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Live Coverage: Premier League final day

Sports Mole brings you live text coverage of the final day of the 2015-16 Premier League season.
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Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the final day of the 2015-16 Premier League season.

The title and relegation places have already been wrapped up heading into the last game of the campaign, but there is still plenty to be decided when it comes to the European places.

Manchester City are looking to fend off the challenge of Manchester United for the final Champions League spot, while the Red Devils will also have one eye looking over their shoulders as West Ham United and Southampton push for Europa League qualification.

Aside from the Premier League there is also action from the lower leagues of English football, the Scottish leagues and Serie A, and you can make sure you don't miss a thing courtesy of our dedicated live commentary below.


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Good afternoon! After nine long months, the 2015-16 Premier League season concludes this afternoon, and what a season it has been. Leicester's fairytale championship success is undoubtedly the story of the campaign, but the underachievement of the big teams and performances from the likes of Tottenham, West Ham, Bournemouth and Watford have all contributed to arguably the most absorbing and certainly the most unpredictable Premier League season ever. All 20 teams kick off at 3pm this afternoon, so let's have a look at what we have in store today...

PREMIER LEAGUE FINAL DAY FIXTURES:

Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
Chelsea vs. Leicester
Everton vs. Norwich
Manchester United vs. Bournemouth
Newcastle vs. Tottenham
Southampton vs. Crystal Palace
Stoke vs. West Ham
Swansea vs. Man City
Watford vs. Sunderland
West Brom vs. Liverpool


There are plenty of intriguing fixtures on the final day, then, but the midweek results means that European football is the only thing of major note to be decided on this final day. The relegation battle did go down to the last week, but Sunderland's victory over Everton on Wednesday - a match that proved to be Roberto Martinez's last in charge of the Toffees, saw the Black Cats pull off yet another escape and send Newcastle and Norwich down to the Championship.

Leicester have, of course, had the title wrapped up for a couple of weeks now, and should results go their way today then they could end the campaign as champions by 13 points. The teams below them still have plenty to fight for, though, with both Manchester clubs vying for the final Champions League spot and a chasing pack ready to pounce on any slip-ups from United. There will also be a North London duel as Spurs look to hold off the challenge of Arsenal to finish as runners-up. And speaking of Arsenal, let's start looking at each of today's games a little more in-depth.

GOAL! Utrecht 1-0 Zwolle (Sebastien Haller)

Before we get to that, though, there has been a goal in there Eredivisie, where Utrecht have taken the lead against Zwolle in their Europa League playoff semi-final. That is the second leg of that tie, and after the first ended goalless it is now advantage Utrecht courtesy of an early Sebastien Haller strike.

GOAL! Celtic 4-0 Motherwell (Stuart Armstrong)

It is also the final day of the season in Scotland today, and champions Celtic look like signing off in style. Stuart Armstrong has just made it 4-0 to the Bhoys against Motherwell in what is Ronny Deila's final match in charge of the club.

ARSENAL VS. ASTON VILLA: It will be a sad day for Aston Villa today as they bid farewell to the Premier League. Who knows how long it will be before they are back among the elite, but if this season is anything to go by then it may be quite a while. They have won just three league games all season - only Derby County's ill-fated 2007-08 campaign saw fewer wins - and have not won away from home since the very opening day of the season.

GOAL! Celtic 5-0 Motherwell (Patrick Roberts)

Young Patrick Roberts gets in on the act at Parkhead, scoring Celtic's fifth and becoming the fifth different name on the scoresheet too. It's now officially a rout.

ARSENAL VS. ASTON VILLA: Villa's fate has been known for some time now, but Arsenal still retain hope that they might be able to finish above Tottenham this season. A win, coupled with Spurs losing to Newcastle, would see them finish as runners-up to Leicester and in the top two for the first time since 2005, but should Spurs avoid defeat at St James's Park then third is the best Arsenal can hope for. They can still actually finish fourth, although that would require them to lose against Villa and for Man City to beat Swansea. PREDICTION: 4-0.

GOAL! Celtic 6-0 Motherwell (Ryan Christie)

They got their first three goals in the space of seven first-half minutes, and they have their next three goals in the space of nine second-half minutes! Celtic extend their lead even further against Motherwell and Ryan Christie becomes the sixth different player to get his name on the scoresheet.

CHELSEA VS. LEICESTER: The former champions will be giving a guard of honour to their successors as Claudio Ranieri returns to Stamford Bridge with Leicester this afternoon. It is the final match of the Foxes' unbelievable campaign, and they will want to end it in fitting fashion by beating Chelsea. If they avoid defeat then they will equal their club record of 12 top-flight matches unbeaten, while they have already set a new mark with 23 top-flight wins this season - more than they had managed in their last three Premier League seasons combined.

