West Ham 4:2 Reading A hat-trick from captain Kevin Nolan inspired West Ham to a 4-2 victory over Reading to secure a top-half finish on Sunday.
Nolan opened the scoring in the first half and Ricardo Vaz Te doubled the hosts' advantage before the interval.
Reading mounted a spirited second-half turnaround with two goals in as many minutes from Garath McCleary and Adam Le Fondre.
But Nolan wrapped up all three points for West Ham by scoring two further goals late on to complete his hat-trick.
George McCartney was the only absentee for Sam Allardyce's men, while Jimmy Kebe and Jason Roberts were sidelined for Nigel Adkins’ Rea
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Category: News Views: 634 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:20
Swansea 0:3 Fulham Fulham ended a run of seven league matches without a win thanks to a resounding 3-0 victory over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Martin Jol’s side had dropped close to the bottom three having lost six games during that period but they ended the campaign with a flourish in Wales on Sunday.
Swansea dominated throughout, playing some excellent football, but failed to take their chances as Alex Kacaniklic, Dimitar Berbatov and Urby Emanuelson grabbed the goals.
Both managers made three changes to their respective teams as Michel Vorm returned in goal for Swansea, and Emmanuel Frimpong was handed just his second league start of the season for the visitors.
Category: News Views: 703 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:18
Chelsea 2:1 Everton Chelsea finished third in the Premier League after a narrow home win over Everton on Sunday brought their marathon season to an end.
In the 69th match of a campaign that has seen them compete for seven different trophies, a late Fernando Torres strike proved to be enough for them to seal a spot in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League next season.
Juan Mata's early strike was cancelled out by Steven Naismith, but 14 minutes from time Torres - who entered the match without a league goal in 2013 - scored a late winner at Stamford Bridge.
Both managers - Chelsea's Rafael Benitez and Everton's David Moyes - were taking charge of their teams for the last time, with the
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Category: News Views: 662 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:17
Tottenham 1:0 Sunderland Gareth Bale struck late on to hand Tottenham victory over Sunderland, but it was not enough to secure them UEFA Champions League football.
The Welsh international was denied a
penalty in the first half and booked for simulation, however he had the last
laugh with a superb 90th-minute strike.
It was not good enough to guarantee the White Hart Lane club a place in Europe's premier club competition, though, as Arsenal beat Newcastle 1-0 at St James' Park.
Category: News Views: 644 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:15
West Brom 5:5 Manchester United Alex Ferguson’s tenure in charge of Manchester United ended with a thrilling 5-5 draw with West Brom at the Hawthorns on Sunday.
United held leads of 3-0 and 5-2 but Romelu Lukaku struck three times to ensure that the Scot bowed out of the game in absolutely incredible fashion.
Ferguson handed Anders Lindegaard a rare start, while want-away striker Wayne Rooney missed the game as he awaits the birth of his second child.
Meanwhile, Steve Clarke made four changes to his side beaten 4-0 by Norwich last time out, with Graham Dorrans and Chris Brunt returning.
Ferguson was given a guard of honour from both si
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Category: News Views: 748 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:12
Manchester City 2:3 Norwich Norwich sprung a last-day surprise as they defeated Manchester City 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Jack Rodwell had twice equalised for Brian Kidd's side after goals from Anthony Pilkington and Grant Holt, but Jonny Howson's wonderful individual effort sealed a well-earned win for the visitors.
City, who were guaranteed a second-place finish regardless of the result, made five changes and brought in Pablo Zabaleta, Alexandar Kolarov, Rodwell, Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko to the starting line-up, David Silva missed out with Sergio Aguero only fit enough for a place alongside the Spaniard on the bench.
Norwich made just one change, Steven Whittaker replacing Fans' Playe
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Category: News Views: 711 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:10
Wigan 2:2 Aston Villa Wigan's eight-year stay in the Premier League ended with an entertaining 2-2 home draw against Aston Villa.
Darren Bent gave the visitors an early lead before an Emmerson Boyce header and Nathan Baker's own goal handed Wigan the advantage at half-time.
But a fantastic volley from Ron Vlaar ensured both sides came away from the game with a share of the points.
Wigan made three changes from the side that lost to Arsenal on Tuesday. Ali Al Habsi replaced Joel Robles in goal, while Ben Watson and Roman Golobart came in for the injured duo of Antolin Alcaraz and Callum McManaman.
Category: News Views: 727 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:08
Newcastle 0:1 Arsenal Arsenal secured their place in next season's UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday.
Laurent Koscielny proved to be the hero for Arsenal as he fired acrobatically past Steve Harper from close range after latching on to the end of a Theo Walcott free-kick to book the Emirates Stadium outfit's place in Europe's top club competition next term.
That proved to be enough for the Gunners as they held off a
spirited fightback from the hosts to claim the points.
