-JWFQPPM DMPTF JO PO $IBNQJPOT -FBHVF
LONDON (Reuters) – Liverpool kept its top-four destiny in its own hands with 4-0 Premier League victory at West Ham United on Sunday, which moved them back above Manchester City into third place.
Arsenal will definitely finish in the top-four if it beats relegated Middlesbrough at Anfield on the final day of the season next Sunday.
Anything other than a victory at West Ham’s London Stadium would have left Liverpool relying on other results going their way but once Daniel Sturridge put them ahead in the 35th minute they were relatively comfortable.
Brazilian playmaker Coutinho struck twice in the space of four minutes midway through the second half and Divock Origi rubbed salt into West Ham’s wounds as the visitors ran riot.
Liverpool has 73 points with one game left, one ahead of Man City and four more than Arsenal who both have two to play.
“Middlesbrough has nothing to lose but we have everything to lose,” Klopp said of the clash against a side already down.
In addition, Crystal Palace played Sam Allardyce’s trademark counter-attacking game almost to perfection in the 4-0 rout of Hull City at Selhurst Park, which secured its place in the Premier League for another season.
Palace allowed Hull to have close to 70 percent possession but was strong enough at the back against a weak attack to dominate the game.
They were helped by a defensive blunder from Hull’s Andrea Ranocchia, which allowed Wilfried Zaha to steal a goal in the third minute.
Allardyce pointed out in his program notes that the point with which Palace started every match had to be defended above all else.
“I’ve been stating to everyone over the last few months -respect the point,” said Allardyce, signed in late December to take charge of a struggling team on the basis of a reputation enhanced by saving Sunderland from the drop a year ago.
With relegation set to cost any of the three clubs flirting with the drop an estimated 100 million pounds Allardyce knows defeat could drag his side into a nightmarish final Sunday.
In other soccer news, Tottenham Hotspur signed off 118 years at their soon-to-be-demolished White Hart Lane stadium with a 2-1 win over Manchester United that ensured they will finish as Premier League runners-up.
Home hero Kane scored his 22nd league goal of the season to make it 2-0 shortly after the interval but United skipper Wayne Rooney halved the deficit with just under 20 minutes remaining. Tottenham hung on to claim a club record equaling 14th successive home wins and remain unbeaten at its north London fortress all season.
As the final whistle sounded to confirm Tottenham’s highest top flight finish for 54 years, thousands of fans invaded the pitch to celebrate,.
“What a way to finish,” Kane said. “We wanted a win so badly in our last game here. I said before I’d love to score the winning goal and for it to happen is brilliant.”