CHELSEA VS. LEICESTER: In contrast to Leicester's incredible campaign, Chelsea cannot wait for this disastrous season to be over. In terms of position, they are already guaranteed to go down as the worst defending champions in Premier League history, and they need a win today to surpass Leeds United's tally of 51 points from the 1992-93 campaign - the year after they won the last First Division title. Only Aston Villa have won fewer home games than Chelsea this season, and four of their five league victories at Stamford Bridge have come against the bottom four. It is a farewell for Hiddink, but the Dutchman has only won one of his nine home league games at the club since taking over from Mourinho. PREDICTION: 1-2.

EVERTON VS. NORWICH: Everton start the post-Martinez era with a home match against the Canaries as Joe Royle and David Unsworth take the reins for the final game of the season. The Toffees have suffered a really poor campaign and could still finish as low as 16th in the table should things go against them today. They have only won one of their last 10 games in all competitions, including a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland on Wednesday that sent their opponents today down.

GOAL! Aberdeen 0-3 Ross County (Liam Boyce)

GOAL! Utrecht 2-0 Zwolle (Bart Ramselaar)

GOAL! Heracles 5-1 Groningen

It is all over between Heracles and Groningen, but the tie hasn't been without drama. Heracles forced extra time with a last-minute strike in that Europa League playoff semi-final, but they have gone on to score three times in the added 30 to eventually cruise into the final.

FULL TIME: Heracles 5-1 Groningen (Heracles win 6-3 on aggregate)

GOAL! Utrecht 3-0 Zwolle

Utrecht look like joining Heracles in that playoff final having gone 3-0 up against Zwolle inside half an hour of that game. Meanwhile, in Scotland, Ross County are well on course to shock Aberdeen, leading the Premiership runners-up 3-0.

TEAM NEWS! The Premier League team news is flooding in with an hour to go until kickoff, so here it comes...

ARSENAL STARTING XI: Cech; Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Wilshere, Cazorla, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud
Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Elneny, Campbell, Iwobi

ASTON VILLA STARTING XI: Bunn; Lyden, Lescott, Toner, Cissokho; Sanchez, Westwood, Gana; Bacuna, Ayew, Sinclair
Subs: Guzan, Richards, Adama, Gil, Hepburn-Murphy, Gestede, Grealish


CHELSEA STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Baba Rahman; Fabregas, Matic; Pedro, Willian, Hazard; Traore
Subs: Begovic, Tomori, Loftus-Cheek, Kenedy, Oscar, Pato, Abraham

LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel; Simpson, Wasilewski, Morgan, Fuchs; Kante, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez; Vardy, Gray
Subs: Schwarzer, Albrighton, Amartey, Schlupp, Okazaki, Ulloa, Chilwell


GOAL! Celtic 7-0 Motherwell (Jack Aitchison)

GOAL! Aberdeen 0-4 Ross County (Martin Woods)

It's getting embarrassing for both Motherwell and Aberdeen now. The latter are now four down to Ross County at home, while Celtic are giving Deila a proper send-off with their seventh goal. Aitchison scored just two minutes after coming off the bench to make it seven different names on the scoresheet now.

EVERTON STARTING XI: Howard; Pennington, Stones, Jagielka, Baines; Barry, McCarthy, Davies, Mirallas; Lukaku, Dowell
Subs: Joel, Lennon, Cleverley, Barkley, Osman, Connolly, Kenny

NORWICH STARTING XI: Ruddy; Pinto, Martin, Bennett, Olsson; Redmond, Dorrans, O'Neil, Jarvis; Naismith, Jerome
Subs: Rudd, Whittaker, Bassong, Brady, Hoolahan, Andreu, Odjidja


MAN UTD STARTING XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson; Carrick, Rooney, Mata, Lingard, Martial; Rashford
Subs: Romero, Jones, Varela, Young, Herrera, Pereira, Memphis

BOURNEMOUTH STARTING XI: Federici; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Ritchie, Arter, Surman, Pugh, King; Wilson
Subs: Holmes, O'Kane, Gosling, Gradel, Iturbe, Grabban, Afobe


FULL TIME: Bradford 1-3 Millwall

Millwall have put one foot into the League One playoff final with a 3-1 victory over Bradford City in their away first leg this afternoon. Millwall will welcome Bradford back to The Den on Friday looking to finish the job, but they are in a very comfortable position at the halfway stage.

NEWCASTLE STARTING XI: Darlow; Janmaat, Taylor, Mbemba, Dummett; Townsend, Tiote, Colback, Sissoko; Wijnaldum; Mitrovic
Subs: Woodman, Sterry, Shelvey, Aarons, De Jong, Perez, Cisse

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Mason; Lamela, Eriksen, Son; Kane
Subs: Vorm, Rose, Wimmer, Carroll, Chadli, Onomah, Clinton


SOUTHAMPTON STARTING XI: Forster; Martina, Van Dijk, Fonte, Bertrand; Wanyama, Romeu, Mane, Davis, Tadic; Long
Subs: Stekelenburg, Cedric, Yoshida, Ward-Prowse, Reed, Pelle, Austin

