WEST HAM ENDED a record-breaking season with a 3-0 win over Southampton and a place in the Europa League.
David Moyes’ side, who were battling relegation last year, secured sixth place and their best Premier League points tally of 65.
Two goals from Pablo Fornals and a third from Declan Rice made it a club record 19th Premier League win of the season, and a first top-six finish this century.
A maiden appearance in the group stages of the Europa League now beckons for a side tipped to struggle again at the start of the season.
Any early West Ham nerves were finally calmed on the half-hour mark, when Jarrod Bowen raced onto Michail Antonio’s header and shot across goal.
McCarthy could only palm the ball out to the feet of Fornals, who smashed home the rebound.
West Ham's Pablo Fornals (centre right) celebrates scoring their side’s first goal.
Two minutes later the hosts were two ahead, Fornals again the man in the right place to turn in a low cross from full-back Vladimir Coufal.
Rice capped a memorable season personally with the third goal, five minutes from time. The midfielder, who has captained West Ham superbly throughout the campaign, collected a chip from Fornals, strode forward and stroked the ball past McCarthy to get the European party started.
At the Emirates, Nicolas Pepe continued his fine end to the season by scoring twice as Arsenal beat Brighton 2-0, but missed out on European qualification for the first time in 25 years.
Arsenal did their bit and had Pepe to thank, the winger’s two second-half strikes securing the points as 10,000 fans returned to the Emirates Stadium.
But Gareth Bale’s late goals for Spurs at Leicester meant they finish above their north London rivals in seventh and qualify for the inaugural Europa Conference League.
Nicolas Pepe scored twice for Arsenal.
Arsenal came closest to breaking the deadlock just moments before the break when Gabriel Magalhaes sent a looping header against the crossbar.
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But they would hit the front soon after the restart as Pepe continued a fine run of form, collecting a Calum Chambers pass and finishing coolly past Robert Sanchez.
The club’s record signing would double the lead on the hour-mark, scoring his ninth goal from his last 13 Premier League starts having cut into the Brighton box and again finished with aplomb.
Joe Willock became the first player since Alan Shearer to score in seven consecutive Premier League games for Newcastle as they beat Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage.
The 21-year-old, who joined the Magpies on transfer deadline day, has helped consolidate Newcastle’s status in the Premier League with eight goals, including seven in seven matches.
Fabian Schar secured all three points with a 88th-minute spot-kick.
It could be Willock’s final appearance for Newcastle, but it was enough to ensure that Newcastle left west London with victory and a 12th-place finish.
He broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute thanks to his driving run through the midfield. The Fulham defence thought they had stopped the Newcastle man but the ball fell in Willock’s path again and he drilled the ball past Rodak.
With two minutes remaining, referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot after Matt Ritchie was brought down by Kenny Tete in the area. Schar sent Rodak the wrong way to double his side’s lead and secure the win for the visitors.
Pablo Hernandez says farewell. Richard Sellers / PA
Richard Sellers / PA / PA
Leeds signed off their first Premier League season in 16 years in style by beating West Brom 3-1 at Elland Road in front of their returning fans.
Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips’ free-kick put Leeds 2-0 up at the break and Patrick Bamford converted a penalty as Marcelo Bielsa’s side, roared on by an 8,000-crowd, kept their foot on the gas all the way to the finish line.
West Brom substitute Hal Robson-Kanu struck a late consolation for the visitors, but the day belonged to Leeds, whose players saluted their fans on a lap of honour after the final whistle.
England man Kalvin Phillips missed the acclaim, though, as he appeared to suffer a shoulder injury just before the final whistle, two days before the Euro 2020 squad is announced.
Leeds closed the season in ninth and on 59 points, the most by a promoted top-flight club since Ipswich in 2000/01, and with 62 goals, a record-extending total for a promoted club in a 38-match season.
Supporters passed through the turnstiles for the first time since March 2020, while Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi bade farewell as they both started in their final appearances for the club.
Hernandez, the club’s player of the year for the last three seasons, crossed for Jack Harrison to convert in the seventh minute, but the winger was offside.
Rodrigo headed home Raphinha’s 18th-minute cross for his seventh goal of the season to put Leeds in front and the home side went on to dominate the first half.
Leeds doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute. Hernandez was fouled by Conor Gallagher on the left edge of the penalty area and Phillips curled home his free-kick, his first Premier League goal, inside the near post.
Leeds extended their lead in the 79th minute when Bamford slammed home a penalty after Okay Yoksulu had handled Harrison’s cross.
It was Bamford’s 17th Premier League goal of the season and sealed West Brom’s 22nd league defeat in manager Sam Allardyce’s final game in charge.
Robson-Kanu pounced on a defensive mix-up in the closing stages to slot home West Brom’s consolation.
But the Baggies, whose immediate return to the Championship was confirmed two weeks ago, lost a fourth league game in a row for the first time since March 2018.
David McGoldrick celebrates after scoring the game's only goal. PA
PA
Sheffield United finished a miserable season with a 1-0 win against Burnley in front of their own supporters at Bramall Lane.
Ireland’s David McGoldrick, this week voted the club’s player of the year, scored his eighth Premier League goal of the campaign midway through the first half as the Blades won for just the seventh time in the league this season.
McGoldrick netted with a fine curling finish from 25 yards out which found the bottom corner of the net following a driving run after receiving the ball midway inside the Burnley half.
Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope remained absent and could be a doubt for Euro 2020 after the club announced prior to kick off he will undergo surgery next week on the knee injury that has seen him miss the Clarets’ final three matches of the season.
McGoldrick had a couple of chances to score his and the Blades’ second goal of the game early in the second half but the ball got stuck under his feet inside the penalty area, before he looped a header over the crossbar shortly afterwards.
