Thriller keeps Albion’s hopes alive
STOKE City’s 10-year stay in the Premier League ended on Saturday following a 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace in a dramatic penultimate round of matches.
Yet never-say-die West Bromwich Albion kept alive their hopes of pulling off one of the great escapes with a lastgasp 1-0 win over top-four aristocrats Tottenham Hotspur.
West Brom took their wholly unlikely unbeaten run under caretaker manager Darren Moore to five matches with a stoppage-time winner from Jake Livermore.
Then the Baggies enjoyed yet another incredible reprieve when a Southampton victory at Everton in the late game, which would have confirmed their relegation, was prevented by a 96th minute equaliser for the home side in a 1-1 draw.
Though Southampton were left fuming that the goal had been scored after the allotted four minutes of added time, the point still moved the Saints out of the drop zone on goal difference ahead of Swansea City, who lost 1-0 at Bournemouth.
It leaves the battle for survival in the final week even more fascinating, with Swansea hosting Southampton in a critical match tomorrow.
West Brom jumped onto 31 points, leapfrogging doomed Stoke on 30, with both sides having one game left in the final week, while Southampton and Swansea are both on 33 with two games left.
At the other end of the table, Tottenham’s defeat left them fourth on 71 points and gave Chelsea new hope that they might steal the fourth Champions league spot.
Burnley fans were celebrating too as Everton’s draw ensured the seventh-placed Clarets will be playing in the Europa League next season, the first time they have been in European competition since the 1966-67 InterCities Fairs Cup.
The day began with Stoke’s faint hopes briefly revived in the early kickoff as Xherdan Shaqiri’s deflected free kick just before half time put them ahead against Palace.
Yet Roy Hodgson’s resurgent side, dominant after the break as Stoke were gripped by nervy caution, equalised after a sharp counter-attack through James McArthur before a Ryan Shawcross mistake let in Patrick van Aanholt for the 86th-minute winner.
Albion’s revival beggars belief, even if their chances of a miraculous survival are still minimal.
Their relegation after weeks of defying the prophets of doom seemed assured as the game against Spurs went into added time, but Livermore forced the ball over the line from close range.
Less than three hours later, it seemed their heroics could be in vain as Nathan Redmond’s header for Southampton put Saints in sight of the three points that would condemn Albion.
Yet, though the referee had added on only four minutes, there were just over 95 on the clock when Tom Davies’s strike deflected in off Wesley Hoedt.
Both Bournemouth, who beat Swansea with a Ryan Fraser goal, and Crystal Palace ensured their safety for another season and West Ham United look set to join them after a deserved 2-0 victory at Leicester City. – Reuters