CRYSTAL PALACE STARTING XI: Speroni; Ward, Mariappa, Delaney, Souare; Mutch, McArthur, Jedinak, Puncheon; Gayle, Adebayor
Subs: McCarthy, Dann, Kelly, Lee, Gray, Kaikai, Campbell


FULL TIME: Aberdeen 0-4 Ross County

FULL TIME: Celtic 7-0 Motherwell

STOKE STARTING XI: Given; Cameron, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters; Whelan, Imbula, Walters, Bojan, Arnautovic; Joselu
Subs: Haugaard, Bardsley, Muniesa, Adam, Diouf, Shaqiri, Crouch

WEST HAM STARTING XI: Randolph; Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble, Kouyate, Antonio, Lanzini, Sakho; Carroll
Subs: Spiegel (GK), Byram, Collins, Obiang, Moses, Emenike, Valencia


SWANSEA STARTING XI: Nordfeldt; Rangel, Fernandez, Amat, Kingsley; Britton, Cork, Fer, Routledge, Montero; Ayew
Subs: Vickers, Naughton, Fulton, Gorre, Barrow, Emnes, Gomis

MAN CITY STARTING XI: Hart; Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho, Navas, De Bruyne, Iheanacho; Aguero
Subs: Caballero, Sterling, Kolarov, Demichelis, Nasri, Toure, Bony


WATFORD STARTING XI: Gomes; Cathcart, Britos, Prödl, Ake; Abdi, Guedioura, Watson, Jurado; Deeney, Ighalo
Subs: Pantilimon, Nyom, Paredes, Suarez, Anya, Berghuis, Amrabat

SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Pickford; Yedlin, T Robson, O'Shea, Kone; Larsson, Rodwell, Lens, Watmore, Greenwood; N'Doye
Subs: Mannone, Jones, Brown, Defoe, M'Vila, Honeyman, Khazri


WEST BROM STARTING XI: Foster; Dawson, Olsson, McAuley, Gardner; Yacob, Evans, McClean, Fletcher, Rondon; Leko
Subs: Myhill; Chester, Lambert, Berahino, Sandro, Roberts, Field

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Bogdan; Flanagan, Skrtel, Lucas, Smith; Stewart, Allen, Brannagan, Ibe, Ojo; Benteke
Subs: Mignolet, Henderson, Ilori, Ings, Randall, Canos, Chirivella


The Scottish season is now over and done with, although there wasn't much on the line in the final three games today. Celtic's mammoth win over Motherwell, coupled with Aberdeen's defeat at the hands of Ross County, means that the Bhoys win the title by 15 points, with Aberdeen second and Hearts in third. You can check out the final standings by clicking here.

EVERTON VS. NORWICH: The Canaries go to out-of-form Everton having lost eight of their last nine away games in the Premier League, failing to score in seven of those. They have not won at Goodison since 1993 either, while the Toffee's defeat to Sunderland on Wednesday means that Norwich have now been relegated from the Premier League four times - the joint most alongside Crystal Palace. PREDICTION: 2-2.

MAN UTD VS. BOURNEMOUTH: United's fate is perhaps the most undecided of anyone's left in the Premier League this season. The Red Devils are still in the Champions League race, although they would need Man City to lose for that to be an option today. They would also need to beat Bournemouth, and anything other than a win would open the door for West Ham to catch them. United have won six and drawn one of their last seven games at Old Trafford, though, and have conceded just eight times in front of their own fans all season. PREDICTION: 2-0.

NEWCASTLE VS. TOTTENHAM: The formula for Spurs today is simple: avoid defeat and they will finish above Arsenal for the first time since 1995. They come up against a Newcastle side who are unbeaten in five and who have lost just one of their last eight home league games, but that hasn't been enough to see them avoid the drop and the future of Rafael Benitez now looks uncertain. Victory for Spurs today would see them surpass their highest-ever points tally of 72. PREDICTION: 1-1.

GOAL! Utrecht 3-1 Zwolle (Queensy Menig)

Is the comeback on for Zwolle? They pull a goal back against Utrecht 10 minutes into the second half of their Europa League playoff second leg, but still two more goals to level things up on aggregate again.

SOUTHAMPTON VS. CRYSTAL PALACE: The Saints are still in the race for European football today, although to be guaranteed Europa League qualification they would need West Ham to slip up. Victory for Southampton could see them potentially finish as high as fifth, although they would also require a favour from Bournemouth against Man Utd for that to happen. Southampton have beaten Man City and Spurs in their last two games and have only been beaten once in their last nine games, whereas Palace will have one eye on the FA Cup final against Manchester United. PREDICTION: 3-0.

STOKE VS. WEST HAM: A 3-2 win for West Ham in their final match at the Boleyn Ground means that European qualification is still in their hands, and victory would guarantee them a place in the Europa League next season. They could still finish fifth too should United slip up against Bournemouth, but any dropped points of their own would open the door for Southampton behind them. Stoke, meanwhile, would be guaranteed a top-half finish if they win. PREDICTION: 1-2.

