SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 SPORTS EPL results/standings Burnley 0 Leicester 1 (Vardy 60); Crystal Palace 0 Hull 2 (N’Doye 52, 90+2); Manchester City 3 (Aguero 3, Kolarov 66, Fernandinho 89) Aston Villa 2 (Cleverley 68, Sanchez 85); Newcastle 2 (Perez 20, De Jong 87) Swansea 3 (Oliveira 45+2, Sigurdsson 49, Cork 71); QPR 0 West Ham 0; Southampton 2 (Pelle 29, 65) Tottenham 2 (Lamela 43, Chadli 70); Stoke 1 (Adam 27) Sunderland 1 (Wickham 1); West Brom 0 Liverpool 0. Playing today Arsenal v Chelsea, Everton v Manchester United English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points) Chelsea 32 23 7 2 65 26 76 West Brom 34 9 10 15 32 46 37 Man City 34 20 7 7 70 36 67 Newcastle 34 9 8 17 36 57 35 Arsenal 32 20 6 6 63 32 66 Aston Villa 34 8 8 18 26 48 32 Man Utd 33 19 8 6 59 31 65 Hull 33 7 10 16 31 45 31 Liverpool 33 17 7 9 47 36 58 Leicester 33 8 7 18 35 51 31 Tottenham 34 17 7 10 55 49 58 Sunderland 33 5 15 13 26 49 30 Southampton34 17 6 11 47 26 57 Swansea 34 14 8 12 41 44 50 QPR 34 7 6 21 38 59 27 Stoke 34 13 8 13 39 42 47 Burnley 34 5 11 18 26 52 26 West Ham 34 11 11 12 42 42 44 Note: top four teams qualify for next season’s Crystal Palace 34 11 9 14 42 47 42 Champions League; bottom three teams relegated Everton 33 10 11 12 41 43 41 to Championship. N’Doye double directs Hull away from danger them. Alan Pardew’s men made a promis- ing start, with Jason Puncheon’s free-kick Crystal Palace 0 culminating in Hull goalkeeper Steve Harper blocking from Glenn Murray. But Hull began to take control and squandered a series of chances in the early Hull 2 part of the first period. James Chester put a free header over the bar, N’Doye somehow LONDON: West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill (left) saves from Liverpool’s Fabio Borini (right) during the English Premier League soccer match. —AP contrived to steer Robbie Brady’s cross wide from six yards out and Tom LONDON: Dame N’Doye scored twice as Huddlestone forced Julian Speroni into a West Brom dent Liverpool’s Hull City arrested their slide towards the finger-tip save with a curling strike. Wilfried Premier League relegation zone with a Zaha threatened to make Hull rue their much-needed 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace wastefulness when he fired a shot across yesterday. goal, but Harper parried. Champions League challenge The Senegal striker struck early and late N’Doye saw another chance go begging in the second half to end a run of six games early in the second half when he hit the the first half, Liverpool failed to beat a West ing effort, the Albion keeper was relieved to without a win for Steve Bruce’s side, who post with a header from a tight angle, but Brom side that had lost their previous two home watch it flash inches wide of his right hand finished the day a point above the relega- he found the net in the 52nd minute by West Brom 0 matches to sides deep in relegation trouble. upright. tion zone in 16th place. bundling home a deflected shot from Liverpool’s Jordon Ibe rattled the bar with No doubt stirred up by half-time words from It was Hull’s first win at Selhurst Park Brady. N’Doye shot wide moments later one effort midway through the second half, manager Tony Pulis, Albion began the second since 1985 and tees them up for a daunting after being given a clear sight of goal by while Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill denied half with greater intensity and McAuley planted run-in that features home games against Huddlestone, while Hull substitute Liam Liverpool 0 Mario Balotelli and Philippe Coutinho with a a header wide of the target when he rose to Liverpool, Arsenal, Burnley and Manchester Rosenior saw a late volley crash back off double save. meet a free kick whipped into the box by Darren United, as well as a trip to Tottenham the crossbar. Albion created the first threat from a Chris Fletcher. Hotspur. Palace have already secured their But N’Doye-a February signing from Brunt free-kick as Craig Dawson’s astute header It then took some excellent goalkeeping from own survival thanks to a run of four straight Lokomotiv Moscow-finally put the game WEST BROMWICH: Liverpool’s remote chance picked out Craig Gardner on the edge of the Myhill and last-ditch defending from his col- wins, but having lost 2-0 at home to West beyond Palace in stoppage time with an of staying in the hunt for Champions League Liverpool box. leagues to