After Arsenal secured the title on Matchday 37, all attention turns to the relegation race and the battle for European football. There is so much on the line on the final day of the season, which is set to be a gripping conclusion! We bring you our best bets for the final day's action below.
EPL 2025-26: Matchday 38 Preview & Betting Tips
Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth
City Ground, Monday 25th May, 1:00am AEST
Bournemouth secured a position in the Europa League, and secured the Premier League title with their 1-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday. However, thanks to Aston Villa winning the Europa League on Thursday morning, there is a possibility that Bournemouth can qualify for the Champions League. If Aston Villa fall to fifth place, which would require Villa losing to City and Liverpool defeating Brentford, then Bournemouth would qualify for Champions League football by finishing sixth with the European Performance Spot.
Nottingham Forest have nothing to play for, with their survival in the Premier League secured thanks to a late season resurgence. Bournemouth’s rise this season has come on the back of the improvement in their attacking game, scoring 57 goals, ranked fifth in the Premier League. The Cherries have had a great spread of goal scorers this season, led by Junior Kroupi, who has scored a team high 13 goals.
With an opportunity to qualify for Champions League football, expect Bournemouth to come out all guns blazing. The Cherries have a brilliant record against Forest, with a 4-3-0 record in their last seven Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, with their last two games resulting in wins of 2-0 and 5-0. Forest have struggled at home this season, winning just four of their eighteen games at the City Ground this season, and that trend will continue on Monday.
Bournemouth to Win
$2.10 (1.5 Units)
Tottenham vs Everton
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Monday 25th May, 1:00am AEST
It’s amazing to think a club the size of Tottenham, who won a European title just last season, are in a fight to avoid relegation on the final day of the season. However that is the reality that faces Spurs, who sit two points clear of West Ham, heading into Matchday 38. Fortunately for Tottenham, they control their own destiny and thanks to their 12 goal difference advantage on the Hammers, a draw will be enough to secure safety. Spurs should have been able to scrape a point last week against Chelsea given how they were in general play, but they couldn’t capitalise against an out of form Chelsea side.
Both Everton and Tottenham have lacked polish in the final third this season, scoring 47 goals, ranked equal 12th. Everton don’t have a single player who has reached double digit goals this season, while Richarlison (11) is Tottenham’s only player with more than four goals. The big question will be if Everton bring a high level of tenacity, with nothing to gain from this game, on the back of a horrible run of form that has seen them fail to win their last six matches.
Knowing that a point is all they need, you can expect Tottenham to pull out all the stops from a defensive aspect in this clash. Everton have struggled to maintain possession this season, ranking 17th in the Premier League averaging just 43.5% possession. Spurs should be able to expose this deficiency to their advantage and protect their struggling defence. Tottenham will be doing everything they can to grab that desperately needed point against an Everton side that has well and truly struggled over the last six weeks.
West Ham vs Leeds United
London Stadium, Monday 25th May, 1:00am AEST
West Ham faces a nervous final day of the Premier League season, needing a lot to go right to ensure they avoid heading to the Championship for the first time since 2011/12. The Hammers have lost three straight games and come up against a Leeds United side that are on an eight game unbeaten run, with their last defeat coming in March. Leeds’ excellent late season form has helped them avoid relegation, however they don’t have anything to gain from the final game of the season, with their highest possible place being 11th.
Both clubs have been horrendous in defence this season, West Ham have conceded 65 goals, the third most in the league, while Leeds have conceded 53, the fifth most. Whichever defence can hold it together the best across 90 minutes will go a long way towards winning this clash. These sides have been relatively well matched in recent years, with West Ham holding a slight head to head advantage at 4-1-2 since Leeds were promoted in 2020 .
We have seen in recent weeks that sides that desperately need wins have often come out on top against clubs that have nothing to play for, and with their Premier League status on the time, West Ham will be desperate on Monday morning. The trip to London will be a difficult one for Leeds who are one of the worst away teams in the Premier League, with a 2-9-7 record, ranked 18th. With everything at stake, the Hammers will find a way to get the three points, but will it be enough to avoid relegation?
West Ham to Win
$1.80 (1 Unit)