SWANSEA VS. MAN CITY: This is a huge game for Man City today, but fourth place is still very much in their hands. Their goal difference means that a draw would be enough for them to qualify for the Champions League ahead of Manchester United, but should they lose to Swansea in their first match since it was confirmed that Francesco Guidolin will be staying on as manager then United could catch them. A win for Swansea could also see them rescue a top-half finish this season. PREDICTION: 1-3.

GOAL! Utrecht 4-1 Zwolle (Giovanni Troupee)

It looks like it is all over in that match as Utrecht restore their three-goal lead, both on the day and on aggregate, Zwolle have also been reduced to 10 men there, so it is a long way back for them.

WATFORD VS. SUNDERLAND: Quique Flores will make his final bow as Watford manager this afternoon after the club announced on Friday that he will be leaving at the end of a successful season. The Hornets are safe but have tailed off drastically over the second half of the campaign. Sunderland, on the other hand, are specialists at the tail end of the season and have pulled off another great escape to go into today's match with no pressure on their shoulders. PREDICTION: 1-0.

GOAL! Utrecht 4-2 Zwolle (Wout Brama)

Is there life in Zwolle yet? They pull another goal back through Wout Brama to give themselves another glimmer of hope heading into the final 25 minutes there.

WEST BROM VS. LIVERPOOL: Liverpool are another team still in the European race, although they would need a win against West Brom coupled with a West Ham defeat against Stoke to stand any chance of getting into the top six. They may have one eye on Wednesday's Europa League final, though, which could give the Baggies a chance to finish as high as 12th in the standings. PREDICTION: 1-1.

Right, we're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff on this final day of the Premier League season! Who will end the campaign on a high? And more importantly who will end the season in the European places. Stick with us to find out!

KICKOFF: We're getting underway in the 3pm kickoffs now, but the match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford has been delayed by 45 minutes due to 'an incident in the stands'. Two sides of the stadium have now been evacuated, and United will be forced to deal with another delayed kickoff this afternoon.

GOAL! Utrecht 5-2 Zwolle

The latest reports from Old Trafford suggest that a suspect package has been found in the North-West corner of the stadium. Police are understood to be dealing with the situation, although quite whether the game will actually be able to take place or not remains to be seen.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa (Olivier Giroud)

Well, that didn't take long. Surely the easiest result to predict today was a win for Arsenal at home to relegated Aston Villa, and they have taken the lead after just five minutes through Olivier Giroud.

GOAL! Swansea 0-1 Manchester City (Kelechi Iheanacho)

BREAKING NEWS: Manchester United's match against Bournemouth this afternoon has now been abandoned due to a suspect package found at Old Trafford.

Quite how that news affects the coming weeks, with Manchester United also due to play in the FA Cup final, remains to be seen, but it does mean that we will not have the conclusion of the European battle today. Safety has to come first in such situations, though, and I'm sure the other clubs will have no complaints at the measures being taken.

You can read more on that incredible developing story at Old Trafford by clicking here.

GOAL! West Brom 1-0 Liverpool (Salomon Rondon)

West Brom take the lead against Liverpool through Salomon Rondon, which would put the final nail in the coffin for the Reds' hopes of finishing in a Europa League qualifying position.

The huge news of the day so far is the developing story at Old Trafford, though. Here is confirmation of the abandonment after a suspicious package was found in the stands.



GOAL! Everton 1-0 Norwich (James McCarthy)

GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham (Georginio Wijnaldum)

FULL TIME: Utrecht 5-2 Zwolle

Two goals in quick succession in the Premier League as Everton's post-Martinez era begins with them taking the lead against Norwich courtesy of a powerful long-range strike from McCarthy, while Newcastle have also gone one up against Spurs through Wijnaldum. As things stand, then, Arsenal would be pipping Tottenham in second in the Premier League table!

GOAL! West Brom 1-1 Liverpool (Jordon Ibe)

GOAL! Stoke 0-1 West Ham (Michail Antonio)

With Manchester United's match abandoned, West Ham now sit fifth in the table as things stand courtesy of Antonio's opener against Stoke. It is a second goal in as many games for the winger, who chested the ball down before firing it past Given on the turn. Meanwhile at The Hawthorns, Liverpool have levelled things up against West Brom through Jordon Ibe, who cut inside from the right before drilling his finish into the bottom corner.

A quick line from the Eredivisie following the conclusion of that Utrecht win over Zwolle - they will now face Heracles in the Europa League playoff final after both sides scored five on their way past their respective semi-final opponents today.

The latest on events at Old Trafford...



More reports from Old Trafford, although this has not been officially confirmed yet...



As things stand, then, Arsenal will finish in the top two of the Premier League for the first time since 2005. They lead Aston Villa through an early Olivier Giroud goal, while Spurs are trailing Newcastle at St James's Park. That would be such a huge disappointment for Spurs if they were to be pipped to the post by their North London rivals. Still a long way to go, though!

