Newcastle took a major step toward UEFA Champions League qualification in Premier League matchweek 36 after they defeated Chelsea at St. James’ Park on Sunday afternoon. As with last week, the race for UCL qualification continues to dominate the remainder of the 2024/25 Premier League, and the weekend produced some shocking results.
Manchester City surprisingly failed to beat Southampton at St. Mary’s. Nottingham Forest also dropped points at home against Leicester City and missed the chance to climb above Chelsea and return to the UCL places.
Manchester United lost at home once again this season, and Tottenham Hotspur also suffered defeat, as both clubs rested players ahead of the UEFA Europa League final.
Let’s rank the top five players from Premier League Matchweek 36:
Marc Guehi

Guehi delivered a commanding performance in defence for Crystal Palace as the South London side defeated Tottenham in North London. He completed 90% of his passes, created one big chance from defence, won three tackles, and also made five clearances and eight recoveries to help Palace keep a clean sheet away from home.
Sandro Tonali

Sandro Tonali impressed against Chelsea, helping Newcastle move closer to sealing a UEFA Champions League spot. The Italian opened the scoring early in the match and remained defensively solid throughout, helping his side shut out Chelsea.
Alphonse Areola

West Ham delivered one of their best performances under Graham Potter against Manchester United, and Alphonse Areola played a crucial role in keeping United scoreless. The French goalkeeper made five top-class saves to deny the visitors.
Morgan Gibbs-White

Manchester City linked Gibbs-White, scored and assisted in Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City. The English midfielder did everything possible to push his team back into the UCL race, but they conceded late and dropped points against already relegated Leicester.
Eberechi Eze

Eberechi Eze scored in the 45th and 48th minutes to hand Spurs their 20th Premier League defeat of the season. He finished off two swift counter-attacks—tapping in both goals after brilliant runs from Munoz and Ismaila Sarr.
Eberechi Eze tops the list as the best player in Premier League Matchweek 36.