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Espanyol 1-1 Real Madrid: Mediocre MerenEspanyol 1-1 Real Madrid: Mediocre Merengues hand Barcelona Liga titlegues hand Barcelona Liga title
Tottenham lata CL yanna one nam ada match eka gahannama wenawaBarclays Premier League 2013.05.12 Fixtures
Stroke City Vs Tottenham
Full Time
Manchester United 2 Vs 1 Swansea
Manchester United Goal(s)
Chicharito 39'
Ferdinand 87'
&
Swansea Goal(s)
Michu 49'
Job well done Manchester United
Manchester United Goal(s)
Chicharito 39'
Ferdinand 87'
&
Swansea Goal(s)
Michu 49'
Job well done Manchester United
Congratulations Manchester United!!!
Manchester United are the Barclays Premier League Champions 2012/13
Manchester United are the Barclays Premier League Champions 2012/13
Stoke City 1-2 Tottenham: Dempsey, Adebayor keep Spurs in Champions League hunt
Emmanuel Adebayor turned up the heat on his former club Arsenal in the top-four race as Tottenham recorded a hard-earned and vital 2-1 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
Adebayor tapped home Clint Dempsey’s low cross with seven minutes left to complete a stirring Spurs turnaround facilitated by Charlie Adam’s rash dismissal on 47 minutes.
Adam had earlier crossed for Steven N’Zonzi to put Stoke in front in the opening minutes, but Dempsey equalized when he capitalized on a misunderstanding between Asmir Begovic and Marc Wilson.
The result means that, whatever the result when Arsenal takes on Wigan on Tuesday, Spurs will head into the final day of the season with their Champions League hopes very much alive.
Stoke pressed Tottenham early and hard, pushing the visitors back and forcing an uncertain visiting backline into mistakes, and inside three minutes the hosts had their reward. Adam curled an inviting free-kick delivery into the box from the right and N’Zonzi was left all alone at the near post to head past a floundering Hugo Lloris.
The Potters looked vulnerable in defense, though, and on 20 minutes, moments after seeing an effort correctly ruled out for offside, Dempsey made them pay. Wilson cleared a ball heading for Begovic but could only deflect it into the path of the American, who, with the Bosnian stranded upfield, lofted the ball into the empty net from 25 yards.
Tottenham – and in particular Gareth Bale – grew in confidence as the half drew to a close, but Stoke weathered the storm and the two sides went in level at the break. The decisive moment came just two minutes after the interval, as Adam received a second booking for sliding in rashly on Jan Vertonghen.
Almost immediately Spurs’ control of the game became total, and two minutes later Dempsey directed Bale’s devilish cross just over the bar with Begovic beaten.
Begovic continued to be the only point of significant resistance to Villas-Boas’ men, making crucial interceptions and saves as the visitors monopolized the ball and probed for an opening.
Even the Stoke No. 1 was helpless when Tom Huddlestone’s lofted in-swinging free-kick found Jan Vertonghen unmarked at the back post, but the defender headed just over.
The introduction of Mousa Dembele on 68 minutes gave Spurs greater guile, and soon after the Belgian threaded the ball into Bale, who, having checked onto his right foot, fired inches wide.
Stoke’s only threat came exclusively from set pieces, and 10 minutes from time Robert Huth headed narrowly over from a Dean Whitehead free-kick. Three minutes later, Adebayor prodded home the winner, one certain to make Arsenal fans everywhere feel more than a little uncomfortable heading into Tuesday's match against FA Cup winner Wigan.
Emmanuel Adebayor turned up the heat on his former club Arsenal in the top-four race as Tottenham recorded a hard-earned and vital 2-1 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
Adebayor tapped home Clint Dempsey’s low cross with seven minutes left to complete a stirring Spurs turnaround facilitated by Charlie Adam’s rash dismissal on 47 minutes.
Adam had earlier crossed for Steven N’Zonzi to put Stoke in front in the opening minutes, but Dempsey equalized when he capitalized on a misunderstanding between Asmir Begovic and Marc Wilson.
The result means that, whatever the result when Arsenal takes on Wigan on Tuesday, Spurs will head into the final day of the season with their Champions League hopes very much alive.
Stoke pressed Tottenham early and hard, pushing the visitors back and forcing an uncertain visiting backline into mistakes, and inside three minutes the hosts had their reward. Adam curled an inviting free-kick delivery into the box from the right and N’Zonzi was left all alone at the near post to head past a floundering Hugo Lloris.
The Potters looked vulnerable in defense, though, and on 20 minutes, moments after seeing an effort correctly ruled out for offside, Dempsey made them pay. Wilson cleared a ball heading for Begovic but could only deflect it into the path of the American, who, with the Bosnian stranded upfield, lofted the ball into the empty net from 25 yards.
Tottenham – and in particular Gareth Bale – grew in confidence as the half drew to a close, but Stoke weathered the storm and the two sides went in level at the break. The decisive moment came just two minutes after the interval, as Adam received a second booking for sliding in rashly on Jan Vertonghen.
Almost immediately Spurs’ control of the game became total, and two minutes later Dempsey directed Bale’s devilish cross just over the bar with Begovic beaten.
Begovic continued to be the only point of significant resistance to Villas-Boas’ men, making crucial interceptions and saves as the visitors monopolized the ball and probed for an opening.
Even the Stoke No. 1 was helpless when Tom Huddlestone’s lofted in-swinging free-kick found Jan Vertonghen unmarked at the back post, but the defender headed just over.