GOAL! Watford 0-1 Sunderland (Jack Rodwell)

GOAL! Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham (Aleksandar Mitrovic)

It is all going wrong for Tottenham on the final day! They fall two behind against already-relegated Newcastle, leaving them with an uphill battle if they are to prevent Arsenal from clinching second place in the table. Mitrovic gets the Magpies' second with a thumping header, and it was a good minute or so for the North-East overall as Sunderland have also taken the lead against Watford courtesy of Rodwell's first goal of the season.



GOAL! Everton 2-0 Norwich (Leighton Baines)

HALF TIME: Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa

GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Crystal Palace (Sadio Mane)

HALF TIME: Watford 0-1 Sunderland

GOAL! Swansea 1-1 Manchester City (Andre Ayew)

HALF TIME: Swansea 1-1 Manchester City

HALF TIME: Chelsea 0-0 Leicester

HALF TIME: Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham

HALF TIME: West Brom 1-1 Liverpool

HALF TIME: Watford 0-1 Sunderland

HALF TIME: Stoke 0-1 West Ham

HALF TIME: Everton 2-0 Norwich

HALF TIME: Southampton 1-0 Crystal Palace

A few more goals to tell you about as the half-time scores roll in. Everton have gone two up against Norwich courtesy of a Leighton Baines penalty after Lukaku had been brought down in the area. Southampton have broken the deadlock against Crystal Palace to keep their European hopes alive, with Mane capitalising on a Speroni error to tap home just before the break. Perhaps the most significant goal sees Ayew's free kick deflect past Hart and in for Swansea against Manchester City, though, levelling things up at the Liberty Stadium.

HALF-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE SCORES:

Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa
Chelsea 0-0 Leicester
Everton 2-0 Norwich
Manchester United P-P Bournemouth
Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham
Southampton 1-0 Crystal Palace
Stoke 0-1 West Ham
Swansea 1-1 Manchester City
Watford 0-1 Sunderland
West Brom 1-1 Liverpool


OLD TRAFFORD LATEST: The story at Old Trafford is developing all the time at the moment, and the latest is that a bomb disposal team has been called to investigate the suspicious package. Sniffer dogs are now understood to be looking for another package too.

Whenever Manchester United do replay that game against Bournemouth - which could be within 24 hours - it is sure to be an interesting one. As things stand fourth place would be beyond their grasp as City are drawing with Swansea, but West Ham and Southampton are both winning and United could need a win to guarantee European football.

GOAL! Watford 1-1 Sunderland (Sebastian Prodl)

We're getting back underway in the Premier League matches now, and Watford have wasted no time in levelling things up against Sunderland. It comes from Prodl, who connected with Guedioura's corner and planted a firm header past Pickford.

GOAL! Everton 3-0 Norwich (Kevin Mirallas)

GOAL! Watford 1-2 Sunderland (Jeremain Lens)

Life is looking pretty swell for Everton without Martinez in charge! They grab a third goal against relegated Norwich courtesy of a Mirallas tap-in, and look to be ending a disappointing season on a high. Watford were level for only a matter of minutes at Vicarage Road, meanwhile, as Lens nestles his finish into the bottom corner to restore Sunderland's lead.

OLD TRAFFORD LATEST: The latest reports from Old Trafford suggest that the suspect package was a mobile phone strapped to a pipe in the toilet with wires hanging from it. The bomb disposal team has now arrived at the stadium, incidentally.

OLD TRAFFORD LATEST: The Premier League have released a statement on the events at Old Trafford, promising to rearrange the fixture "as soon as practically possible".



GOAL! Stoke 1-1 West Ham (Gianelli Imbula)

Big blow for West Ham's European hopes as Stoke level things up against the Hammers at the Britannia! It is Imbula who gets the goal for the Potters, playing a one-two before finding the bottom corner from 20 yards.

GOAL! Watford 2-2 Sunderland (Troy Deeney)

It's turning into a bit of a thriller at Vicarage Road, with Watford having come from behind for the second time this afternoon against Sunderland. The latest equaliser comes from the spot after Jurado was brought down by a mixture of Kone and O'Shea, and Deeney duly sent Pickford the wrong way with the resulting penalty.

GOAL! Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham (Erik Lamela)

Lifeline for Spurs as they pull a goal back against Newcastle! Erik Lamela, who has enjoyed comfortably his best campaign at the club this year, is the man who gets the goal, powering an effort into the top corner from a tight angle. A draw will be enough for them to guarantee second place and their first finish about Arsenal since 1995!

GOAL! Southampton 2-0 Crystal Palace (Graziano Pelle)

GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Leicester (Cesc Fabregas)

GOAL! Southampton 2-1 Crystal Palace (Jason Puncheon)

Leicester's incredible season appears to be on course to end in defeat as they have fallen behind against Chelsea through a Cesc Fabregas penalty. Schlupp conceded the spot kick with a foul on Matic in what is Ranieri's return to Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, Pelle's header had given Southampton a two-goal lead against Crystal Palace, but that was quickly halved by a crisp Puncheon strike into the top corner.

