MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015 SPORTS EPL results/standings Arsenal 4 (Walcott 4, 14, 37, Wilshere 17) West Brom 1 (McAuley 57) Aston Villa 0 Burnley 1 (Ings 6); Chelsea 3 (Costa 37-pen, Remy 70, 88) Sunderland 1 (Fletcher 26); Crystal Palace 1 (Chamakh 57) Swansea 0; Everton 0 Tottenham 1 (Kane 24); Hull 0 Manchester United 0; Leicester 5 (Vardy 16, Albrighton 43, Ulloa 51, Cambiasso 52, Kramaric 86) QPR 1 (Austin 57); Manchester City 2 (Lampard 31, Aguero 88) Southampton 0; Newcastle 2 (Sissoko 54, Gutierrez 85) West Ham 0; Stoke 6 (Diouf 22, 26, Walters 30, Adam 41, N’Zonzi 45, Crouch 86) Liverpool 1 (Gerrard 70). English Premier League table after yestrday’s matches on the final day of the season (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Chelsea 38 26 9 3 73 32 87 Newcastle 38 10 9 19 40 63 39 — champions Sunderland 38 7 17 14 31 53 38 Man City 38 24 7 7 83 38 79 Aston Villa 38 10 8 20 31 57 38 Arsenal 38 22 9 7 71 36 75 Hull 38 8 11 19 33 51 35 Man Utd 38 20 10 8 62 37 70 — relegated Tottenham 38 19 7 12 58 53 64 Burnley 38 7 12 19 28 53 33 Liverpool 38 18 8 12 52 48 62 — relegated Southampton 38 18 6 14 54 33 60 QPR 38 8 6 24 42 73 30 Swansea 38 16 8 14 46 49 56 — relegated Stoke 38 15 9 14 48 45 54 Note: top four teams qualify for next season’s Crystal Palace 38 13 9 16 47 51 48 Champions League; teams finishing fifth and sixth Everton 38121115485047 qualify for Europa League; team finishing seventh West Ham 38 12 11 15 44 47 47 qualifies for Europa League if Arsenal beat Aston West Brom 38 11 11 16 38 51 44 Villa in FA Cup final; bottom three teams relegated Leicester 38 11 8 19 46 55 41 to Championship. Newcastle avoid drop Emmanuel Riviere, a disappointment since he LONDON: Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (right) and West Bromwich Albion’s Craig Dawson battle for the ball during the English Premier League soc- signed from Monaco last year. cer match at the Emirates Stadium. —AP Newcastle 2 It represented a gamble by Carver, but it almost paid off within 53 seconds of the start when Riviere should have capitalised on an opportunity created by Sissoko. Walcott hat-trick West Ham 0 Instead, he pulled his shot across the face of the goal from a sharp angle. Riviere was also responsible for Newcastle’s next threat with an overhead kick that flashed wide, while NEWCASTLE: Cancer survivor Jonas Gutierrez Daryl Janmaat went even closer with an 18th- sinks West Brom scored one goal and made the other as minute effort. Newcastle United secured their Premier But West Ham had demonstrated that they League status with a 2-0 win over West Ham would not make life easy for Newcastle and attempting to defend the FA Cup next Saturday. ing the recent goal droughts, his team should dis- United yesterday. Gutierrez crossed for even the home fans’ applause for Kevin Nolan, Arsenal had surprisingly failed to score in their pre- play more speed in their passing and more quality Moussa Sissoko to open the scoring early in the West Ham captain who once played for Arsenal 4 vious three home matches at the Emirates. in their finishing. the second half and then scored himself as a the club, failed to soften their approach. West Supporters, whose match tickets are some of the There were further celebrations on 37 minutes traumatic campaign ended with a huge sigh Ham might have been awarded a penalty most expensive in the country, had sat through when Walcott sealed his hat-trick. It proved to be of relief at St James’ Park. after only two minutes when Enner Valencia 270 minutes of football - against Chelsea, Swansea the easiest of the three as he remained onside But it was a nervy performance that illus- went down under a challenge from Mike West Brom 1 City and Sunderland - without the pleasure of cele- before converting Cazorla’s driven cross at the back trated why unpopular owner Mike Ashley will Williamson, who was recalled after serving a brating a goal. post. It was hard on West Brom given that, since need to honor his pre-match pledge, in a rare two-match ban for a red card at Leicester City In the fourth minute, following patient build-up Tony Pulis became manager in January, the club television interview, to bolster his squad dur- that Carver had accused him of earning delib- on the edge of the penalty area, Santi Cazorla fed had enjoyed 10 clean sheets in their previous 17 ing the close season. erately. LONDON: A stunning first-half hat-trick from Theo in Walcott along the right channel and the league matches. Hull’s failure to beat Manchester United And Allardyce’s side created the best Walcott gave Arsenal the perfect Premier League unmarked winger hit a venomous right-footed This excellent defensive record is the reason lessened