Tottenham leaves its 118-year-old venue on winning crescendo
Tottenham signed out of White Hart Lane, and Hull left the Premier League.
Sunday’s results meant there’s only Champions League qualification at stake entering the final week of the season.
Tottenham locked down second place by beating Manchester United 2-1 in its final game before leaving its north London home of 118 years. Tottenham’s hopes of catching newly crowned champion Chelsea ended a week ago, but it was still able to secure its highest finish in 54 years.
Tottenham’s triumph ended Jose Mourinho’s hopes of United making the top four, leaving three teams chasing the last two Champions League spots: Liverpool, which beat West Ham 4-0 on Sunday, Manchester City and Arsenal.
The three relegation spots have also been filled. Hull joined Sunderland and Middlesbrough in dropping into the second tier after losing 4-0 at Crystal Palace.
TOTTENHAM 2, MANCHESTER UNITED 1
Tottenham is leaving White Hart Lane after completing its best campaign at the stadium for more than a century. Spurs are due back on the site in a new 61,000seat stadium in August of 2018, after a season at Wembley. This was the perfect sendoff. Victor Wanyama’s sixth-minute header set the tone for a carnival atmosphere and Harry Kane added his 28th goal of the season at the start of the second half.
United captain Wayne Rooney pulled one back but Tottenham held on to win before a ceremony, featuring past and current players, to bid farewell to the stadium.
United’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League now rest on beating Ajax in the Europa League final later this month
LIVERPOOL 4, WEST HAM 0
Philippe Coutinho set up Daniel Sturridge before adding a superb double of his own. Divock Origi completed the rout with a tap-in as Liverpool ensured it will qualify for the Champions League, regardless of other results, by beating relegated Middlesbrough in next Sunday’s season finale.
CRYSTAL PALACE 4, HULL 0
Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce maintained his status as a survival specialist, having never been relegated in management.
Marco Silva couldn’t save Hull, though, in his five months in charge. Hull makes an instant return to the League Championship.
Hull never was able to recover after gifting Wilfried Zaha a thirdminute goal.
It was followed by Christian Benteke’s header, Luka Milivojevic’s 85th-minute penalty and Patrick van Aanholt’s late strike.
NOTES: Hannover defeated German second division leader Stuttgart 1-0 Sunday to move level on points and virtually assure that both sides will return to the Bundesliga next season.
Felix Klaus scored five minutes before the break to delay Stuttgart’s promotion with one round of games remaining.
Eintracht Braunschweig, the only side that can theoretically catch either side, is three points behind both after its 6-0 rout by Arminia Bielefeld, with an inferior goal difference, six goals worse than Hannover and 10 worse than Stuttgart.
Both Stuttgart and Hannover were relegated from the Bundesliga last season.