RED CARD! Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United)

Another lifeline for Spurs, and Mitrovic may be the most disliked man in the red half of North London if Spurs are able to claw their way back into the game now. The striker is shown a red card for a high challenge on Kyle Walker, leaving Newcastle with 10 men going into the final 20 minutes. The Magpies still lead 2-1, but a draw is all Tottenham need.

The Newcastle man will now start next season with a four-game ban should he remain at the club...



PENALTY TO NEWCASTLE!

GOAL! Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham (Georginio Wijnaldum)

Incredibly, Tottenham really do look like throwing second place in the Premier League away. They now trail 10-man Newcastle by three goals to one as Wijnaldum gets his second of the game, converting from the penalty spot. Vertonghen conceded the spot kick for a foul on Sissoko, although he may feel a little hard done by by the decision. Even so, it is still advantage Arsenal in the race for second place.

OLD TRAFFORD LATEST:



GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa (Olivier Giroud)

GOAL! Southampton 3-1 Crystal Palace (Ryan Bertrand)

GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa (Olivier Giroud)

It is a hat-trick from Giroud, and Arsenal are inching ever closer to finishing above Tottenham Hotspur yet again. The Frenchman's drought is well and truly over now as he continues his fine scoring record against Villa with two goals in quick succession to all but complete the Gunners' end of the bargain. They now just have to hope Newcastle can hold out against Spurs.

GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Leicester (Danny Drinkwater)

Elsewhere Southampton have restored their two-goal lead through a Ryan Bertrand penalty after Mane was sandwiched between two defenders when bursting into the box. Champions Leicester have also levelled things up against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, firing a fine strike into the bottom corner from range.

None of Kane, Vardy or Aguero have scored yet today, which means that the Golden Boot race is still very much on. Kane still leads the way with 25, but a late goal from either of the other two would see them draw level.

OLD TRAFFORD LATEST: A controlled explosion has just been carried out at Old Trafford following the discovery of a suspicious package...



GOAL! Newcastle 4-1 Tottenham (Rolando Aarons)

GOAL! Forest Green Rovers 0-1 Grimsby

GOAL! Forest Green Rovers 0-2 Grimsby

GOAL! Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham (Daryl Janmaat)

Ohhhhh Tottenham, Tottenham, Tottenham! What a collapse this is from Mauricio Pochettino's side! They have been so impressive all season, but on the final day they are now trailing 10-man Newcastle, who have already been relegated, by five goals to one when they only needed a draw to finish second. A quickfire double from Aarons and Janmaat piles the misery on Spurs, while Arsenal fans with be doing a jig of delight. They will be keeping North London bragging rights for another season at least!

GOAL! Southampton 4-1 Crystal Palace (Steven Davis)

GOAL! Stoke 2-1 West Ham (Mame Biram Diouf)

GOAL! Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa (Mikel Arteta)

FULL TIME: Everton 3-0 Norwich City

FULL TIME: Watford 2-2 Sunderland

FULL TIME: Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa

FULL TIME: Chelsea 1-1 Leicester

FULL TIME: West Brom 1-1 Liverpool

FULL TIME: Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham

FULL TIME: Southampton 4-1 Crystal Palace

FULL TIME: Swansea 1-1 Manchester City

FULL TIME: Stoke 2-1 West Ham

Wow, what a 'final' day in the Premier League, except the season is not yet over after Manchester United's match against Bournemouth was postponed due to safety concerns over a suspicious package. On the field, though, the biggest story comes at St James's Park, where 10-man relegated Newcastle have thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 to ensure that Spurs finish below Arsenal for the 21st season in a row.

FULL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS:

Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa
Chelsea 1-1 Leicester
Everton 3-0 Norwich
Manchester United P-P Bournemouth
Newcastle 5-1 Tottenham
Southampton 4-1 Crystal Palace
Stoke 2-1 West Ham
Swansea 1-1 Manchester City
Watford 2-2 Sunderland
West Brom 1-1 Liverpool


...and all of that leaves the Premier League table looking like this, with only that Manchester United game against Bournemouth to be played whenever it is rearranged.

Final(ish) PL table @ 16.58


So Leicester's draw on the final day of the season means that they win the league by a full 10 points - only four previous champions have ever won the title by a greater margin than that. It has been a magnificent campaign for the Foxes, and it ended in pretty perfect fashion for Claudio Ranieri as he was given a rousing reception from everyone inside Stamford Bridge at the full-time whistle.

Spurs fans will not want to view that final table having fallen behind Arsenal on the last day of the campaign following their capitulation against 10-man Newcastle. Arsenal held up their end of the bargain with a 4-0 win over Aston Villa, which sees the Gunners finish second in the table - their highest league position since 2005. It is harsh on Spurs considering the way they have performed for the majority of the campaign, but they could just not get over the line.

The European places have not yet been entirely resolved due to Man Utd's postponement, but Manchester City have just about done enough to guarantee that Pep Guardiola will have Champions League football next season. Their draw against Swansea this afternoon means that Manchester United can only finish level on points with them, and the goal difference will see City retain fourth spot.