The introduction of Mousa Dembele on 68 minutes gave Spurs greater guile, and soon after the Belgian threaded the ball into Bale, who, having checked onto his right foot, fired inches wide.
Stoke’s only threat came exclusively from set pieces, and 10 minutes from time Robert Huth headed narrowly over from a Dean Whitehead free-kick. Three minutes later, Adebayor prodded home the winner, one certain to make Arsenal fans everywhere feel more than a little uncomfortable heading into Tuesday's match against FA Cup winner Wigan.
Genoa 0-0 Inter: Dour draw no use for Nerazzurri but resolute Rossoblu safe in top flight
Inter Milan ended a run of three straight defeats in Serie A, and Genoa ensured its place in Italy's top flight next season following a 0-0 draw at the Marassi on Sunday.
The Rossoblu, who secured their survival thanks to Palermo's 1-0 defeat at Fiorentina, came flying out of the blocks, as within the first 10 minutes Marco Borriello evaded his marker to send in a towering header, but Samir Handanovic pulled off a miraculous finger-tip save to deny the forward.
Their relentless start to the match showed no signs of abating as Antonio Floro Flores then unleashed a strike from the edge of the box that stung the palms of the Slovenian Handanovic, who read the situation aptly.
Marco Rigoni was the next to fashion an opening, but his strike - which appeared to be heading goal-bound - cannoned off a Rossoblu teammate and the chance soon went begging. With just seconds of the first half remaining, Andrea Bertolacci's beautiful curling attempt from was again stopped in its tracks by Handanovic's equally-impressive reflexes.
The second half failed to inspire much of an improvement, and the opening stages of the period saw both teams happy to settle into a lull, although Inter was afforded more of the ball.
Inter's increased emphasis on a short passing game was almost rewarded as on the hour mark, Tomasso Rocchi found space on the edge of the box and pinged the ball onto the corner of the stanchion. The tempo continued to nose-dive, with both teams' fates having already been decided, and a point was the most fitting outcome in the Italian port town.
Inter Milan ended a run of three straight defeats in Serie A, and Genoa ensured its place in Italy's top flight next season following a 0-0 draw at the Marassi on Sunday.
The Rossoblu, who secured their survival thanks to Palermo's 1-0 defeat at Fiorentina, came flying out of the blocks, as within the first 10 minutes Marco Borriello evaded his marker to send in a towering header, but Samir Handanovic pulled off a miraculous finger-tip save to deny the forward.
Their relentless start to the match showed no signs of abating as Antonio Floro Flores then unleashed a strike from the edge of the box that stung the palms of the Slovenian Handanovic, who read the situation aptly.
Marco Rigoni was the next to fashion an opening, but his strike - which appeared to be heading goal-bound - cannoned off a Rossoblu teammate and the chance soon went begging. With just seconds of the first half remaining, Andrea Bertolacci's beautiful curling attempt from was again stopped in its tracks by Handanovic's equally-impressive reflexes.
The second half failed to inspire much of an improvement, and the opening stages of the period saw both teams happy to settle into a lull, although Inter was afforded more of the ball.
Inter's increased emphasis on a short passing game was almost rewarded as on the hour mark, Tomasso Rocchi found space on the edge of the box and pinged the ball onto the corner of the stanchion. The tempo continued to nose-dive, with both teams' fates having already been decided, and a point was the most fitting outcome in the Italian port town.
Sunderland 1-1 Southampton: Puncheon strikes to keep Black Cats in relegation dogfight
The shares were spoiled at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland and Southampton drew 1-1 in their Premier League encounter, with both goals coming after the break.
Paolo Di Canio likened Sunderland's comeback on Monday against Stoke to a night at the opera, as his side fought back to secure a point after being a goal and a man down following Craig Gardner's dismissal, and there was similar drama here as each team scored late on.
Sunderland took the lead thanks to a thumping effort from Phil Bardsley, before Jason Puncheon salvaged a point in the 76th minute.
Di Canio spent much of the first half pacing his technical area as his team gave the ball away far too easily on a number of occasions.
The first real chance of note for either side came on the half-hour mark, when Simon Mignolet pulled off an impressive save from Jay Rodriguez. Mignolet, making his 100th appearance for Sunderland, dived low to his right to keep out Rodriguez's sweeping effort after the former Burnley forward had hit the ball instinctively when it fell to him inside the crowded penalty area.
Adam Johnson passed up a glorious chance to put Sunderland ahead minutes before halftime when he shot tamely at Artur Boruc after being set up well by a cushioned header from John O'Shea.
More good goalkeeping from Mignolet kept Rodriguez at bay as Southampton started the second half strongly, before Danny Graham wasted a fine opportunity to end his 14-hour Premier League goal drought and put the hosts one up when he struck air instead of the ball after great play from Danny Rose on the left.
Sunderland continued to stream forward in search of an opener, and in the 68th minute, it found one. After Southampton failed to clear a cross from the left, Johnson showed the presence of mind to slip the ball to Bardsley in space on the right and he took a touch before unleashing a venomous strike that flicked off Jos Hooiveld and flew into the top left corner.
The hosts were not ahead for long though, as Southampton substitute Puncheon drew his side level just moments after coming on. Mignolet did brilliantly to keep out Rickie Lambert's initial header but he could do nothing about Puncheon's well-struck follow-up as it flew past him and into the net.
A wonderful stop from Mignolet in the 87th minute stopped Lambert from completing the comeback for Southampton, after the forward pulled away from John O'Shea and hit a low shot towards the bottom corner.
The shares were spoiled at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland and Southampton drew 1-1 in their Premier League encounter, with both goals coming after the break.