the importance of the win, as it opportunity of the opening half when Stewart send-off from the Emirates with a 4-1 victory over strike that Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill had little they are not embroiled in a relegation battle and meant Newcastle would have been safe in any Downing found space behind the centre- West Bromwich Albion yesterday. chance of stopping. Ten minutes later and that lead started the final afternoon 10 points clear of 18th case. backs and forced goalkeeper Tim Krul to block It ensured the Gunners would approach a was extended when Walcott showed great persist- place. In the opening 15 minutes of the second But Gutierrez’s 85th-minute goal was the his close-range shot. record 19th FA Cup final appearance on Saturday ence to skip past one challenge before poking a half, Pulis took off three underperforming players stuff of fairytales, since it came from a player Downing’s effort reflected how West Ham against Aston Villa, who lost 1-0 to relegated strike into the bottom corner. and changed the formation from a defensive 4-5-1 who spent 17 months battling testicular can- were growing in confidence as they retained Burnley, in confident mood. They were soon 3-0 up with West Brom shell- system to a more fluid 3-5-2. cer and who was almost certainly playing his possession with an ease that started to frus- Walcott may have reached an impasse with the shocked. After a corner was not properly cleared, Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe, who replaced final game for the club. trate the Newcastle crowd. club over the signing of a new contract - his cur- the ball broke loose to Jack Wilshere, standing 20 Swedish defender Jonas Olsson, had an immediate Newcastle could hardly have asked for That frustration only increased when rent £100,000-a-week deal expires at the end of the yards out, and the midfielder thumped it first time impact, forcing a save from Arsenal goalkeeper more accommodating visitors than West Ham, Janmaat headed high over the bar at the con- 2015-16 season - but the 26-year-old demonstrat- left-footed with extraordinary accuracy and power. David Ospina on 55 minutes. It was from the who had been assured of a mid-table finish for clusion of a quick break engineered by ed his talent and quality ahead of any summer It was a real stunner, a wonderful way to mark resulting corner, delivered expertly by Chris several weeks and who arrived in the north- Gutierrez and Jack Colback. negotiations with three superbly-taken goals his 100th Premier League appearance, and the 23- Brunt, that centre-back Gareth McAuley scored east without a win in 11 away games. But The anxiety levels within the stadium rose inside the opening 37 minutes. year-old celebrated with physiotherapist Declan with a header. A reminder for Wenger that manager Sam Allardyce, told minutes after the still further when Riviere somehow failed to With Champions League football already Lynch, who had been critical during his rehab from against Villa his side could be vulnerable at set- game that he will not be given a new contract, turn in a 51st-minute cross from Janmaat with secured for a 18th successive year, this rout - ankle surgery. Three goals in the opening 17 min- pieces. Yet West Brom were fortunate not to lose prepared his side properly nonetheless and the goal at his mercy. Arsenal’s joint second biggest victory this calendar utes was an unequivocal response to manager by more as Aaron Ramsey had three brilliant they proved to be stubborn opposition for But they went ahead just three minutes lat- year - was arguably the ideal preparation before Arsene Wenger’s pre-match demands that, follow- chances in the closing minutes.—AFP more than half the game. er when Sissoko rose brilliantly to head home There were a few anxious moments for a left-wing cross from Gutierrez, who made the Newcastle coach John Carver, who may also game safe with a deflected strike five minutes be looking for a new job soon, and who from time. As St James’ Park rejoiced, West Lampard says stylish farewell to Man City sprang a surprise by leaving out Ayoze Perez, Ham’s challenge faded, their fans turning on one of his few successes this season. Carver Allardyce with a prescient chant of: “You’re get- went for the more powerful presence of ting sacked in the morning!” —AFP Man City 2 Tottenham take fifth place Southampton 0 Brendan Galloway was making his home debut for Everton and the teenage left-back Everton 0 suffered a little stage fright early on when he carelessly gifted possession to Christian MANCHESTER: Frank Lampard marked his final Eriksen, who set up Erk Lamela for a shot that game in English football in triumphant fashion forced a save from Tim Howard.