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2019 Mané Scores Brace But Crystal Palace End Season On A High
With 5-3 Victory Over Bournemouth
15th, Michy Batshuayi’s brace helped Crystal Palace to a 5-3 win

May Liverpool Can Only against AFC Bournemouth at Selhurst Park.
Palace took the lead after 24 minutes, with Wilfried Zaha’s
| Finish In Second Place deflected cross prodded home at the back post by Batshuayi.
EXAMINER iverpool’s dreams of a first goal at the Etihad Stadium in Tottenham in Madrid it would ing in Aaron Wan–Bissaka’s cross.
The Belgian striker added a second eight minutes later, slid-

Jack Simpson’s own goal made it 3-0 before AFC
Bournemouth pulled a goal back through Jefferson Lerma’s
be no small consolation.
league title in 29 years were January – the only league game
IRISH Lcrusheddespitea2-0winover they lost this season. against side after concussion, winning stunning strike.
Mohamed Salah, back in the
turnaround
Jordon Ibe made the score 3-2 after 56 minutes but Patrick
The
Wolves.
Sadio Máne’s 25th and 26th Barcelona had made the near- back-to-back Premier League van Aanholt linked up with Zaha to restore Palace’s two-goal
goals of the season upheld their impossible realistically achiev- Golden Boots with 22 for the lead nine minutes later.
end of the bargain on a tense able for Reds fans but this was campaign – sharing it with Joshua King pulled another goal back for the Cherries but
and occasionally surreal final one miracle too far. Mane and Arsenal’s Pierre- Palace had the last say through Andros Townsend to end the
day of the Premier League cam- With destiny not in their Emerick Aubameyang – is campaign in 12th place on 49 points, while AFC Bournemouth
paign – but there was no fairy- own hands on this occasion another sign of the quality and finish 14th, four points back. C
tale finish as Manchester City there was nothing Liverpool consistency Klopp is now get-
won 4-1 at Brighton to extend could do to influence one final, ting out of this squad. Newcastle Demolish Fulham At Craven Cottage
the Anfield wait to be champi- dramatic last-day twist. It has not gone unnoticed by Fulham were overpowered by an impressive Newcastle
ons again. Having taken an early lead principal owner John W Henry, United, who ran out 4-0 winners at Craven Cottage, leapfrog-
The Reds’ great manager Bill they were top of the league for who congratulated Klopp on ging AFC Bournemouth to finish 13th.
Shankly once insisted “first is 21 minutes until City recovered the Barcelona win in a trans- The Magpies took the lead on nine minutes when Matt
first and second is nowhere” but from a surprise early deficit at Atlantic phone call on Tuesday Ritchie’s corner picked out Jonjo Shelvey, who rifled in a pow-
that would be harsh on this cur- Brighton. but was here in person to see erful shot beyond goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
rent team’s achievements. The Seagulls exceeded the season’s league climax. Two minutes later, Christian Atsu sprinted into the penalty
To put their season into per- expectations by scoring but But it was Máne, the player area and brought a save from Rico, but Ayoze Pérez converted
spective a record runners-up even at Anfield, a place where who has had the best second the rebound to make it 2-0.
points tally of 97 is the third- hope springs eternal, there was half of the season, who broke Ryan Sessegnon and Aleksandar Mitrovic both went close
highest in the top-flight’s histo- a resignation a team 17th in the the deadlock and had fans for Fulham before half-time.
ry, beaten only by City’s 98 this table with just three draws in a dreaming of what might be But after the break, Fabian Schär’s towering header made it
season and 100 last. nine-match winless run heading after 17 minutes. 3-0 on 61 minutes, before Salomon Rondon added a final-
Before Tuesday’s remark- into the weekend would not Jordan Henderson and Trent minute fourth, as Fulham’s run of six straight home league wins
able 4-0 comeback against produce the goods for them. Alexander-Arnold combined against Newcastle ended.
Barcelona to reach a second suc- Fans’ pessimism was not down the right and Mane side- Fulham finish 19th, having already been relegated, with
cessive Champions League final misplaced. However, it has footed home his 21st league Newcastle gaining one place on 45 points. C
manager Jurgen Klopp had said been the only occasion in this goal of the season via a deflect-
if they did not get through they wonderful season in which fans ed cross from the England full- Saints Held To A Draw By The Terriers
would “fail beautifully”. have shown a lack of belief. back, whose 12th Premier Alex Pritchard scored for Huddersfield Town as they fin-
If there is such a thing then Klopp’s vow when he League assist set a new single- ished off their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw at
they did it in the Premier arrived at the club was to turn campaign record for a defender. Southampton.
League. doubters into believers and with A roar reverberated around The midfielder capitalized on an error from Southampton
Such fine margins decided a fourth final – two in the Anfield which, at first, was a goalkeeper Angus Gunn to level in the 55th minute.
this title race and for Liverpool Champions League – pending false alarm about a ghost goal at Nathan Redmond had put Saints in front with a superb long-
it effectively came down to 11 in three and a half years and a the Amex but then genuine range strike in the 41st minute.
millimeters, the distance goal nail-biting title challenge com- news filtered through of James Ward-Prowse went close to a second spectacular goal
line technology decided Mane’s pleted he has achieved that. Brighton scoring first to send for Saints, but Huddersfield goalkeeper Joel Coleman tipped his
shot was from going in for what If they were to lift a sixth the noise levels rocketing. shot on to the crossbar.
would have been the opening European Cup on June 1 against For 83 seconds the ground But Pritchard’s goal earned a draw that moved bottom club
was filled with hope and unbri- Huddersfield up to 16 points.
dled joy, only to be quelled Southampton finished in 16th on 39 points. C
moments later when Sergio
Agüero equalized for City. West Ham Leapfrog Watford On Final Day
Still, Liverpool pushed and West Ham United leapfrogged Watford and sealed a 10th-
Salah volleyed over before Matt place finish as they claimed a 4-1 victory over the 10-man
Doherty hit the crossbar with Hornets at Vicarage Road.
the visitors’ only chance of the Searching for their third straight win, the Hammers took
half. the lead on 15 minutes when Mark Noble drove into the
With the realization the title Watford area and finished into the bottom corner.
was gone the hosts came out
flat after the break and Wolves Manuel Lanzini doubled the lead on 39 minutes with a
should have capitalized. header after Michail Antonio’s shot came off the bar but just
However, despite decent after the break Gerard Deulofeu pulled a goal back for the
chances for Raul Jimenez and hosts.
Diego Jota, they did not. Two minutes after scoring, Watford had Jose Holebas sent
Máne’s diving header from off for bringing down Antonio when through on goal. West
another Alexander-Arnold Ham took advantage, with Marko Arnautovic and Noble’s
cross, in the 82nd minute, penalty sealing the win.
ensured the day ended on a high West Ham end the campaign in 10th, two points ahead of
and Madrid now awaits for one Watford. C
last shot at glory. C