Paolo Di Canio likened Sunderland's comeback on Monday against Stoke to a night at the opera, as his side fought back to secure a point after being a goal and a man down following Craig Gardner's dismissal, and there was similar drama here as each team scored late on.
Sunderland took the lead thanks to a thumping effort from Phil Bardsley, before Jason Puncheon salvaged a point in the 76th minute.
Di Canio spent much of the first half pacing his technical area as his team gave the ball away far too easily on a number of occasions.
The first real chance of note for either side came on the half-hour mark, when Simon Mignolet pulled off an impressive save from Jay Rodriguez. Mignolet, making his 100th appearance for Sunderland, dived low to his right to keep out Rodriguez's sweeping effort after the former Burnley forward had hit the ball instinctively when it fell to him inside the crowded penalty area.
Adam Johnson passed up a glorious chance to put Sunderland ahead minutes before halftime when he shot tamely at Artur Boruc after being set up well by a cushioned header from John O'Shea.
More good goalkeeping from Mignolet kept Rodriguez at bay as Southampton started the second half strongly, before Danny Graham wasted a fine opportunity to end his 14-hour Premier League goal drought and put the hosts one up when he struck air instead of the ball after great play from Danny Rose on the left.
Sunderland continued to stream forward in search of an opener, and in the 68th minute, it found one. After Southampton failed to clear a cross from the left, Johnson showed the presence of mind to slip the ball to Bardsley in space on the right and he took a touch before unleashing a venomous strike that flicked off Jos Hooiveld and flew into the top left corner.
The hosts were not ahead for long though, as Southampton substitute Puncheon drew his side level just moments after coming on. Mignolet did brilliantly to keep out Rickie Lambert's initial header but he could do nothing about Puncheon's well-struck follow-up as it flew past him and into the net.
A wonderful stop from Mignolet in the 87th minute stopped Lambert from completing the comeback for Southampton, after the forward pulled away from John O'Shea and hit a low shot towards the bottom corner.
QPR 1-2 Newcastle: Gouffran steers Pardew’s men towards safety
LONDON-- Jose Bosingwa was at fault for two crucial goals as Newcastle left Loftus Road with a priceless 2-1 win against QPR on Saturday.
Loic Remy put the home side ahead with an early penalty but Hatem Ben Arfa equalized with a spot kick of his own, before Yann Gouffran was afforded the luxury of an empty net to give Newcastle the lead.
The home side improved in the second half – but was still nowhere near good enough to grind any kind of result out and the Magpies held on to clinch a three vital points.
The result does not guarantee safety for Alan Pardew’s men but it does leave the club six points clear of 18th-placed Wigan – which only has two games left to play.
Both sides set out with attacking lineups as Harry Redknapp named a front three of Remy, Junior Hoilett and Bobby Zamora, while the visiting side lined up with Gouffran and Ben Arfa in behind top scorer Papiss Cisse.
It was the home side which came racing out of the blocks – despite enough noise from the away end to make it seem like Newcastle was on its own ground.
QPR was rewarded with a goal after just 10 minutes as Hoilett advanced into the penalty area and was brought down by Mathieu Debuchy.
There seemed to be a hint of simulation as Hoillett tumbled to the ground but that didn’t stop the clinical Remy from stepping up and slotting home past keeper Rob Elliot.
Newcastle hit back just minutes later – and in identical fashion. Bosingwa – booed by the home fans throughout the first 15 minutes – was penalized for pulling Ben Arfa’s shirt inside the area and the Frenchman stepped up to rocket the ensuing spot kick straight into the top corner.
Newcastle once again found itself on the back foot thereafter as Elliot was forced into two vital stops on the half-hour mark.
But Newcastle would strike next – and with a simply comical goal. Bosingwa, by this point treated as public enemy number one by the home supporters – played a short back pass to Rob Green, who was then left under tremendous pressure. The keeper fumbled his clearance and Gouffran coolly finished into an empty net.
Bosingwa was deservedly hauled off at halftime but the Magpies’ lead carried into the break and far beyond.
Hoilett tried to inject some urgency into the home team after an hour as he made his way past several yellow shirts to fashion a good opening – but the shot that followed sailed narrowly wide of Elliot’s goal.
Then, the away side came close as a swarm of shirts contested a loose ball in the QPR danger area. Jonas Gutierrez came closest to scoring but the home defense did just enough to clear.
In one final twist, Elliot was sent off after he picked the ball up outside his area and the visiting team was down to 10 men. Newcastle held on, however, and is now on the cusp of Premier League safety.
LONDON-- Jose Bosingwa was at fault for two crucial goals as Newcastle left Loftus Road with a priceless 2-1 win against QPR on Saturday.
Loic Remy put the home side ahead with an early penalty but Hatem Ben Arfa equalized with a spot kick of his own, before Yann Gouffran was afforded the luxury of an empty net to give Newcastle the lead.
The home side improved in the second half – but was still nowhere near good enough to grind any kind of result out and the Magpies held on to clinch a three vital points.
The result does not guarantee safety for Alan Pardew’s men but it does leave the club six points clear of 18th-placed Wigan – which only has two games left to play.
Both sides set out with attacking lineups as Harry Redknapp named a front three of Remy, Junior Hoilett and Bobby Zamora, while the visiting side lined up with Gouffran and Ben Arfa in behind top scorer Papiss Cisse.
It was the home side which came racing out of the blocks – despite enough noise from the away end to make it seem like Newcastle was on its own ground.
QPR was rewarded with a goal after just 10 minutes as Hoilett advanced into the penalty area and was brought down by Mathieu Debuchy.
