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Tuesday May 24, 2011

A Thrilling Final Day!

Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 0

Aston Villa duo Stewart Downing and Ashley Young have been on Liverpool's radar for some time and manager Kenny Dalglish witnessed first-hand their qualities as his side slipped to the defeat which ended their Europa League hopes.
With Tottenham Hotspur only drawing the Reds could have leapt into fifth place and secured European qualification with a victory but they rarely troubled their hosts on an afternoon when Villa's two wingers provided the main attacking thrust.
Downing produced the one moment of quality with a deft touch and brilliant finish to decide the match in the first half as Dalglish's players appeared to run out of steam after a season which for some of them began in July in the Europa League.
It means Liverpool have failed to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1999, although many will see that as a blessing as it will give Dalglish a chance to concentrate on strengthening his squad and making a challenge to get back in the Champions League next season.

Bolton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 2

Manchester City will join the elite clubs in the Champions League next season after finishing with a flourish.
Roberto Mancini's side cemented third place in the Premier League with this victory and with it automatic entry to the group stages of Europe's European premier club competition.
Goals from Joleon Lescott and substitute Edin Dzeko either side of half-time were enough to overcome Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.
It was just the result City were looking for and capped a superb season with the FA Cup now installed in their trophy cabinet.

Everton 1 Chelsea 0

A stunning individual goal from Jermaine Beckford condemned lacklustre Chelsea to defeat in their final match of the season against 10-man Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Beckford ran almost the length of the field after 75 minutes to end Everton's frustrating Premier League campaign on a high at Goodison Park.
It was no more than the Merseysiders deserved for their dominance, even after Seamus Coleman was sent off for a second bookable offence early in the second half.

Fulham 2 Arsenal 2

Arsenal's season of frustration ended with a 2-2 draw at 10-man Fulham, with the Gunners having to qualify for the Champions League.
Steve Sidwell had swept the hosts in front in the 26th minute, only for Robin van Persie to quickly equalize.
Bobby Zamora nodded the Cottagers back into the lead just before the hour with substitute Zoltan Gera shown a straight red card two minutes after coming on - but a late goal from Theo Walcott earned Arsenal a point as they finished fourth in the Premier League behind FA Cup winners Manchester City.
The Gunners have won just twice in their previous 10 league matches as a campaign which promised so much quickly fell apart after defeat in the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City at Wembley.

Manchester United 4 Blackpool 2

Blackpool's thrillingPremier League ride ended in typically rollercoaster fashion at Old Trafford as they were relegated after throwing away a second-half lead.
Manager Ian Holloway had pledged to attack champions Manchester United.
Ultimately though it proved their undoing.
For, after goals from Charlie Adam and Gary Taylor-Fletcher had threatened to secure their top-flight status for another 12 months, Blackpool were incapable of holding on.
That the goal which sunk them was thanks to one of their own only twisted the knife that little bit deeper, Ian Evatt turning Chris Smalling's cross into his own net after Anderson had equalized.
Michael Owen added another before the end but by then, Blackpool were already condemned.

Newcastle United 3 West Bromwich Albion 3

Somen Tchoyi claimed a superb hat-trick as West Bromwich Albion staged a stunning comeback to snatch a point at Newcastle United.
The Magpies led 3-0 with 47 minutes gone and looked to be cruising to victory with Steven Taylor's 16th-minute strike, a second from Peter Lovenkrands and a Jonas Olsson own goal looking to have secured a victory.
But Tchoyi reduced the deficit with a 62nd-minute strike and when he added a second 10 minutes later, nerves were jangling on Tyneside.
However, the Cameroon international midfielder was not done and with seconds of normal time remaining, powered home a diving header to deny the Magpies a top-10 finish in front of a crowd of 51,678.
Perhaps even more disappointingly, it meant that the Magpies finished below arch-rivals Sunderland, whose victory at relegated West Ham United lifted them into 10th place, two positions better off.

Stoke City 0 Wigan Athletic 1

Hugo Rodallega headed a dramatic 79th-minute winner to secure Wigan Athletic's Premier League status for another season on a dramatic day at the Britannia Stadium.
Rodallega's goal coupled with results elsewhere meant Roberto Martinez's men, who started the day second from bottom, would extend their top-flight status.
Rodallega met a Mohamed Diame cross to flick the winner past Asmir Begovic and spark wild scenes in front of the visiting supporters in the South Stand.
Just five minutes earlier the Latics had risen from their slumber after news filtered through of a goal at Old Trafford which lifted them out of the bottom three for the first time.

Tottenham Hotpsur 2 Birmingham City 1

Birmingham City were relegated from the Premier League after a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
The Blues looked set to maintain their Premier League status when lifelong Birmingham fan Craig Gardner equalized Roman Pavlyuchenko's opener with a sublime strike in the 79th minute.
But Wolves' second goal of their 3-2 defeat at Blackburn meant Birmingham needed to win to survive and as they surged forward in injury time, Pavlyuchenko raced up the other end and fired a 20-yard shot past Foster that went in off the bar to seal the Midlanders' relegation.
The result, and Liverpool's defeat at Aston Villa, means that Spurs will join Birmingham in the Europa League.

West Ham United 0 Sunderland 3

West Ham United's six-year stay in the Premier League ended with a whimper on Sunday as Boudewijn Zenden signed off from Sunderland by helping them to an easy win at Upton Park.
Zenden's mistimed header sailed over Robert Green in what was the veteran midfielder's final match before quitting the Black Cats this summer.
Stephane Sessegnon's pinpoint 20-yard effort and Cristian Riveros' stoppage-time third sealed the victory in the second half, during which the Hammers fans demonstrated their gallows humour with more than one ironic conga.
Not even the introduction on the hour of Footballer of the Year Scott Parker could rouse the Hammers, whose team selection was a nod to next season, with a summer clear-out expected.
The match was also caretaker boss Kevin Keen's one chance to bid for the manager's position, although it was likely to be a forlorn one - regardless of this result.

Wolves 2 Blackburn Rovers 3

Wolverhampton Wanderers held onto their Premier League status despite losing to fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers at Molineux.
Wolves were ripped apart in the opening 45 minutes with Jason Roberts, Brett Emerton and Junior Hoilett netting for Rovers.
But they responded with second-half efforts from Jamie O'Hara and Stephen Hunt and, with Birmingham and Blackpool both losing, they survived for a third successive season of top-flight football.
Mick McCarthy's men finished the season one place and one point above the bottom three, with Rovers three points better off.