The two remaining issues to be resolved in the Premier League on the last day of the season were never seriously in any doubt. Mike Norman has the details from an entertaining afternoon…
Liverpool produced another breathtaking performance to seal a top four finish with a 4-0 win over Brighton this afternoon.
The Reds needed to avoided defeat – providing Chelsea won – to guarantee playing in next season’s Champions League and they made no mistakes, brushing the Seagulls aside with ease thanks to goals from Mo Salah, Dejan Lovren, and first goals for the club for Dominic Solanke and Andy Robertson.
But it would have mattered not one jot had Liverpool slipped up because the only team that could overtake them in the league table – Chelsea – were soundly beaten 3-0 by Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Salah’s goal at Anfield meant he finished the season as the Premier League’s Top Goalscorer with a record (for a 38-game season) 32 goals. Incredibly the Egyptian was matched at a massive [300.0] early in the season to be the league’s Golden Boot winner.
The Reds were matched at a high of [2.75] to record a top-four finish, while Newcastle’s victory over Chelsea sealed a top 10 finish for Rafa Benitez’s men, for which they were matched at a high of [15.0].
Goals galore at Wembley
Undoubtedly the game of the day came at Wembley as Tottenham played their final league game at their temporary home, and the Lilywhites were involved in a stunning encounter with Leicester which they eventually won 5-4., sealing third place in the league.
Harry Kane bagged two goals, taking his tally to the season to 30, two behind Salah, but he did land the [3.75] odds that he was matched at in the Top English Goalscorer market. Over 8.5 Goals at Wembley today was matched at [110.0].
Swansea down, Man City hit a ton
The only other issue to be resolved on the final day of the season was who would join Stoke and West Brom in being relegated to the Championship, and with Swansea needing a 10-goal swing to overhaul Southampton, the outcome was never really in question.
The Swans ended a miserable campaign by losing 1-2 at home to Stoke – they were matched at a high of [8.0] in the Relegation market – while Southampton also lost, thanks to a 94th minute Gabriel Jesus strike that meant that champions Manchester City reached 100 points for the campaign.
Pep Guardiola‘s men are the early [1.7] favourites in the 2018/19 Premier League Winner market, ahead of Liverpool at [6.6], Man Utd at [8.0], and Chelsea at [15.0]. Tottenham and Arsenal conclude the big six in the betting and can be backed at [24.0] and [27.0] respectively.
Source: Betfair Premier League