Newcastle made two changes from the team that secure
safety against QPR last weekend, with Steven Taylor coming in for Mike
Category: News Views: 650 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:04
Southampton 1:1 Stoke Rickie Lambert ended his six-game Premier League goal drought to earn his side a point against Stoke City at St Mary’s on Sunday.
The striker had previously gone over nine hours without finding the net, but was on hand to tap home after former Southampton striker Peter Crouch had headed Stoke into the lead.
The home side were without suspended duo Gaston Ramirez and Danny Fox, but Luke Shaw and Lambert both managed to prove their fitness.
Charlie Adam’s red card against Tottenham last week ensured a premature end to his season for Stoke, while Glenn Whelan remained sidelined with a groin injury.
Category: News Views: 610 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 22:01
Liverpool 1:0 QPR Jamie Carragher bowed out with a win as Liverpool ended the Premier League season with a 1-0 win over QPR at Anfield on Sunday.
The result consigns QPR to the bottom of the table after a miserable season that has yielded just four league victories.
Philippe Coutinho scored the only goal in the game in the first half, after good work by 17-year-old debutant Jordon Ibe.
There was almost a fairytale moment when the retiring Carragher thundered a 35-yard effort against the post after the break.
Carragher captained Liverpool in his final appearance before calling time on a career spanning 17 seasons. Jose Enr
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Category: News Views: 700 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 21:59
Ranieri eyes Falcao swoop Claudio Ranieri says Monaco are hopeful of securing Radamel Falcao's signature in the off-season.
The striker has been tipped to leave Atletico Madrid in favour of a switch to the newly crowned Ligue 2 champions in the close season, and Ranieri believes the Colombia forward will be the perfect player to spearhead Monaco's redevelopment.
"Who wouldn't want a player who always scores? We hope he can join us. That way we can start building for the future," he told Sky Sports.
Monaco beat Le Mans 2-1 to secure the Ligue 2 title on Friday, having already won promotion back to Ligue 1, and Ranieri said they want to challenge for top flight honours next term.
Category: News Views: 609 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 21:07
Diego confirms Atletico interest Brazilian midfielder Diego looks to be on his way out at Wolfsburg after confirming he has received a "concrete offer" from Atletico Madrid.
The 28-year-old – who spent the 2011-12 campaign on loan at Atletico – has enjoyed a terrific season in the Bundesliga, scoring 10 goals in 32 appearances.
But a return to Spain could be on the cards after Diego, who is contracted at Wolfsburg for another season, revealed that Atletico Madrid were pursuing him.
"Atletico wants me and I have been given a concrete offer," Diego said following Saturday's season-ending 2-2 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.
"We must now speak with Wolfsburg about what is best for me and the clu
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Category: News Views: 695 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 21:06
Benitez hails Torres return to form Interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez believes striker Fernando Torres can go from strength to strength.
The Spain international has returned to the type of form that made him so feared when playing under Benitez at Liverpool.
The 50 million pound transfer from Anfield to Stamford Bridge had been considered a big failure until he started to hit his stride during the second half of this season.
Torres fired the London club to UEFA Europa League success earlier in the week against Benfica after helping the club secure UEFA Champions League football for next season.
Benitez hailed the backroom team of Steve Holland, Boudewijn Zenden, Paco de Miguel and Chris J
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Category: News Views: 672 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 21:05
Stramaccioni resigned to Inter fate Andrea Stramaccioni says he will have no complaints if he is sacked by Inter Milan at the end of the season.
The coach's future is uncertain after a disappointing campaign which has seen Inter drop to ninth in the Serie A table with one match left.
And, speaking ahead of the final league match of the season, Stramaccioni conceded he will not hold it against club president Massimo Morrati if he is dismissed.
"I have to smile, because I don't want to ruin this amusing media circus. (Walter) Mazzarri and (Massimiliano) Allegri will speak after the final game, so why shouldn't I? The president speaks for me and cuts through this bizarre propaganda-like atmosphere.
Category: News Views: 858 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 19:13
Valencia, Sociedad notch vital wins The race for the last UEFA Champions League spot goes on in La Liga after Valencia and Real Sociedad both won on Saturday.
A goal from Jeremy Mathieu after 44 minutes proved to be decisive for Valencia in their 1-0 win over Getafe before all eyes turned to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
Unfortunately for Valencia, Sociedad kept the heat on and returned to fourth place on goal difference with a 2-1 victory.
Ivan Rakitic gave the home side the lead after 10 minutes but his outing soon turned sour when he put through his own net six minutes later to level the scores.
Imanol Agirretxe's strike midway through the half handed Sociedad the advantage and the hos
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Category: News Views: 941 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 03:31
Players should not have to tackle racism Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has urged Mario Balotelli not to walk off the pitch, even if he is subjected to racism.
