West Ham closer to relegation after penultimate Premier League weekend
London, May 18
West Ham United is staring relegation from the Premier League in the face after a 3-1 defeat away to Newcastle United.
Nick Woltemade opened the scoring for Newcastle after 15 minutes, and William Osula doubled the lead just four minutes later to leave West Ham reeling.
Osula added a third in the 65th minute and although Valentin Castellanos pulled a goal back for West Ham four minutes later, there was no way back for Nuno Espirito Santo's men, reported Xinhua.
The result means West Ham could be relegated if Tottenham manages a draw either away to Chelsea on Tuesday or at home to Everton on the last day of the season, due to Tottenham's much superior goal difference.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit a 96th-minute winning goal for Leeds United to damage Brighton's hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League, while Crystal Palace's 2-2 draw away to Brentford means the latter will probably have to settle for a place in the Conference or Europa League.
Sunderland still has a slight chance of qualifying for Europe after coming back from a goal down to win 3-1 away to Everton.
Merlin Rohl put Everton ahead just before halftime, but Sunderland fought back in the second half through Brian Brobbey, Enzo Le Fee and Wilson Isidor.
Manchester United and Nottingham Forest produced an entertaining game at Old Trafford, with Luke Shaw, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo scoring for Michael Carrick's side, while Morato and Morgan Gibbs-White scored for a Nottingham Forest that has managed to avoid relegation.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham drew 1-1 in a game which had nothing to play for.
On Friday, Aston Villa assured a place in next season's Champions League with a 4-2 win at home to Liverpool, thanks to two goals from Ollie Watkins and strikes from Morgan Rogers and John McGinn.
Arsenal is at home to already-relegated Burnley on Monday, while Manchester City has to win away to sixth-placed Bournemouth on Tuesday to keep its title hopes alive.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I've been following Premier League for years and West Ham's relegation was coming. Their defense has been leaky for months and their attack just doesn't click. But the real story here is how competitive the league is - even Brighton might miss Champions League. Absolutely insane football!
Honestly, I think West Ham's manager got it wrong this season. They had decent players but tactics were all over the place. The london derby pressure got to them. They'll bounce back in Championship hopefully. Big clubs like West Ham don't stay down long. 🔥
This is what happens when you don't invest in proper squad depth. West Ham's midfield looked tired in the second half of the season. Also, losing key players to injuries really hurt them. But the fight from Crystal Palace and Sunderland shows there's still hope for the underdogs. 💪
I'm more interested in the Champions League race! Aston Villa securing their spot is massive. Unai Emery has done wonders there. And Man City vs Bournemouth will be tense. As for West Ham, they need to learn from Leicester City's mistakes - don't get complacent after European success.
West Ham fans must be gutted. Going from Conference League winners to potential relegation in one season is brutal. But credit to Newcastle - they played with real hunger. Osula looks like a proper talent. The Premier League never fails to amaze with its unpredictability. ⚽
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