prevent Liverpool going ahead. Bromwich Albion on their previous outing, unerring low strike from Gaston Ramirez’s qualification suffered a setback after a 0-0 draw Gardner couldn’t, however, reproduce his Myhill saved Balotelli’s shot on the turn and their momentum appears to have deserted pass. —AFP at West Bromwich Albion yesterday dented their spectacular strike at Crystal Palace a week earli- the Welshman then reacted smartly to keep out hopes of a top-four finish. er, scuffing his attempt at goal. Balotelli was a tame effort from Coutinho before Jordan Stalemate at the Hawthorns left Liverpool instrumental in carving out an opportunity for Henderson was denied when he seemed des- seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester himself by picking Claudio Yacob’s pocket, but tined to tuck away the follow-up. Leicester boost survival bid United, who play Everton on Sunday, after reign- after collecting a return pass from Raheem The woodwork then came to Albion’s aid ing champions Manchester City climbed into Sterling, his shot was charged down by Gareth when Ibe rounded off a burst forward with a ris- Premier League start in six months after second position with a 3-2 win at home to Aston McAuley. ing shot which took a deflection off Joleon Sam Vokes was ruled out due to injury. Villa in Saturday’s late match. The visitors were looking the more menacing Lescott and clattered against the bar. Burnley 0 Jutkiewicz’s return almost got off to the Liverpool were looking to bounce back from of the two sides and some neat inter-play West Brom almost went in front as substitute worst possible start when he blocked a the disappointment of their FA Cup semi-final between Sterling and Jordan Henderson led to a Callum McManaman had an instant impact, cross with his arm as he tried to head clear, defeat by Villa, but they squandered the chances free kick on the edge of the box as the back- sending over a cross which forced Martin Skrtel but the striker was able to breathe a sigh of to celebrate Steven Gerrard’s 500th Premier tracking Saido Berahino was penalised for to slice his attempted clearance. Leicester 1 relief as Leicester’s penalty appeals were League appearance with a much-needed victo- upending Balotelli. It dropped onto the head of James Morrison waved away. ry. It was a perfect opportunity for Gerrard to at the far post, but his goalbound attempt was Vardy had led Leicester’s penalty com- Though Gerrard himself went close to mark- mark his landmark appearance in style, but cleared off the line by the backtracking Dejan plaints and he went close to opening the ing the occasion with a trademark free-kick in although Myhill could do nothing about his curl- Lovren. —AFP BURNLEY: Jamie Vardy boosted Leicester’s scoring with a neat turn and shot that bid for Premier League survival and pushed forced Clarets goalkeeper Tom Heaton into Burnley closer to relegation as the forward action. struck moments after Matt Taylor’s penalty Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel miss in a vital 1-0 victory at Turf Moor yes- then scrambled to keep out a corner that QPR remain in bottom three terday. nearly crept in after being missed by Vardy netted a scrappy winner on the Jutkiewicz and Taylor. hour in the immediate aftermath of Taylor’s The Foxes went close through Esteban spot-kick hitting a post as Leicester Cambiasso’s free-kick early in the second QPR 0 enjoyed a double dose of good fortune. half before Michael Duff headed just over After looking almost certain to go down for Burnley. just weeks ago, a run of four successive vic- Burnley had a golden opportunity to tories has catapulted Leicester out of the take the lead when Paul Konchesky’s foul West Ham 0 relegation zone. on Taylor conceded a penalty. But former Nigel Pearson’s team are one point West Ham defender Taylor, making his first ahead of third bottom Sunderland and a start since August after an injury-plagued great escape could be on the cards, while a campaign, saw his spot-kick cannon off a LONDON: Charlie Austin missed a first-half penalty as return to the second tier seems inevitable post. And to compound Taylor’s misery, Queens Park Rangers remained on the cusp of relegation for Burnley. Leicester went straight up the other end to from the Premier League following a 0-0 draw at home to The Clarets are rooted to the bottom of take the lead in the 60th minute when London rivals West Ham yesterday.