lourdan at 4/1, beating HQ heroine, stablemate and hot favourite True Love.”

Firth added: “The Irish Guineas were dominated by Aidan O’Brien with two impressive winners in Gstaad (4/11f) and Precise (4/1). However, one of his big guns, Minnie Hauk, failed to show her best in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and will need to bounce back on her next assignment.”