There seemed to be a hint of simulation as Hoillett tumbled to the ground but that didn’t stop the clinical Remy from stepping up and slotting home past keeper Rob Elliot.
Newcastle hit back just minutes later – and in identical fashion. Bosingwa – booed by the home fans throughout the first 15 minutes – was penalized for pulling Ben Arfa’s shirt inside the area and the Frenchman stepped up to rocket the ensuing spot kick straight into the top corner.
Newcastle once again found itself on the back foot thereafter as Elliot was forced into two vital stops on the half-hour mark.
But Newcastle would strike next – and with a simply comical goal. Bosingwa, by this point treated as public enemy number one by the home supporters – played a short back pass to Rob Green, who was then left under tremendous pressure. The keeper fumbled his clearance and Gouffran coolly finished into an empty net.
Bosingwa was deservedly hauled off at halftime but the Magpies’ lead carried into the break and far beyond.
Hoilett tried to inject some urgency into the home team after an hour as he made his way past several yellow shirts to fashion a good opening – but the shot that followed sailed narrowly wide of Elliot’s goal.
Then, the away side came close as a swarm of shirts contested a loose ball in the QPR danger area. Jonas Gutierrez came closest to scoring but the home defense did just enough to clear.
In one final twist, Elliot was sent off after he picked the ball up outside his area and the visiting team was down to 10 men. Newcastle held on, however, and is now on the cusp of Premier League safety.
Fulham 1-3 Liverpool: Sturridge steals the show as Reds dominate
A hat trick from Daniel Sturridge increased Liverpool's unbeaten streak in the Premier League to seven games as it beat a fragile Fulham side 3-1 at Craven Cottage.
After an impressive opening 30 minutes, the hosts took the lead through a Dimitar Berbatov header shortly after the half-hour mark, but Liverpool replied instantly through Sturridge just three minutes later.
After another strong start from Fulham in the second half, the former Chelsea player then scored again to double his and Liverpool's tally from close range after 63 minutes. The hat trick was completed with a beautiful flick over Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with just five minutes left to play.
Sitting just five points clear of the relegation zone with two games to play and without a win in its last six Premier League clashes, Fulham's lackluster start to its final home game of the season would have done little to fill the confidence of the Craven Cottage faithful.
Fulham's determination paid off when Berbatov was able head home after the half-hour mark thanks to poor marking in the center of the box from Liverpool. Sascha Riether, on loan from Cologne, was teed up on the right of the visitor's penalty area by Damien Duff before sending in a superb cross to the unmarked Bulgarian in front of goal.
Liverpool replied instantly, however, after fantastic play from Sturridge in which he turned one way and then the other to beat Hughes before blasting the ball past Schwarzer to even up the scoreline again after a manic three minutes.
Sturridge, seemingly undeterred by the boos from the home fans, started the second half strongly and was handed an early chance to double his tally when Stewart Downing's cross found the England international's head just a minute into the half, but his effort ended up sailing over the bar.
Fulham pressing for an equalizer led to strong shouts for a penalty from the home fans and players alike when Bryan Ruiz's cross struck Lucas' hand on the edge of the six yard box, but referee Mark Halsey waved away the plethora of protests.
In similar fashion to the first half, Liverpool replied immediately to a threat at the other end and, once again, it was Sturridge who finished off an impressive attacking movement. He was picked out in front of goal by a slick pass from Phillippe Coutinho and slotted the ball past Schwarzer from close-range to make it 2-1.
The chances continued for the visitors as they picked apart a fragile Fulham defense, but somehow a third goal evaded them, despite their dominance in the final third.
Sturridge was finally rewarded for his, and his team's, efforts when he wrapped up his hat trick with five minutes left to play, chipping the ball over a fast-approaching Schwarzer after yet another fantastic assist from Countinho.
A hat trick from Daniel Sturridge increased Liverpool's unbeaten streak in the Premier League to seven games as it beat a fragile Fulham side 3-1 at Craven Cottage.
After an impressive opening 30 minutes, the hosts took the lead through a Dimitar Berbatov header shortly after the half-hour mark, but Liverpool replied instantly through Sturridge just three minutes later.
After another strong start from Fulham in the second half, the former Chelsea player then scored again to double his and Liverpool's tally from close range after 63 minutes. The hat trick was completed with a beautiful flick over Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with just five minutes left to play.
Sitting just five points clear of the relegation zone with two games to play and without a win in its last six Premier League clashes, Fulham's lackluster start to its final home game of the season would have done little to fill the confidence of the Craven Cottage faithful.
Fulham's determination paid off when Berbatov was able head home after the half-hour mark thanks to poor marking in the center of the box from Liverpool. Sascha Riether, on loan from Cologne, was teed up on the right of the visitor's penalty area by Damien Duff before sending in a superb cross to the unmarked Bulgarian in front of goal.
Liverpool replied instantly, however, after fantastic play from Sturridge in which he turned one way and then the other to beat Hughes before blasting the ball past Schwarzer to even up the scoreline again after a manic three minutes.
Sturridge, seemingly undeterred by the boos from the home fans, started the second half strongly and was handed an early chance to double his tally when Stewart Downing's cross found the England international's head just a minute into the half, but his effort ended up sailing over the bar.
Fulham pressing for an equalizer led to strong shouts for a penalty from the home fans and players alike when Bryan Ruiz's cross struck Lucas' hand on the edge of the six yard box, but referee Mark Halsey waved away the plethora of protests.