The other European places remain partially unresolved as things stand, but Southampton have done enough to guarantee Europa League football next season. Their win over Crystal Palace lifts them up to fifth, although they will drop to sixth should Man United avoid defeat in their rearranged fixture against Bournemouth. West Ham, meanwhile, drop out of the top six and are now relying on Man Utd to win the FA Cup for them to get a European place, while Liverpool are forced to settle for an eighth-placed finish.

It is a third consecutive ninth-placed finish for Stoke, while Chelsea end their dreadful campaign in mid-table with the lowest points tally from any previous defending Premier League champions. At the bottom, Newcastle's final-day rout of Spurs is in vain as they end the campaign two points adrift of safety, whereas Aston Villa's 17-point haul is the worst in the club's history even accounting for seasons when it was only two points for a win.

GOAL! Forest Green 1-2 Grimsby

CHELSEA 1-1 LEICESTER REACTION: John Terry may well be leaving the club at the end of this season, be that altogether or just in a playing capacity, but the skipper has reiterated his desire to stay at Stamford Bridge in a post-match speech on the pitch.

"First and foremost I'd like to wish Claudio Ranieri and Leicester congratulations. I'm delighted that Leicester have won it and Tottenham haven't. This has been a difficult season, we are where we deserve to be in the league. The fans have stuck with us. Thank you," he said.

"I can assure you we'll be back fighting for this title next year. On a personal note this has been tough for me, very emotional [breaks down]. Before I sign off I'd like to say thank you to Guus Hiddink. He is a great man.

"We all want the same thing. I've said that. I want to stay, the club knows that, the fans know that."


EVERTON 3-0 NORWICH REACTION: Terry is not the only long-serving player to be leaving a club this summer. There have been a number of goodbyes across the country after the final whistles, one of which comes at Goodison Park where Tim Howard has played his last game for Everton, keeping a clean sheet in the process.

"I was fighting back the tears at the end," he said.

"This is a place I love, it is hard to leave. I'm excited for a new chapter but this is what I've done every day for a decade. I grew up here, my best friends are here, there have been so many highs.

"This will always be my home. I love this football club."


NEWCASTLE 5-1 TOTTENHAM REACTION: It has been a day to forget for everyone involved with Spurs following their 5-1 defeat to Newcastle, which saw them finish below Arsenal. Indeed Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has gone as far as calling it his worst day as a manager...

"First of all I would like to apologise to our fans, I think they don't deserve all that happened today on the pitch and I apologise. It was a shame and difficult to understand," he said.

"In the last couple of weeks when you do not play with 100% it is impossible to win games and after Chelsea something happened. We cannot manage games in the right way.

"I am very disappointed because our fans don't deserve it, it is difficult to go tonight and see my boys and my wife. I think it is unbelievable and we are very disappointed.

"We had the possibility to stay second and how we lost and how we gave to the opponent that is relegated, in the first and second half, they score three goals with 10 players it is the worst day as a manager and I feel very disappointed. We need to be sure that never happens again and need to improve our mentality. We were on holiday and that is the reality."


CHELSEA 1-1 LEICESTER REACTION: Danny Drinkwater finally got his first goal of the season today against Chelsea to earn a point for the champions, and he hopes that his season is not over yet with Euro 2016 on the horizon...

"Today summed us up. We always want to come back and win the game. It took me 38 games to score, I hit it cleanly and it ended up in the back of the net.

"Everything has come good at the same time and it is showing. We have a massive team spirit. We won the Premier League under Claudio Ranieri, it is an emotional and great day for him.

"I don't see why we can't do it again next season. I would love to be included in the England squad."


NEWCASTLE 5-1 TOTTENHAM REACTION: Attention Newcastle fans - Rafael Benitez has dropped a hint that he could be staying at the club after all! He has said that his heart is telling him to remain at St James's Park in the Championship, but his brain is telling him to think about it for a little longer...

"I said before the game that I am really pleased with the fans, the staff, and people here. My heart is telling me yes (to stay), it is a great opportunity, city and club but my brain is saying to analyse what is going on," he told BBC Sport.

"I am really open to talking and see what happens. I have been in football all this time you want to be sure people love you and if you work hard that they recognise that you are trying your best and I have this here.

"I knew that every day when I walk in the streets. Everyone is so positive and the atmosphere today doesn't surprise me too much. They were supporting for 90 minutes, I knew it would be like this and that is why I am so open to keep on talking."


Just in case anyone was still in any doubt as to exactly how poor Aston Villa have been this season, they have spent less than three games in the lead over the course of the entire campaign.



NEWCASTLE 5-1 TOTTENHAM REACTION: It has been some collapse from Tottenham Hotspur over the closing stages of the season, particularly today, and playmaker Christian Eriksen admits that they only have themselves to blame.

"It hurts a lot (not to finish second). The last four games we needed one more point and we can only blame ourselves for the last four games," he told Sky Sports News.

