Newcastle United virtually guaranteed their Premier League safety as they came from a goal down to beat Arsenal 2-1 at a spring-like St James’ Park on Sunday.
Alexandre Lacazette’s stretching volley gave Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute but Ayoze Perez clipped in Newcastle’s equaliser on the half hour mark.
Newcastle were the better side after the break and took the lead in the 68th minute when Matt Ritchie fired home after a neat flick from Perez.
Newcastle have 41 points in 10th place with sixth-placed Arsenal on 54 — 13 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
“40 points was the target at the start of the season and hopefully we’ve done enough now to secure our Premier League status,” Matt Ritchie told Sky Sports.
“Now we want to keep going and try to finish as high as we can in the table,” he added.
Click here to read comprehensive review of Saturday Premier League games
In the other game of Sunday, Bottom-of-the table West Brom Albion crowned Manchester City the English Premier League champions for 2017/2018, after a stunning 1-0 defeat of Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Not that the victory of City was in any doubt, but pundits felt it could be postponed by another week if Manchester United beat the Darren Moore coached West Brom.
However the match defied all expectations and permutations as Jay Rodriguez nodded in the only goal of the match in the 73rd minute. United did not recover from the upset.
Despite the victory, West Brom are stuck at the bottom of the table with 24 points.
Manchester City, with five games remaining have 87 points, 16 points more than City rivals, Manchester United.
Victory against Spurs at Wembley had given City an unassailable position to clinch the title. United bowing to West Brom only made things easier.
City celebrated the championship on its website, proclaiming:
“Record-smashing, goal-scoring, swashbuckling and awe-inspiring – boss Pep Guardiola has overseen a scintillating campaign, setting new standards of brilliance in English football.
“This title was not the last-minute miracle of 2012, or the last-day drama of 2014 but rather a serene glide to glory.
“An incredible 18-match winning streak, running from August to New Year’s Eve, saw City surge away from the opposition and take a grip on the table that never loosened.
“In sealing the title at this point, City have equalled the Premier League record for the earliest win held by United since 2001.
“City are only the third club to beat all other teams in a single Premier League season, after Chelsea in 2005-06 and United in 2010-11.”
“The Blues have emerged victorious from all bar five league matches so far to achieve a points total of 87 and lift the English top-flight title for the fifth time in the Club’s history.
“The feat was also achieved in the 1936-37, 1967-68, 2011-12 and 2013-14 campaigns.”
Details obtained from NAN