In similar fashion to the first half, Liverpool replied immediately to a threat at the other end and, once again, it was Sturridge who finished off an impressive attacking movement. He was picked out in front of goal by a slick pass from Phillippe Coutinho and slotted the ball past Schwarzer from close-range to make it 2-1.
The chances continued for the visitors as they picked apart a fragile Fulham defense, but somehow a third goal evaded them, despite their dominance in the final third.
Sturridge was finally rewarded for his, and his team's, efforts when he wrapped up his hat trick with five minutes left to play, chipping the ball over a fast-approaching Schwarzer after yet another fantastic assist from Countinho.
Norwich City 4-0 West Brom: Canaries safe after dominant win
Norwich City secured its place in the Premier League for next season by thrashing West Brom 4-0 and ensuring safety from relegation Sunday at Carrow Road.
Robert Snodgrass was at the heart of all Norwich’s best play, and the Scotland international broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when Ryan Bennett flicked the ball down to Wes Hoolahan, whose shot was well saved by Ben Foster. The Baggies keeper parried it into the path of Snodgrass, who was there to smash the rebound into the roof of the net.
As the half drew to a close, Hoolahan came close to doubling the home side’s lead when he let loose a 25-yard strike that was well saved and tipped over by Foster.
The the second half began with a chance almost immediately when West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku received the ball in the Norwich box, but curled the ball the wrong side of John Ruddy’s right hand post.
The tide turned the other way, with Foster having a tough go of it in net. In the 57th minute, Norwich’s Anthony Pilkington sent a cross in from the left with Foster managing to spill the ball twice before it was eventually cleared.
Foster then made another mistake, which this time was made to count by Norwich when Grant Holt had the easiest of finishes to double the Canaries’ lead. Foster came rushing out to clear what seemed an easy ball and a mix-up between him and McAuley in the defense allowed the ball to pass them both where Holt popped around the duo and tapped the ball home.Minutes later the game was put beyond the reach of West Brom when a Gareth McAuley own goal put Norwich three goals to the good. The impressive Snodgrass whipped the ball into the West Brom area from a free kick and the ball deflected unkindly off of the Baggies defender and past a helpless Foster.
With the game drawing to a close, the Canaries continued the press in search for their fourth and nearly got it when Holt's superb low cross from the right side of the area was met by Pilkington, but the shot was superbly saved down low by Foster.
Jonny Howson sent a knock-down from Becchio into the corner of the net from 25-yards out with Foster left in no-man's land for a highlight-reel finisher to a decisive victory.
Norwich City secured its place in the Premier League for next season by thrashing West Brom 4-0 and ensuring safety from relegation Sunday at Carrow Road.
Robert Snodgrass was at the heart of all Norwich’s best play, and the Scotland international broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when Ryan Bennett flicked the ball down to Wes Hoolahan, whose shot was well saved by Ben Foster. The Baggies keeper parried it into the path of Snodgrass, who was there to smash the rebound into the roof of the net.
As the half drew to a close, Hoolahan came close to doubling the home side’s lead when he let loose a 25-yard strike that was well saved and tipped over by Foster.
The the second half began with a chance almost immediately when West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku received the ball in the Norwich box, but curled the ball the wrong side of John Ruddy’s right hand post.
The tide turned the other way, with Foster having a tough go of it in net. In the 57th minute, Norwich’s Anthony Pilkington sent a cross in from the left with Foster managing to spill the ball twice before it was eventually cleared.
Foster then made another mistake, which this time was made to count by Norwich when Grant Holt had the easiest of finishes to double the Canaries’ lead. Foster came rushing out to clear what seemed an easy ball and a mix-up between him and McAuley in the defense allowed the ball to pass them both where Holt popped around the duo and tapped the ball home.Minutes later the game was put beyond the reach of West Brom when a Gareth McAuley own goal put Norwich three goals to the good. The impressive Snodgrass whipped the ball into the West Brom area from a free kick and the ball deflected unkindly off of the Baggies defender and past a helpless Foster.
With the game drawing to a close, the Canaries continued the press in search for their fourth and nearly got it when Holt's superb low cross from the right side of the area was met by Pilkington, but the shot was superbly saved down low by Foster.
Jonny Howson sent a knock-down from Becchio into the corner of the net from 25-yards out with Foster left in no-man's land for a highlight-reel finisher to a decisive victory.
Congratulations Manchester United!!!
Manchester United 2-1 Swansea City: Late Rio Ferdinand winner a fitting sendoff for Ferguson
Rio Ferdinand's late strike ensured that an emotional Old Trafford said goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes fittingly as Manchester United beat Swansea City 2-1 and received the Premier League trophy that had already been clinched.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez poked home close to halftime after an Ashley Williams mistake, but Michu struck soon after the break, exposing a slight lack of verve from United as the momentous occasion occupied the foreground.
In typical Ferguson fashion, though, the Red Devils rallied late on and Ferdinand delivered the fairytale ending when he capitalized on a poorly defended corner for his first goal since 2008.
Scholes lined up for his final home game in a strong team, though Wayne Rooney was excluded from the squad and watched from an executive box as all three of United's other frontline strikers started. Neil Taylor and Michu returned for Swansea while Gerhard Tremmel stood in for Michel Vorm in goal.
Welcomed onto the pitch by a storm of cheers and flags, Ferguson accepted the adoration of Old Trafford before making way, and United started the game aggressively, Chicharito nearly opened the scoring within four minutes when his acutely angled shot came off the underside of the crossbar.
However, the game died down in spite of the occasion, neither side impressing and United occasionally over-elaborating their attacking play.
