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EPL round-up: City secure UCL spot, Spurs thrashed

Sport360 staff 20:23 15/05/2016
A round-up of Sunday's Premier League action.

Olivier Giroud’s first-ever Barclays Premier League hat-trick saw Arsenal beat Aston Villa in the final game of the season to secure a second-place finish at the expense of rivals Tottenham.

The win, coupled with Tottenham’s 5-1 capitulation at Newcastle, means Arsenal have not finished below their neighbours since 1995 and were able to toast ‘St Totteringham’s Day’, the name fans have given to the point where they are assured of finishing above Spurs, once again.

Manuel Pellegrini has all-but delivered Champions League football in his final game as Manchester City manager with a 1-1 draw at Swansea.

Only a massive swing in goal difference in Manchester United’s favour in their rearranged fixture against Bournemouth can now deny City and their incoming manager Pep Guardiola fourth place and with it a berth in the qualifiers for Europe’s premier club competition.

Danny Drinkwater struck a stunning late equaliser as Leicester City concluded their fairytale Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw against outgoing champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Cesc Fabregas’s penalty put Chelsea ahead, but Drinkwater crowned his return from suspension by levelling with a dipping 25-yard effort in the 82nd minute to ensure that manager Claudio Ranieri did not taste defeat on his return to his former club.

Everton claimed a rare home win as they beat relegated Norwich City 3-0 on the final day of the Premier League season in their first match since Roberto Martinez was sacked as manager.

Police ordered Manchester United to abandon their final Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth on Sunday after a suspicious package was discovered at Old Trafford.

Tens of thousands of fans were ordered from the 75,600 capacity stadium when the alert was sounded about 20 minutes before the scheduled 1400 GMT kickoff, and the match was abandoned.

Southampton have secured a top-six finish and qualification for next season’s Europa League with a convincing 4-1 Barclays Premier League defeat of Crystal Palace.

Julian Speroni’s record-equalling appearance for Palace proved a disappointing one after his error led to Sadio Mane scoring Southampton’s opening goal, and thereafter Graziano Pelle, Ryan Bertrand and Steven Davis added further goals to secure the comfortable victory that takes them up to fifth place. Jason Puncheon notched for the Eagles.

Stoke came from behind to beat West Ham 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium and leave the visitors facing the possibility of missing out on Europe.

Michail Antonio’s 23rd-minute opener for the Hammers was cancelled out in the 55th minute by a Giannelli Imbula strike.

Watford failed to send off departing manager Quique Sanchez Flores with a victory as Sunderland left Vicarage Road with a 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Fresh from securing their Premier League future in midweek with a 3-0 rout of Everton, Sunderland twice took the lead through Jack Rodwell and Jeremain Lens, but each time the Hornets hit back with Sebastian Proedl and Troy Deeney finding the net.

Jordon Ibe’s superb goal gave a much-changed Liverpool side a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday’s final day of the Premier League season.

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