In the race for Champions League qualification, Emmanuel Adebayor’s Tottenham failed to take advantage of Arsenal’s slip up against Norwich by only managing a 1-1 draw at Villa Park.
Chelsea’s involvement in this year’s Champions League Final means that only finishing in the Premier League’s top three could guarantee Spurs qualification to Europe’s elite competition and though the Togolese striker pulled ten-man Tottenham level from the spot, the Lilywhites failed to do enough to reclaim third place and now sit a point behind local rivals Arsenal with just one game remaining.
At the other end of the table, Dedryck Boyata’s Bolton surrendered a two-goal lead to seriously threaten their own hopes of survival. Boyata – who played 90 minutes for the Trotters – could do nothing to prevent West Brom’s 90th minute equaliser and ahead of their trip to Stoke, Owen Coyle’s men now sit two points adrift of safety.
Wayne Bridge’s Sunderland continued to struggle by slipping to defeat at the hands of Fulham. Martin O’Neill’s side haven’t won a game since the end of March but Blues will be hoping that Bridge – who went unused on the bench this weekend – and his team-mates will still have a say in the title race ahead of United’s trip to Wearside on Sunday.
Harry Bunn’s Oldham brought an end to their League One campaign with a fine 2-1 win over play-off-chasing Carlisle. The City Academy graduate played 79 minutes as Paul Dickov’s Latics claimed their first win in nine and finished the season in 16th.
Following up their incredible 9-0 drubbing of Solberg with a 3-0 victory over Sogndal, Mohammed Abu played 90 minutes for Norwegian league leaders Stromsgodset who climbed back to the summit after Rosenborg had temporarily overtaken them.
What Vladimir Weiss’ Espanyol would give for a slice of Stromsgodset’s luck! Despite chasing European qualification for the best part of the season, a run of one win in ten has seen the Spanish outfit drop to 13th and only five points above the relegation zone.
Weiss played the full game for Espanyol but watched four-goal hero Lionel Messi put on a footballing master class that the Slovakian winger will dream of one day matching.