Finally, though, the hosts got the goal that the day demanded. In the 39th minute, Robin van Persie delivered from a free kick and caught out Williams, whose had the ball bounce off his shin and into the path of Chicharito. The Mexican poked it underneath Tremmel even as he fell back on the wet pitch.
It was nearly two before halftime as Van Persie took aim with his left foot but the Swans keeper deflected it away, United's lead at the break a slender one.
Any chance of a procession evaporated just after the restart, however, when Michu darted in front of the diving Phil Jones and dispatched Nathan Dyer's cross past David de Gea with a clever mid-air finish off the outside of his left boot.
Swansea was a whisker away from a second shortly after when Wayne Routledge nudged his shot just wide of the far post, having been put through down the left by a one-two with Michu. Despite everything, Swansea had more purpose and De Gea had to deny Pablo Hernandez just after the hour mark in a threatening break.
Needing to wake up, United riposted at last but Danny Welbeck's low cross fizzed just out of the lunging Chicharito's reach.
Then came Scholes's goodbye, withdrawn in the 66th minute to a raucous salute but modestly refusing to milk it, sharing only a simple handshake with his manager. His replacement, Anderson, nearly took the roof off when he blasted a long-range just wide.
There was time, too, for a fitting appearance off the bench from Ryan Giggs as the half wore on, Ferguson's most faithful servant there at the last.
It was a more unlikely figure who secured the victory, however, with Ferdinand hammering home his first goal in five years to delight the Old Trafford faithful and his ecstatic boss. As usual, Ferguson's United had found a way in the end.
Manchester United 2-1 Swansea City: Late Rio Ferdinand winner a fitting sendoff for Ferguson
Rio Ferdinand's late strike ensured that an emotional Old Trafford said goodbye to Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes fittingly as Manchester United beat Swansea City 2-1 and received the Premier League trophy that had already been clinched.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez poked home close to halftime after an Ashley Williams mistake, but Michu struck soon after the break, exposing a slight lack of verve from United as the momentous occasion occupied the foreground.
In typical Ferguson fashion, though, the Red Devils rallied late on and Ferdinand delivered the fairytale ending when he capitalized on a poorly defended corner for his first goal since 2008.
Scholes lined up for his final home game in a strong team, though Wayne Rooney was excluded from the squad and watched from an executive box as all three of United's other frontline strikers started. Neil Taylor and Michu returned for Swansea while Gerhard Tremmel stood in for Michel Vorm in goal.
Welcomed onto the pitch by a storm of cheers and flags, Ferguson accepted the adoration of Old Trafford before making way, and United started the game aggressively, Chicharito nearly opened the scoring within four minutes when his acutely angled shot came off the underside of the crossbar.
However, the game died down in spite of the occasion, neither side impressing and United occasionally over-elaborating their attacking play.
Finally, though, the hosts got the goal that the day demanded. In the 39th minute, Robin van Persie delivered from a free kick and caught out Williams, whose had the ball bounce off his shin and into the path of Chicharito. The Mexican poked it underneath Tremmel even as he fell back on the wet pitch.
It was nearly two before halftime as Van Persie took aim with his left foot but the Swans keeper deflected it away, United's lead at the break a slender one.
Any chance of a procession evaporated just after the restart, however, when Michu darted in front of the diving Phil Jones and dispatched Nathan Dyer's cross past David de Gea with a clever mid-air finish off the outside of his left boot.
Swansea was a whisker away from a second shortly after when Wayne Routledge nudged his shot just wide of the far post, having been put through down the left by a one-two with Michu. Despite everything, Swansea had more purpose and De Gea had to deny Pablo Hernandez just after the hour mark in a threatening break.
Needing to wake up, United riposted at last but Danny Welbeck's low cross fizzed just out of the lunging Chicharito's reach.
Then came Scholes's goodbye, withdrawn in the 66th minute to a raucous salute but modestly refusing to milk it, sharing only a simple handshake with his manager. His replacement, Anderson, nearly took the roof off when he blasted a long-range just wide.
There was time, too, for a fitting appearance off the bench from Ryan Giggs as the half wore on, Ferguson's most faithful servant there at the last.
It was a more unlikely figure who secured the victory, however, with Ferdinand hammering home his first goal in five years to delight the Old Trafford faithful and his ecstatic boss. As usual, Ferguson's United had found a way in the end.
Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona: Messi hurt as newly crowned champions set sights on record points haul
Newly-crowned Liga champions Barcelona kicked off its title celebrations with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.
Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Espanyol on Saturday assured the Blaugrana of the title before a ball was kicked, and that seemed to take a lot of the sting out of the high-profile encounter, with both teams looking well off the pace.
Radamel Falcao belatedly broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half, but Barca responded, with Alexis Sanchez restoring parity in the 72nd minute. A Gabi own goal turned the score around for good with 10 minutes to go.
The win puts the Catalans on 91 points for the season, and with three wins from their remaining three games, they can equal the 100-point record set by Madrid in the 2011-12 campaign.
Atletico’s gameplan from the outset was clear – deny the Catalans time on the ball. The hosts' relentless pressing was a feature of a first half that struggled for genuinely exciting moments, with the midfield battle taking center stage.
With goalmouth action hard to come by from open play, it was no surprise to see the first chance occur through a dead-ball scenario, when Diego Godin headed narrowly off target following a corner 20 minutes in.
Moments later, Atletico went close again when Falcao teed up Adrian Lopez for a shot from the edge of the area, but the forward could not find his range and angled the wrong side of the post.
The opening half rather petered out after that, with a distinct end of season feel to proceedings as both sides lacked any sort of drive or desire to force the issue in attack.