"It is maybe good to have a break now and concentrate on other stuff and keep our head really open for next season and be even better."


CHELSEA 1-1 LEICESTER REACTION: The man of the hour at Stamford Bridge today was the returning Claudio Ranieri, and after being given a great reception by everyone inside the ground, he has thanked both sets of supporters.

"The emotion is fantastic, it was a good atmosphere and I want to say thank you our fans and the Chelsea fans. It was amazing," he told Sky Sports News.

"It was important to finish well and it was a good match. Both teams had great chances and well done to the players. They made a lot of sacrifices in the hot weather to keep pressing.

"Our strength is to be a unit and fight for each other. We have to realise what has happened and then look back on our season. No pizza tonight - our chairman has invited us for dinner."


The title is still to be decided in the Portuguese Primeira Liga today, but it looks as though Benfica are doing what they need to. They lead Nacional 2-0, with a win or a draw enough to guarantee them the title ahead of Sporting, who are also winning 2-0.

SWANSEA 1-1 MAN CITY REACTION: Manuel Pellegrini took charge of his final match as Manchester City manager today, and his reign ended with a 1-1 draw away to Swansea that was just enough to clinch Champions League football. Interestingly, though, he has suggested that the announcement of Pep Guardiola as the club's next manager had an impact on the team's form.

"I wanted to win the Premier League this season, but the atmosphere from February when the club announced the new manager was maybe not the best atmosphere, we lost two important games at home when we were three points behind the leaders," the Chilean told BBC Sport.

"The only option we had today was that we needed to get the point to get Champions League for next year."


CHELSEA 1-1 LEICESTER REACTION: Another manager who is bidding farewell this summer is Chelsea's Guus Hiddink, although the Dutchman does not believes that today's 1-1 draw with champions Leicester will be his final managerial role.

"It was a typical end of the season game where there was nothing at stake. We were sloppy after the penalty and they got the equaliser.

"Until December, there were big worries as the club were one point away form the relegation zone. My first task was to get away from that and in two months we were out. As a second target, we wanted to go further and get to the top four.

"As long as the youngsters don't say, hey grandad it's time to go, I still want to carry on. John Terry and the club are in contact and that is good. We must not rock the boat. In Holland we say, don't disturb the hen that is sitting on the egg."


SWANSEA 1-1 MAN CITY REACTION: The likes of Ranieri and Pochettino should be the top two when it comes to manager of the season, but Swansea's Francesco Guidolin deserves a mention. His performance since arriving in January has earned him a well-deserved new deal with the club.

"It was not a simple moment when I arrived but our players and staff have worked very hard and we have finished well in the table and that is the most important thing," he told reporters.

"It is important for me that I got a new contract, I am happy and hope to do well next season. We have a good squad with a lot of depth and have shown that many times and deserve our position."


SWANSEA 1-1 MAN CITY REACTION: Swansea achieved their goal for the season, then, and while Man City did keep Champions League football with their draw today, they can hardly say that they fulfilled their pre-season ambitions in the league. Goalkeeper Joe Hart admits that the team let themselves down this term.

"It is not what we set out to do at the start of the season but we will have to take (fourth place). It was a strange day, getting the job done, barring a mathematical freak, we have Champions League football next season," he told BBC Sport.

"At the start of the season, well into this season we were well in the title race, but we let ourselves down, we will take positives of a trophy and semi-final of the Champions League, which was history for our club and we have Champions League next year and we have to take that.

"I have enjoyed our time under Manuel, it was important we finished off a good three years working with him."


GOAL! Forest Green Rovers 1-3 Grimsby

Grimsby are heading back to the Football League! They take a 3-1 lead in the closing stages of their National League playoff final against Forest Green at Wembley and, barring a miraculous late comeback in stoppage time, will be playing League Two football again next season.

FULL TIME: Forest Green Rovers 1-3 Grimsby

STOKE 2-1 WEST HAM REACTION: West Ham's defeat at the Britannia today means that they need Manchester United to win the FA Cup final in order to qualify for Europe next season, but Bilic insists that it has still been a good campaign from his side.

"Basically, the most important thing today was to win no matter how and that we didn't do. We're disappointed to lose sixth place in the last game of the season. But it was still a great season for us. It makes us proud," he told BBC Sport.

"I'd like to congratulate Stoke - they took their chances. But it is hard to take this defeat. For the whole game we played much better football. You have to take 50% of your chances. I said to my players at half time if it was basketball we would be 20 points clear.

"Despite losing, I'm happy because we played really good football and were totally dominant in a difficult game."


Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for a dramatic end to the season for 18 of the 20 Premier League teams, with Manchester United and Bournemouth still having a game to play after their match was abandoned. Tottenham missed out on second to Arsenal thanks to a dramatic collapse, while Southampton guaranteed themselves European football. It has been a brilliant Premier League season, and we thank you very much for joining us throughout it! Roll on Euro 2016!

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Barney Corkhill
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


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