Premier League Review: Newcastle & Norwich Are Relegated

Premier League Review: Newcastle & Norwich Are Relegated

Sunderland has won the £100m relegation battle after knocking three past Everton without reply to send Norwich and Newcastle into the Championship.

Sunderland has a lot to answer for.

The final weekend of the Premier League is a must watch for any football fan, but on Saturday, the only entertainment value is who manages to eke into the Champions League between Man City and Man Utd.

Leicester won the Premier League at a canter and Sunderland has spoiled a final day relegation cocktail party by destroying Everton at the Stadium of Light.

For Big Sam Allardyce, it’s further evidence that he is the man to hire if you want to beat the drop. Newcastle now knows it’s not Rafa Benitez. Norwich could have had Pep Guardiola at the controls and they still would have sunk.

Sunderland has deserved it.

Premier League Review: Newcastle & Norwich Are RelegatedThey have gone from a team that was getting hammered week-in-week-out to one that teams struggled to break down. And they saved the best for last. In the relegation run-in, they only lost two of their previous 13 games. Neither Norwich nor Newcastle could compete with those stats. Only one team wanted it. Only one team got it.

Everton controlled most of the first half. Keeping hold of the ball hasn’t been their problem – defending has. Then with Norwich leading 2-1 at Carrow Road, a Patrick Van Aanholt free kick somehow managed to trickle past the woeful Joel Robles in the Everton goal to give Sunderland the lead.

Four minutes later and you could hear the roar on the Moon. Lamine Kone smashing in a volley from close range to send The Black Cats into the half time team talk two goals to the good. Norwich was winning 3-1 at Carrow Road, but unless Everton were going to pull a rather large rabbit out of the hat, their goal glut had come too late.

Sunderland started bossing things after the break and more comical defending from Everton gave Sunderland a third goal and the most precious of three points in the 55th minute. Wahbi Khazri sent over a corner; Robles punched the ball into the back of James McCarthy, and Kone scored his second goal from a couple of yards.

Sunderland knew a win would seal it and seal it they did. Norwich eventually won 4-2 against Watford, but their fate wasn’t in their hands, and they go back from whence they came. Newcastle players had to watch their demise on the box, but given their performances, this season one doubts they were even watching.

There was another tale to tell tonight. One suspects Everton will be in the hunt for a new manager after this season ends. Roberto Martinez’s side has only won one game in their last 10 and that was against a Bournemouth side who loses to everyone these days. The fans want him out, and I feel like he is a dead man walking.

Oh, I nearly forgot…

Liverpool played Chelsea tonight, but who cares about teams like that? We are more interested in the likes of Leicester, West Ham, and Southampton.

What a year.

Results

Norwich 4 v 1 Watford

Sunderland 3 v 0 Everton

Liverpool 1 v 1 Chelsea

Premier League Standings

1st. Leicester – 80 pts.

2nd. Spurs – 70 pts.

3rd. Arsenal – 68 pts.

4th. Man City – 65 pts.

5th. Man Utd – 63 pts.

6th. West Ham – 62 pts.

7th. Southampton – 60 pts.

8th. Liverpool – 59 pts.

9th. Chelsea – 49 pts.

10th. Stoke – 48 pts.

11th. Swansea – 46 pts.

12th. Everton – 44 pts.

13th. Watford – 44 pts.

14th. Crystal Palace – 42 pts.

15th. West Brom – 42 pts.

16th. Bournemouth – 42 pts.

17th. Sunderland – 38 pts.

18th. Newcastle – 34 pts.

19th. Norwich – 34 pts.

20th. Aston Villa – 17 pts.