3 months ago
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LONDON (AP):
Arsenal have sealed their place in next season’s Champions League. Nottingham Forest still have a shot at making it, too.
On an emotional afternoon of farewells for Everton and Jamie Vardy, Arsenal claimed the most telling win in the Premier League yesterday by beating Newcastle 1-0 thanks to Declan Rice’s outside-of-the-area curler.
It earned Mikel Arteta’s team the second automatic Champions League spot, alongside already-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool. The five teams below them are battling for the remaining three qualification places in Europe’s lucrative elite club competition and the fight couldn’t be closer with a week left in the season.
Newcastle stayed in third place, tied on points with Chelsea and Aston Villa and just one point ahead of Manchester City and Forest, who held on to beat West Ham 2-1 and stay alive in the race for a top-five finish.
That would be a remarkable achievement for Forest, who narrowly avoided relegation last season.
City have a game in hand, at home to Bournemouth on Tuesday, and can jump to third with a win. Forest finish the season at home to Chelsea in what could yet prove to effectively be a Champions League playoff.
ANOTHER BEAUTY FROM RICE
Two superbly executed free kicks against Real Madrid in the Champions League this season demonstrated Rice’s ability from long range and he showed off that talent again against Newcastle, meeting an inside pass from Martin Odegaard with a first-time shot that whipped into the far corner.
Arsenal are looking good for a third straight runner-up finish in the league, with the manager and his players yet to perfect balancing domestic and European campaigns in their search for a first major trophy since 2020.
“What I can promise is that I will do my very best (to win a trophy) and I will give my life, and get every drop of everybody here to squeeze it and get the best (out of them),” Arteta said.
Newcastle, who were without star striker Alexander Isak because of a groin injury, finish the season at home to Everton and will almost certainly qualify for the Champions League with a win.
WINNING FAREWELL TO GOODISON
Everton said goodbye to Goodison, its home of 133 years, with a 2-0 victory over Southampton thanks to two goals by Iliman Ndiaye.
Fans wept and former stars, like Wayne Rooney, took part in an “End of an Era” post-match party inside one of English football’s classic stadiums that will continue to be in operation.
It will be the new home of Everton’s women’s team from next season, while the men’s team is headed to a nearby 53,000-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Vardy delivers on his big dayIt was a special day, too, for Vardy, who was playing his 500th and last match for Leicester exactly 13 years to the day he joined from non-league Fleetwood Town.
He marked the occasion by scoring against Ipswich with his 200th goal for the club he famously helped to win the Premier League against the odds in 2016.
It was the first goal in Leicester’s 2-0 win over Ipswich and Vardy was given a guard of honour by teammates when he was substituted in the 80th minute.
Fulham scored two goals in a three-minute span from 2-1 down to win 3-2 at Brentford.
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