Substitute Mame Biram Diouf scored a late winner for Stoke as they recorded a 2-1 win over West Ham in the final game of the season but the Hammers could still qualify for the Europa League.
Slaven Bilic's side looked to be in pole position after Michail Antonio had fired them into the lead in the first half.
But second half strikes from Giannelli Imbula and Diouf's late header ensured Stoke came away with all three points at the Britannia Stadium.
With Southampton beating Crystal Palace the Hammers are now relying on Manchester United to beat Palace in the FA Cup Final next weekend to keep alive their hopes of playing in Europe.
Bilic will be wondering how his side failed to get anything from the game after they created the best chances and were just millimetres from scoring the crucial second goal after Cheikhou Kouyate's shot was cleared off the line by Glenn Whelan.
With Dimitri Payet ruled out with an ankle injury the Hammers faced an extra challenge of trying to secure all three points.
But they still dominated the first half proceedings and got off to the perfect start when they opened the scoring on 23 minutes.
Manuel Lanzini's deep corner picked out Winston Reid who headed the ball back for Antonio who produced a clever turn inside the box and fired a low shot past Shay Given.
After scoring the crucial equaliser against Manchester United in the final home game on Tuesday, Antonio was determined to show off his new celebration once again as he celebrated his ninth goal of the season for the Hammers.
Antonio was causing all kinds of problems for the Stoke defence and came close to adding his second of the game on 26 minutes when he burst towards the box and struck the ball inches over the bar.
Antonio then turned provider sixty seconds later as he played the perfect ball into Diafra Sakho inside the box and he drilled a low shot just wide of the post.
It was all one-way traffic and the Hammers continued to mount pressure on the Stoke goal.
They came close again on 34 minutes when James Tomkins played a neat ball into Cheikhou Kouyate who saw his deflected shot fall inches over the bar.
The Hammers were strong defensively and only had one threat to deal with on 39 minutes when Bojan cut inside from the left hand side and drilled a low shot just wide of the goal but Darren Randolph appeared to have the shot well covered diving low to his left.
West Ham kept pushing for a second goal and should have doubled their lead on 51 minutes.
Antonio burst clear of the Stoke defence once again before crossing in for Sakho who only had Given to beat but he fired his close-range shot straight at the Republic of Ireland keeper.
The Hammers were made to pay as Stoke drew level on 55 minutes with their first shot on target as Imbula struck a left-foot shot past Randolph into the corner of the net.
Bilic made two changes bringing on Enner Valencia and Emmanuel Emenike as he looked to find that crucial second goal.
And the change almost paid off straight away as Valencia blew a golden chance to make it two for the Hammers on 70 minutes.
Mark Noble's deep cross into the box picked out the Ecuador international who headed the ball just over the bar.
With results going against the Hammers, they needed a second goal to guarantee European football for next season and they were desperately unlucky not to clinch a winner.
Lanzini's corner on 76 minutes fell to Kouyate who saw his shot blocked by Whelan. The rebound fell to Valencia whose close-range shot was blocked by Given and then the Stoke keeper produced another fine save to deny Emenike.
You could sense it was not going to be West Ham's day after Whelan then came to Stoke's rescue once again on 78 minutes when Valencia's over head kick fell to Kouyate who got the slightest of touches and his shot was cleared off the line by the Stoke midfielder.
Stoke substitute Charlie Adam tried an audacious chip from his own half and his 50 yard shot was tipped over the bar by Randolph.
Despite all the Hammers dominance, it was Stoke who grabbed a late winner on 88 minutes when Diouf directed a close-range header into the roof of the net.
The Hammers will now be relying on United to do them a big favour at Wembley next weekend and keep alive their dreams of playing in the Europa League.
Stoke City: Given, Cameron, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters, Whelan, Walters, Arnautovic, Imbula, Bojan (Adam 78), Joselu (Diouf 73)
Subs not used: Haugaard, Bardsley, Muniesa, Shaqiri, Crouch
Bookings: Imbula, Diouf
West Ham: Randolph, Tomkins (Moses 86), Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Antonio, Lanzini, Sakho (Emenike 61), Carroll (Valencia 66)
Subs not used: Spiegel, Byram, Collins, Obiang
Bookings: Kouyate
Referee: Mike Jones
Attendance: 27,721