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Published January 13, 2015
Laurent Koscielny picked a fine time to score his second Premier League goal of the season.
The defender's 52nd-minute strike at St. James' Park on Sunday helped Arsenal earn a 1-0 defeat of Newcastle to clinch fourth place in England's top flight and seal a Champions League qualification spot.
The lone goal came from a set piece as the Magpies failed to clear their lines, allowing Koscielny to beat the offside trap and fire an acrobatic shot into the back of the net from close range. The shot hit Steve Harper in the face but the Newcastle goalkeeper was unable to keep it out.
The Gunners latched on to the one-goal lead and went on to claim all three points, bringing the club to 73 points for the season.
Newcastle ends the Premier League season fifth from bottom on 41 points.
Tottenham 1, Sunderland 0
London, England - Gareth Bale scored a cracking goal in the 89th minute at White Hart Lane on Sunday to give Tottenham a 1-0 victory over Sunderland, but it was not enough to help Spurs earn Champions League football for next season.
The Welshman uncorked a shot from distance that ripped through the air and found its way into the far upper corner. It lifted Tottenham to 72 points on the season, but Arsenal's defeat of Newcastle sees the club stay one point off the Gunners' pace to finish fifth in the league.
Sunderland entered the match guaranteed of safety as the Black Cats finish the campaign one spot above the relegation zone with 39 points.
West Bromwich 5, Manchester United 5
West Bromwich, England - Sir Alex Ferguson made history one last time as he saw his Manchester United side play to a 5-5 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Sunday, the only 5-5 draw in the Premier League era.
The Red Devils appeared as if they'd hand Ferguson a resounding victory in his final match after Shinji Kagawa, an own goal from Jonas Olsson and Alexander Buttner granted the visitors a three-goal lead inside the opening half-hour.
James Morrison scored five minutes before halftime while Romelu Lukaku added another five minutes after the restart to bring the Baggies to within one, but United restored their three-goal edge through Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez.
But West Brom ultimately climbed level as the home side bagged three goals in the span of six minutes to earn a share of the spoils. Lukaku produced two more goals to complete his hat trick while Youssuf Mulumbu contributed one in between.
Norwich City 3, Manchester City 2
Manchester, England - Manchester City capped a disappointing season by faltering in a 3-2 loss to Norwich City at the Etihad.
Anthony Pilkington put the Canaries in front in the 26th minute only to see Jack Rodwell equalize three minutes later. Grant Holt restored Norwich's lead in the 54th minute, but Rodwell quickly leveled the score once more for the Citizens by completing his brace in the 59th. The visitors eventually grabbed the lead for good when Jonathan Howson notched his second goal of the season in the 65th minute.
City finishes the season in second place with 78 points and without a trophy. Norwich ends its solid campaign in 11th place on 44 points.
Liverpool 1, QPR 0
Liverpool, England - Philippe Coutinho sent QPR down to the Championship with a loss as his goal helped Liverpool earn a 1-0 victory at Anfield on Sunday.
The lone strike came in the 23rd minute as Coutinho chipped in with his third league goal in a Liverpool shirt. It was enough to see the Reds finish the season with 61 points and an eight-match unbeaten streak.
Championship-bound QPR wraps up its season with three straight losses, ending the campaign in last place on 25 points.
Chelsea 2, Everton 1
London, England - Chelsea secured third place in the Premier League with a 2-1 defeat of Everton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Juan Mata's opening goal in the seventh minute was erased by Steven Naismith seven minutes later. The Blues were made to wait until the 76th minute to receive their winning goal as Fernando Torres struck to deny David Moyes, who is heading to Old Trafford this summer to take over for Sir Alex Ferguson, a result in his final match in charge of the Toffees.
Chelsea's 75 points this term sees the club automatically qualify for the Champions League group stage while Everton's 63 points has left the club nine points off the pace of a Europa League place for next season.
Southampton 1, Stoke City 1
Southampton, England - Southampton and Stoke City played to a 1-1 draw in a rather academic affair at St. Mary's on Sunday.
After a scoreless first half, the two sides scored 10 minutes apart to split the points in a result that means little to either clubs.
Peter Crouch opened the scoring for Stoke in the 47th minute while Rickie Lambert capped his fine season with the equalizer in the 57th, his 15th league goal of the season.
Fulham 3, Swansea City 0
Swansea, Wales - Fulham managed to snap its five-game losing streak on the final day of the Premier League season, running out at the Liberty Stadium to a 3-0 victory over Swansea City.
The Cottagers opened the scoring through Alexander Kacaniklic in the 22nd minute before second-half goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Urby Emanuelson helped complete the rout.
Fulham ends the season on 43 points, three points back of Swansea City.
West Ham 4, Reading 2
London, England - Kevin Nolan produced a hat trick to help West Ham close out its season with a 4-2 defeat of Reading at Upton Park on Sunday.
Nolan and Ricardo Vaz Te gave the Hammers a two-goal by halftime before Garath McCleary and Adam Le Fondre brought the visitors back on level terms, but Nolan scored twice in the final 11 minutes to complete his virtuoso performance.
West Ham finishes the campaign mid-table on 46 points while Championship-bound Reading's two straight losses leave the club on 28 points.
Wigan 2, Aston Villa 2
Wigan, England - Wigan and Aston Villa split the points at the DW Stadium on Sunday, playing to a 2-2 draw.
The Latics overturned Darren Bent's opener through Emmerson Boyce and an own goal from Nathan Baker, but Ron Vlaar's 60th-minute strike gave visiting Villa a share of the spoils.
FA Cup-winning Wigan heads down to the Championship having failed to conjure another great escape like the club has so many times before while Aston Villa staves off relegation by claiming seven points from its last four league matches.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/koscielny-helps-arsenal-secure-fourth-place