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West Ham secure Europa League place in style, Arsenal miss out, Willock scores for seventh game in a row
WEST HAM ENDED a record-breaking season with a 3-0 win over Southampton and a place in the Europa League.
David Moyes’ side, who were battling relegation last year, secured sixth place and their best Premier League points tally of 65.
Two goals from Pablo Fornals and a third from Declan Rice made it a club record 19th Premier League win of the season, and a first top-six finish this century.
A maiden appearance in the group stages of the Europa League now beckons for a side tipped to struggle again at the start of the season.
Any early West Ham nerves were finally calmed on the half-hour mark, when Jarrod Bowen raced onto Michail Antonio’s header and shot across goal.
McCarthy could only palm the ball out to the feet of Fornals, who smashed home the rebound.
Two minutes later the hosts were two ahead, Fornals again the man in the right place to turn in a low cross from full-back Vladimir Coufal.
Rice capped a memorable season personally with the third goal, five minutes from time. The midfielder, who has captained West Ham superbly throughout the campaign, collected a chip from Fornals, strode forward and stroked the ball past McCarthy to get the European party started.
At the Emirates, Nicolas Pepe continued his fine end to the season by scoring twice as Arsenal beat Brighton 2-0, but missed out on European qualification for the first time in 25 years.
Arsenal did their bit and had Pepe to thank, the winger’s two second-half strikes securing the points as 10,000 fans returned to the Emirates Stadium.
But Gareth Bale’s late goals for Spurs at Leicester meant they finish above their north London rivals in seventh and qualify for the inaugural Europa Conference League.
Arsenal came closest to breaking the deadlock just moments before the break when Gabriel Magalhaes sent a looping header against the crossbar.
But they would hit the front soon after the restart as Pepe continued a fine run of form, collecting a Calum Chambers pass and finishing coolly past Robert Sanchez.
The club’s record signing would double the lead on the hour-mark, scoring his ninth goal from his last 13 Premier League starts having cut into the Brighton box and again finished with aplomb.
Joe Willock became the first player since Alan Shearer to score in seven consecutive Premier League games for Newcastle as they beat Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage.
The 21-year-old, who joined the Magpies on transfer deadline day, has helped consolidate Newcastle’s status in the Premier League with eight goals, including seven in seven matches.
Fabian Schar secured all three points with a 88th-minute spot-kick.
It could be Willock’s final appearance for Newcastle, but it was enough to ensure that Newcastle left west London with victory and a 12th-place finish.
He broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute thanks to his driving run through the midfield. The Fulham defence thought they had stopped the Newcastle man but the ball fell in Willock’s path again and he drilled the ball past Rodak.
With two minutes remaining, referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot after Matt Ritchie was brought down by Kenny Tete in the area. Schar sent Rodak the wrong way to double his side’s lead and secure the win for the visitors.
Leeds signed off their first Premier League season in 16 years in style by beating West Brom 3-1 at Elland Road in front of their returning fans.
Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips’ free-kick put Leeds 2-0 up at the break and Patrick Bamford converted a penalty as Marcelo Bielsa’s side, roared on by an 8,000-crowd, kept their foot on the gas all the way to the finish line.
West Brom substitute Hal Robson-Kanu struck a late consolation for the visitors, but the day belonged to Leeds, whose players saluted their fans on a lap of honour after the final whistle.
England man Kalvin Phillips missed the acclaim, though, as he appeared to suffer a shoulder injury just before the final whistle, two days before the Euro 2020 squad is announced.
Leeds closed the season in ninth and on 59 points, the most by a promoted top-flight club since Ipswich in 2000/01, and with 62 goals, a record-extending total for a promoted club in a 38-match season.
Supporters passed through the turnstiles for the first time since March 2020, while Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi bade farewell as they both started in their final appearances for the club.
Hernandez, the club’s player of the year for the last three seasons, crossed for Jack Harrison to convert in the seventh minute, but the winger was offside.
Rodrigo headed home Raphinha’s 18th-minute cross for his seventh goal of the season to put Leeds in front and the home side went on to dominate the first half.
Leeds doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute. Hernandez was fouled by Conor Gallagher on the left edge of the penalty area and Phillips curled home his free-kick, his first Premier League goal, inside the near post.
Leeds extended their lead in the 79th minute when Bamford slammed home a penalty after Okay Yoksulu had handled Harrison’s cross.
It was Bamford’s 17th Premier League goal of the season and sealed West Brom’s 22nd league defeat in manager Sam Allardyce’s final game in charge.
Robson-Kanu pounced on a defensive mix-up in the closing stages to slot home West Brom’s consolation.
But the Baggies, whose immediate return to the Championship was confirmed two weeks ago, lost a fourth league game in a row for the first time since March 2018.
Sheffield United finished a miserable season with a 1-0 win against Burnley in front of their own supporters at Bramall Lane.
Ireland’s David McGoldrick, this week voted the club’s player of the year, scored his eighth Premier League goal of the campaign midway through the first half as the Blades won for just the seventh time in the league this season.
McGoldrick netted with a fine curling finish from 25 yards out which found the bottom corner of the net following a driving run after receiving the ball midway inside the Burnley half.
Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope remained absent and could be a doubt for Euro 2020 after the club announced prior to kick off he will undergo surgery next week on the knee injury that has seen him miss the Clarets’ final three matches of the season.
McGoldrick had a couple of chances to score his and the Blades’ second goal of the game early in the second half but the ball got stuck under his feet inside the penalty area, before he looped a header over the crossbar shortly afterwards.
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Barclays Premier League David McGoldrick Joe Willock that's a wrap