SERVICES

Tuesday May 11, 2010

Chelsea Are Crowned Champions

Arsenal 4 Fulham 0

Arsenal secured third place in the Premier League after sweeping aside Europa League finalists Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners saw their title hopes ended by successive away defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and then Wigan Athletic, but avoided another slip-up which could have allowed their arch rivals to steal the final automatic qualification place in next season's Champions League.
The Arsenal squad set off on a lap of appreciation after the final whistle of another season which promised so much, yet again failed to deliver a trophy.

Aston Villa 0 Blackburn Rovers 1

Blackburn Rovers extended their strong conclusion to the season through to the final day with victory at Aston Villa.
Richard Dunne headed Martin Olsson's cross into his own net six minutes from time to ensure Rovers finished 10th in the Premier League after a run of only one defeat in their last nine matches.
Villa, who had plenty of chances to win the match themselves, hung on to sixth place thanks to Liverpool's goalless draw at Hull City, and will not have to play an extra round in next season's Europa League.
It was a satisfying outcome for both teams at the end of a match that at times had the distinct feel of a final-day encounter.

Bolton Wanderers 2 Birmingham City 1

Ivan Klasnic marked what could be his last match for Bolton Wanderers with his eighth goal for the club as they ended their season on a winning note.
The Croatian striker's future is uncertain as his loan deal from French club Nantes is at an end.
However, the supporters have taken to him and directed their chants at manager Owen Coyle, telling him to sign the player up.
Klasnic extended Bolton's lead over Birmingham City in the second half after Kevin Davies had opened the scoring.
James McFadden pulled a goal back for the visitors but they have finished the Premier League campaign poorly with only one win in 10 matches.

Burnley 4 Tottenham Hotspur 2

Relegated Burnley went down fighting as they battled back from two down to defeat Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor this afternoon courtesy of a superb second-half display.
Spurs secured their spot in the Champions League with victory over Manchester City on Wednesday and they looked to be cruising when Gareth Bale and Luka Modric netted inside 32 minutes.
But Wade Elliott pulled one back before the break and incessant Burnley pressure in the second half paid off when first Jack Cork levelled and then Martin Paterson put the Clarets ahead. Steven Thompson put the icing on the cake with a late fourth.

Chelsea 8 Wigan Athletic 0

Chelsea clinched the Premier League title and set a new goalscoring record with a sensational destruction of 10-man Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti guided the Blues to their first Championship success since 2006 in his debut season in England as Chelsea took their tally to 103 goals - the highest in the Premier League since Manchester United in 2000 and the first to achieve the century since Tottenham Hotspur in 1962/3.
United's 4-0 victory over Stoke City at Old Trafford was irrelevant as the Blues finished the season one point clear of their rivals.
Ancelotti's side smashed home seven or more goals for the fourth time this season as Wigan, who had defender Gary Caldwell sent-off on the half-hour, simply capitulated.
A hat-trick from Golden Boot winner Didier Drogba, who finished the season with 29 Premier League goals, two from Nicolas Anelka, a Frank Lampard penalty and others from Salomon Kalou and Ashley Cole, left Chelsea champions and on the brink of a League and FA Cup Double.
Only Portsmouth now stand in their way of a history-making season for Ancelotti and his team.
The Blues will become only the seventh team in the history of the game to win both competitions if they can overcome Avram Grant's side at Wembley next week.

Everton 1 Portsmouth 0

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov fired a stunning injury-time winner to send Portsmouth out of the Premier League as gallant losers.
The Russian substitute struck from distance in the fourth minute of time added on, just as relegated Pompey looked to be bowing out of the top flight with a creditable draw.
Victory was no more than the Toffees deserved after they created a multitude of chances at Goodison Park but Pompey - who at least have the FA Cup final to look forward to at the end of a difficult season - could feel aggrieved.
Anthony Vanden Borre appeared to score a perfectly good goal in the second half only to have it ruled out for offside.
Until Bilyaletdinov's late intervention, Portsmouth's fans had cheered the loudest throughout the match.
Despite the sadness of their plight, the visiting supporters, some of them in fancy dress, turned up in the mood to party at the end of a seven-year spell in the top flight.
Their constant singing - tinged with gallows humour over their uncertain future - was a credit to the south coast club and they will at least get one last hurrah next weekend.

Hull City 0 Liverpool 0

Liverpool were second best in a goalless draw at relegated Hull City. Hull had the better chances with Mark Cullen missing two close-range efforts in the first half, while the closest Liverpool came was when Alberto Aquilani hit the crossbar just before the interval and Steven Gerrard a post moments before the final whistle.
It was the Reds' worst finish to a season since they came seventh in 1999.
Jack Robinson, 16, was sent on as a late substitute and became the Merseysiders' youngest first-team player in the process.

Manchester United 4 Stoke City 0

Wayne Rooney sparked a World Cup scare when he walked out of Manchester United's season 13 minutes from time at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Hindered by groin and ankle problems over the final month of the campaign and with hopes of landing either the Premier League title or the Golden Boot wrecked by Chelsea's avalanche of goals at Stamford Bridge, Rooney signalled to the bench he could not continue as his side strolled to victory against Stoke City.
It looked like a recurrence of his groin problem, and Fabio Capello can only hope Rooney took a sensible precaution by coming off in a dead match rather than risk further damage.
Certainly it was a disappointing way for Rooney to end his domestic commitments.
Indeed, rarely can a four-goal win, achieved through Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs, a Danny Higginbotham own goal and Park Ji-sung, have been greeted in such a downbeat manner.

West Ham United 1 Manchester City 1

Shaun Wright-Phillips and Adam Johnson pressed their World Cup claims by combining to earn Manchester City a point against West Ham United.
England assistant coaches Franco Baldini and Ray Clemence were in the stands to run their eye over six potential summer stars ahead of Tuesday's 30-man provisional squad announcement.
Wright-Phillips' far-post header from Johnson's cross drew Manchester City level after Luis Boa Morte had put West Ham ahead on his return to the side after a year on the treatment table.
The two City wide-men caused West Ham problems all afternoon while West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green and Matthew Upson both acquitted themselves well.

Wolves 2 Sunderland 1

Adlene Guedioura's late winner ensured Mick McCarthy's Wolverhampton Wanderers ended a satisfying first season back in the Premier League on a high against nine-man Sunderland at Molineux.
Guedioura met a fine Ronald Zubar cross on the edge of the box and took two touches before unleashing a left-foot shot over Craig Gordon to secure a well-deserved win for the home side.
Kevin Doyle's 10th minute penalty had cancelled out Kenwyne Jones' early opener but much of the match was played out in a predictable laid-back fashion with both sides having secured survival with plenty to spare.
However, there was still time for Michael Turner and Jack Colback to forget there was little to play for as both men were dismissed in the final 10 minutes for separate, unnecessary offences.