Liverpool nab CL spot, Swansea relegated from EPL
London, May 14 (IANS) Liverpool on Sunday thrashed Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 in the final round of the English Premier League, finishing fourth and securing a spot in the 2018-19 Champions League, while Swansea City were relegated from the top-tier English league.
With this win, Liverpool deprived Chelsea of the chance to compete in the next Champions League. Chelsea lost 0-3 to Newcastle United to finish fifth with 70 points — five behind Liverpool, reports Efe.
Egypt winger Mohamed Salah scored a historic opening goal for Liverpool, and now holds the EPL record of 32 goals in a 38-match season, breaking the previous record of 31 goals held by Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer.
Salah, who was named EPL Player of the Season earlier on Sunday, netted the goal 26 minutes into the match, and Dejan Lovren added a second goal 14 minutes later.
Salah assisted Dominic Solanke on the third goal just eight minutes into the second half and with five minutes to go, Andrew Robertson netted the fourth goal to secure the home win.
Liverpool are set to play the Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 26 in Kiev.
Swansea City were relegated from the EPL after suffering a 1-2 defeat at home against Stoke City.
Swansea joined relegated clubs Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, who were also beaten 2-0 by 11th-placed Crystal Palace on Sunday.
EPL champions Manchester City ended the season with 100 points following a 1-0 away victory over Southampton, while runners-up Manchester United defeated 14th-placed Watford 1-0.
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea won the EPL golden glove this season, with the Spaniard receiving the award ahead of the match.
Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur made a thrilling 5-4 win over Leicester City, who finished ninth.
Arsenal, whose head coach Arsene Wenger bid farewell to fans after 22 years in charge of capital club, bested Huddersfield Town 1-0, while Bournemouth came from behind to beat seventh-placed Burnley 2-1. Arsenal finished sixth with 63 points.
In the same round, 13th-placed West Ham United ended the season with a 3-1 home win over Everton, which finished eighth.
The top four — Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool — are to appear in the next edition of the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Burnley, which finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectively, are to compete in the next edition of the Europa League.