Relegations, exits and regrets on last day of Premier League
Hull were relegated and Newcastle ensured their survival as the English Premier League season ended with a series of farewells yesterday.
The final relegation place was the main matter at stake, with Hull joining Queens Park Rangers and Burnley in the second tier in August after being held 0-0 by Manchester United.
It prolonged Hull manager Steve Bruce’s forlorn record against United, having never won as a coach against the club he captained.
Just two months ago, when Bruce signed a season-long contract extension, the northeast club were five points clear of relegation zone.
“I’ve not been good enough,” Bruce said. “I’ll reflect on that and have a conversation with the powers that be.”
Newcastle’s 10-match winless run ended at the perfect time with a 2-0 win over West Ham. Jonas Gutierrez, in his final game for the club after recovering from testicular cancer, and Moussa Sissoko scored to leave the club four points and three places clear.
“We have to invest and hopefully we will,” said manager John Carver.
Whether Carver stays in charge of Newcastle is unclear. Within minutes of the final whistle, it was Sam Allardyce’s long-expected exit from West Ham that was announced.
Another future appears uncertain after a season on the slide ended with a final humiliation for Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool: a 6-1 loss at Stoke.
“If the owners want me to go, then I go,” Rodgers said. “But I still feel I’ve got a lot to offer the club.”
The only consolation for Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was scoring before heading to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Frank Lampard also signed off with a goal for deposed champion Manchester City in a 2-0 victory over Southampton before jetting to the United States to play for sister club New York City FC.
Lampard’s former Chelsea teammate, Didier Drogba, ended his
second spell at Stamford Bridge by lifting the Premier League trophy for the fourth time. The 37-year-old was carried by his teammates to the touchline before a staged flamboyant substitution 28 minutes into a 3-1 victory over Sunderland. Drogba’s replacement, Diego Costa, equalised from the penalty spot before Loic Remy netted twice ahead of the trophy celebrations.
Costa ended his first season in England with 20 goals, the thirdhighest in the Premier League. Topscorer Sergio Aguero contributed his 26th goal for Manchester City when Harry Kane took his tally to 21 in his breakthrough season for Tottenham.
Kane ensured Tottenham clinched fifth place and a spot in the Europa League group stage with a 1-0 win over Everton. It sent Liverpool down to sixth, a year after being runnersup, and Rodgers’ side will have to start in the Europa League in the playoffs.
Arsenal have gone 11 years without winning the title but secured automatic passage to the Champions League group stage by finishing third ahead of Manchester United. Theo Walcott scored a hat trick as the holders prepared for the FA Cup final by beating West Bromwich Albion 4-1.
Fellow cup finalist Aston Villa lost 1-0 to relegated Burnley and finished just a place above the drop zone. — AP