The striker has previously stated that he would leave a match if there are any more instances of racist chanting, such as those in the recent Serie A clash between Roma and Milan.
However, Allegri does not feel it should have to come down to players to tackle racism and advised Balotelli not to leave the field of play should it occur again.
"I told Mario Balotelli that I need him to remain onto the pitch and that we need 11 men onto the pitch, because we could have some difficulties with 10," he said.
Category: News Views: 832 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 02:48
Lambert wants highest possible league finish Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert wants a win against Wigan on Sunday to finish as high up the table as possible.
Villa are already guaranteed Premier League football next season but Lambert has set his sights on a strong finish to a campaign that had for so long threatened to end in disaster.
A run of just two defeats in six matches - against Chelsea and Manchester United - has led them to the safety of 16th but they could still finish as high as 11th.
"Anyone looking at our football, we never looked like a team that were panicking and launching the ball into the penalty box and hoping for the best," he told the club's official website.
Category: News Views: 788 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 01:47
Paris Saint-Germain 3:1 Brest Paris Saint-Germain ended their home league campaign with a convincing 3-1 win over relegated Brest on Saturday.
The French champions struck three first-half goals - two from Zlatan Ibrahimovich and one from Blaise Matuidi - in what could prove to be David Beckham's last appearance in professional football.
Brest pulled one back after 81 minutes but it was only a consolation as PSG's quality saw them comfortably through.
The hosts made a number of changes, with Salvatore Sirigu, Siaka Tiene, Zoumana Camara, Clement Chantome and Kevin Gameiro all coming into the starting line-up, while Beckham was handed the captaincy.
Nicolas Douchez, Alex, Maxwell, Thiago M
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Category: News Views: 803 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 01:46
Sampdoria 3:2 Juventus Sampdoria snapped a 10-match winless streak with a 3-2 home win over Serie A champions Juventus on Saturday.
Fabio
Quagliarella fired Juventus into an early lead but the hosts responded from the
penalty spot thanks to Brazilian Eder.
Lorenzo De
Silvestri and Mauro Icardi increased Sampdoria’s lead after the interval and
although Emanuele Giaccherini scored a late effort from distance for Juventus,
Delio Rossi's men held on for their first Serie A win in over two months.
Category: News Views: 807 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 01:45
Borussia Dortmund 1:2 Hoffenheim Hoffenheim pulled off a miraculous final-day escape from Bundesliga relegation with a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.
The visitors came into the game needing to win and hoping that Augsburg or Fortuna Dusseldorf lost their fixtures in order to reach the relegation play-off spot. However, Robert Lewandowski's early goal seemed to put paid to that dream.
However, their chances of survival then received a huge boost late in the second half when Sejad Salihovic emphatically dispatched a penalty after Kevin Volland had been tripped. And the Bosnian repeated the trick not long after as Roman Weidenfeller was dismissed for needlessly bringing Sven Schipplock down.
Category: News Views: 826 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 01:42
Borussia Monchengladbach 3:4 Bayern Munich Jupp Heynckes signed off from Bayern Munich in style as they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-3 at Borussia Park on Saturday.
Martin Stranzl, Mike Hanke and Havard Hordtveit netted in the first 11 minutes to give Gladbach a shock lead, with Javi Martinez and Franck Ribery responding for the champions, all before the 20th minute.
Ribery equalised in the second half with a stunning volley before Arjen Robben tapped a winner in to complete a memorable turnaround for the Bundesliga champions.
Chasing a possible top-six finish, Gladbach paired Branimir Hrgota and Hanke in attack, while Bayern stuck with their strongest XI, despite still having the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League
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Category: News Views: 745 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 01:40
Wenger: Bayern win was turning point Arsene Wenger has pinpointed Arsenal's win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League as a turning point in their season.
The Gunners sit fourth in the Premier League prior to their meeting with Newcastle on Sunday, one point ahead of local rivals Tottenham in the chase for Champions League qualification.
Arsenal had trailed Andre Villas-Boas' men by as much as seven points in March, and Wenger has hailed his squad for overturning that deficit.
"It's a big comeback. And you cannot say Tottenham have not done well recently. They won their games. We needed not to lose any more games," he said.
"I had the feeling it could go to the last day. When we were s
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Category: News Views: 648 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 01:36
Benitez coy on lap of honour Chelsea interim boss Rafael Benitez has refused to be drawn on whether he will take part in Sunday's lap of honour at Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard, who has retained a frosty relationship with large sections of the club's support since his appointment in November, led his side to victory over Benfica in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday.
And, while he insisted he had received kind messages since the win at the Amsterdam Arena, the 53-year-old would not commit to joining in with the end-of-season celebrations after the upcoming clash with Everton.
"I will concentrate on the game and I will take part in the 90 minutes, for sure," he said.
Category: News Views: 701 Added: SkyDate: 19.05.2013 - 01:35