Six minutes after the restart, the game was turned on its head. Marc Bartra, who was subbed on for the injured Dani Alves, initially surrendered possession in a dangerous area. Barca failed to clear their lines in time, and Gabi slipped in Falcao, who poked home calmly from 10 yards.
The goal perhaps came somewhat against the run of play, as Barca had began the second half brightly, and the Catalans continued to look the more superior side despite going a goal down.
Sanchez blasted about a foot too high from 25 yards out, before substitute David Villa mirrored the effort from a free-kick just in front of the Atletico penalty area. The Blaugrana were handed a blow when Lionel Messi limped off to the sidelines, with all three subs alread used.
Nevertheless, with 18 minutes remaining, the visitors found a way back into the game. Sanchez played a neat one-two with Fabregas, whose return ball was stabbed toward the corner by the Chilean, wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois en route to the back of the net.
It got even better for Barca eight minutes later, when Cristian Tello’s low center was directed toward the goal by Villa and helped into the back of the net by a looping deflection off the leg of Gabi.
What little momentum Atletico had left was completely eradicated by the unfortunate own-goal, and Barca was able to close out the game to take home the win, and keep the chase for the points record alive.
Newly-crowned Liga champions Barcelona kicked off its title celebrations with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday.
Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Espanyol on Saturday assured the Blaugrana of the title before a ball was kicked, and that seemed to take a lot of the sting out of the high-profile encounter, with both teams looking well off the pace.
Radamel Falcao belatedly broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half, but Barca responded, with Alexis Sanchez restoring parity in the 72nd minute. A Gabi own goal turned the score around for good with 10 minutes to go.
The win puts the Catalans on 91 points for the season, and with three wins from their remaining three games, they can equal the 100-point record set by Madrid in the 2011-12 campaign.
Atletico’s gameplan from the outset was clear – deny the Catalans time on the ball. The hosts' relentless pressing was a feature of a first half that struggled for genuinely exciting moments, with the midfield battle taking center stage.
With goalmouth action hard to come by from open play, it was no surprise to see the first chance occur through a dead-ball scenario, when Diego Godin headed narrowly off target following a corner 20 minutes in.
Moments later, Atletico went close again when Falcao teed up Adrian Lopez for a shot from the edge of the area, but the forward could not find his range and angled the wrong side of the post.
The opening half rather petered out after that, with a distinct end of season feel to proceedings as both sides lacked any sort of drive or desire to force the issue in attack.
Six minutes after the restart, the game was turned on its head. Marc Bartra, who was subbed on for the injured Dani Alves, initially surrendered possession in a dangerous area. Barca failed to clear their lines in time, and Gabi slipped in Falcao, who poked home calmly from 10 yards.
The goal perhaps came somewhat against the run of play, as Barca had began the second half brightly, and the Catalans continued to look the more superior side despite going a goal down.
Sanchez blasted about a foot too high from 25 yards out, before substitute David Villa mirrored the effort from a free-kick just in front of the Atletico penalty area. The Blaugrana were handed a blow when Lionel Messi limped off to the sidelines, with all three subs alread used.
Nevertheless, with 18 minutes remaining, the visitors found a way back into the game. Sanchez played a neat one-two with Fabregas, whose return ball was stabbed toward the corner by the Chilean, wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois en route to the back of the net.
It got even better for Barca eight minutes later, when Cristian Tello’s low center was directed toward the goal by Villa and helped into the back of the net by a looping deflection off the leg of Gabi.
What little momentum Atletico had left was completely eradicated by the unfortunate own-goal, and Barca was able to close out the game to take home the win, and keep the chase for the points record alive.
Everton 2-0 West Ham: Mirallas crowns Moyes’ Goodison Park farewell
David Moyes said farewell to Goodison Park by overseeing a classy 2-0 win for Everton over West Ham.
Kevin Mirallas’ double proved the difference between the two sides, with the Belgian’s early strike setting the tone for a dominant display that saw Everton rarely troubled thereafter.
A remarkable number of Jussi Jaaskelainen saves and James Collins blocks saw the scoreline kept respectable as the Toffees romped, though the latter was unfortunate to see Mirallas' second effort take a hefty deflection of him to snuff out any hopes of an unlikely Hammers revival.
Set to end his 11-year tenure at Everton by replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United next season, Moyes leave the club in good standing, with the win guaranteeing a sixth-place finish in the Premier League while also confirming a spot in next season’s Europa League.Phil Neville’s knee injury meant that the soon-to-depart club captain was unable to join Moyes in a last hurrah in front of the Toffees faithful, while Sam Allardyce made a solitary change from the side that drew 0-0 Newcastle last weekend, with Ricardo Vaz Te replaced by Jack Collison.
Acting on a raucous atmosphere inside the stadium, Moyes’ side powered ahead after just five minutes. Sylvain Distin should have been the man to grab the opener, though he struck wide from just six yards out moments before Mirallas - teed up by Steven Pienaar - passed beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen in clinical fashion.
The Hammers struggled to come to terms with the opposition's inventive surges forward, and an Everton onslaught soon ensued. Victor Anichebe, Darron Gibson and Leon Osman all went close with decent efforts, as Jaaskelainen did well to block Anichebe's close-range smash.
Kevin Nolan endeavored to drag West Ham back into the game before the interval but was denied first by Tim Howard's plunging save on the half hour mark, then by his own inaccuracy when he fired wide on the turn after Phil Jagielka's hashed clearance.Allardyce's tactical rethink - a halftime reversion to 4-4-2 with Carlton Cole replacing Mohamed Diame - failed to prevent Everton regaining control, and within minutes Seamus Coleman saw his effort blocked, while Osman squared Leighton Baines' deep delivery across an empty six-yard box.
