Confident Liverpool and lucky loser Chelsea are in the Champions League! Bale sends Foxes to the Europa League

What an ending to an already mesmerizing season! After 38 rounds of English top tier football, we have all the participants of the upcoming Champions League.

It was a Premier League thriller on Sunday afternoon across England. During the decisive 90 minutes all three Champions League contenders saw themselves out of the wanted spots.

Here is the timeline of the battle for the last two Champions League spots.

It started with Chelsea at third, Leicester one point behind them and with Liverpool trying to leave that 5th place.

Leicester took the lead against Tottenham at King Power Stadium in the 18th minute via Jamie Vardy's penalty.

In such scenario Foxes were third, Chelsea fell to fourth and Liverpool were stuck at that fifth spot.

However, in the 36th minute, Liverpool's Senegalese forward Sadio Mane scored and propelled the Reds up to third behind the Manchester teams.

At that point, Chelsea saw themselves fifth and already thinking they need to win in the Champions League final against Man City to clinch participation in the same competition next year.

Out of nowhere, in Leicester, Harry Kane scored an equalizer which changed the standings - Foxes were behind Chelsea again.

And then - in the 43rd minute - Chelsea were down by a goal against Villa. Former Chelsea footballer, Burkinabe Bertrand Traore scored out of a great corner kick play.

Ironically, Chelsea were hailing Kane's name because that draw at King Power Stadium was a lifeline for the London Blues.

Second half started with Liverpool holding firmly to that third, Chelsea were still alive at fourth even though losing to Villa and Leicester were chasing another lead against the Spurs so they could desert that 5th spot.

And Foxes got that lead in the 52nd minute - Vardy won a questionable penalty for Brendan Rogers' squad and confidently converted it to a 2-1 lead.

With that goal by Vardy Chelsea were shunned out of the Champions League.

Not only that but Thomas Tuchel's team conceded one more. It was again Burkinabe international Traore - he was fouled inside Chelsea's box by Jorginho.

Anwar El Ghazi calmly tricked Kepa Arrizabalaga who substituted Sengalese Edouard Mendy at halftime.

Scoreboards were still until Chelsea scored in the 70th minute - Ben Chilwell sent the ball behind Emilio Martinez to heighten the tension even more. Regardless, Blues needed either to score 2 more goals or for Tottenham to level the score against Leicester.

In the 76th minute, the latter happened as Leicester skipper Kasper Schmeichel scored a bizarre own goal.

At Anfield, Liverpool grabbed that 3rd spot and were not letting go. Mane scored his second in the 74th minute - Jurgen Klopp's squad were in the clear.

Just a couple of minutes before the final whistle, Gareth Bale smashed Foxes' dreams of avoiding Europa League with two goals. Welshman turned the score around after Harry Kane assisted him for the first.

Incredible Kane ended the Premier League campaign as the footballer with most goals and assists (23/14) beating Egyptian Mohamed Salah for the Premier League Golden Boot.

And what was even more more important - Tottenham reached Conference League and ended the campaign in front of their archrivals Arsenal.

Classy Aguero bows out of Premier League football with two goals

Devastating outcome for Leicester - they were in the top four for over 200 days but eventually have to make their peace with playing in the second best European club competition.

Chelsea owe huge thanks to Spurs as Tuchel's side does not depend on the outcome of their Champions League final that is being played in six days against Man City.

PREMIER LEAGUE - FINAL DAY

Sunday

Arsenal - Brighton 2-0 (0-0)

/Pepe 49, 60/

Aston Villa - Chelsea 2-1 (1-0)

/Traore 43, El Ghazi 52 pen - Chillwell 70/

Fulham - Newcastle 0-2 (0-1)

/Willock 23, Schar 88 pen/

Leeds United - West Brom 3-1 (2-0)

/Rodrigo 17, Phillips 42, Bamford 79 pen - Robson-Kanu 90/

Leicester - Tottenham 2-4 (1-1)

/Vardy 18 pen, 52 pen - Kane 41, Schmeichel 76 og, Bale 87, 90/

Liverpool - Crystal Palace 2-0 (1-0)

/Mane 36, 74/

Manchester City - Everton 5-0 (2-0)

/De Bruyne 11, Jesus 14, Foden 53, Aguero 71, 76/

Sheffield United - Burnley 1-0 (1-0)

/McGoldrick 24/

West ham - Southampton 3-0 (2-0)

/Fornals 30, 33, Rice 86/

Wolverhampton - Manchester United 1-2 (1-2)

/Semedo 39 - Elanga 13, Mata 45 pen/