Mirallas angled narrowly over with his left-foot after skinning James Collins but then had the center half to thank for doubling his tally shortly after, as his effort cannoned off Collins to leave both Jaaskelainen wrong-footed and Everton two goals up.
Still the chances flowed for the Toffees, though they found a wall in the shape of Jaaskenlainen, who thwarted Anichebe, Pienaar and Osman twice, with saves ranging from the improbable to the miraculous.
From there on Everton saw out the rest of the game in total comfort, in the process securing a sixth-placed Premier League finish that sees the club once again better the efforts of rival Liverpool's domestic campaign, while West Ham enters its last game of the season battling for a top-half finish on its return to the top flight.
David Moyes said farewell to Goodison Park by overseeing a classy 2-0 win for Everton over West Ham.
Kevin Mirallas’ double proved the difference between the two sides, with the Belgian’s early strike setting the tone for a dominant display that saw Everton rarely troubled thereafter.
A remarkable number of Jussi Jaaskelainen saves and James Collins blocks saw the scoreline kept respectable as the Toffees romped, though the latter was unfortunate to see Mirallas' second effort take a hefty deflection of him to snuff out any hopes of an unlikely Hammers revival.
Set to end his 11-year tenure at Everton by replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United next season, Moyes leave the club in good standing, with the win guaranteeing a sixth-place finish in the Premier League while also confirming a spot in next season’s Europa League.Phil Neville’s knee injury meant that the soon-to-depart club captain was unable to join Moyes in a last hurrah in front of the Toffees faithful, while Sam Allardyce made a solitary change from the side that drew 0-0 Newcastle last weekend, with Ricardo Vaz Te replaced by Jack Collison.
Acting on a raucous atmosphere inside the stadium, Moyes’ side powered ahead after just five minutes. Sylvain Distin should have been the man to grab the opener, though he struck wide from just six yards out moments before Mirallas - teed up by Steven Pienaar - passed beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen in clinical fashion.
The Hammers struggled to come to terms with the opposition's inventive surges forward, and an Everton onslaught soon ensued. Victor Anichebe, Darron Gibson and Leon Osman all went close with decent efforts, as Jaaskelainen did well to block Anichebe's close-range smash.
Kevin Nolan endeavored to drag West Ham back into the game before the interval but was denied first by Tim Howard's plunging save on the half hour mark, then by his own inaccuracy when he fired wide on the turn after Phil Jagielka's hashed clearance.Allardyce's tactical rethink - a halftime reversion to 4-4-2 with Carlton Cole replacing Mohamed Diame - failed to prevent Everton regaining control, and within minutes Seamus Coleman saw his effort blocked, while Osman squared Leighton Baines' deep delivery across an empty six-yard box.
Mirallas angled narrowly over with his left-foot after skinning James Collins but then had the center half to thank for doubling his tally shortly after, as his effort cannoned off Collins to leave both Jaaskelainen wrong-footed and Everton two goals up.
Still the chances flowed for the Toffees, though they found a wall in the shape of Jaaskenlainen, who thwarted Anichebe, Pienaar and Osman twice, with saves ranging from the improbable to the miraculous.
From there on Everton saw out the rest of the game in total comfort, in the process securing a sixth-placed Premier League finish that sees the club once again better the efforts of rival Liverpool's domestic campaign, while West Ham enters its last game of the season battling for a top-half finish on its return to the top flight.
Sir Alex Ferguson's goodbye speech in full
The 71-year-old manager gave an emotional talk on the Old Trafford pitch after his last game in charge of Manchester United at Old Trafford, which ended in a 2-1 win over Swansea Sir Alex Ferguson said an emotional goodbye to Old Trafford after Manchester United's 2-1 win against Swansea on Sunday, thanking the fans for their support and imploring them to get behind successor David Moyes.
The record-breaking manager also said he will now be able to enjoy United games rather than "suffer with them," thanking fans, players and staff for their help. With Paul Scholes also retiring from the club for a second time, Ferguson praised the midfielder as one of the best players the club has ever had, and wished Darren Fletcher a speedy return to first-team football.
"I have absolutely no script in my mind. I'm just going to ramble on and hope I get to the core of what this football club means," Ferguson said, holding a wireless microphone while standing on the Old Trafford pitch.
"This is a thank you to Manchester United. Not just the directors, not just the medical staff, the coaching staff, the players and supporters. It's all of you. This has been the most fantastic experience of my life. Thank you.
"I have been very fortunate that I've been able to manage to some of the greatest players in the country, let alone Manchester United. And all these players today have represented this club the proper way. They won the championship in fantastic fashion. Well done to the players.
"My retirement does mean the end of my life with the club. I'll now be able to enjoy watching them, rather than suffer with them. But, if you think about it, those last-minute goals, the comebacks, even the defeats are all part of this great football club of ours ... so thank you for that.
"I'd also like to remind you that when we had bad times at the club, all the staff stood by me, all the players stood by me. Your [the supporters] job now is to stand by your new manager.
"Before I start blubbing, I just want to speak to Paul Scholes, who retires today. He is unbelievable. One of the greatest players we've ever had and ever will ever.
"I also want to wish Darren Fletcher a speedy recovery and return to the club.
"I wish the players every success in the future You know how good you are, you know the jersey you're wearing and you know what it means to everyone here [at Old Trafford]. Don't ever let yourselves down. The expectation is always there."
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