Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/673696
52 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 Sport FOOTBALL Malta BOV Premier League Valletta - Hibernians .......................... 1-1 England - Premier League Everton - AFC Bournemouth ............... 2-1 Newcastle United - Crystal Palace ....... 1-0 Stoke City - Sunderland ..................... 1-1 Watford - Aston Villa........................... 3-2 West B. Albion - West Ham United ...... 0-3 Arsenal - Norwich City ........................ 1-0 Today 13:00 Swansea City - Liverpool 15:05 Manchester United - Leicester City 17:30 Southampton - Manchester City Tomorrow 21:00 Chelsea - Tottenham Hotspur Italy - Serie A Udinese - Torino ................................ 1-5 ChievoVerona - Fiorentina .................. Late Today 12:30 Juventus - Carpi 15:00 AC Milan - Frosinone 15:00 Empoli - Bologna 15:00 Palermo - Sampdoria 15:00 Sassuolo - Hellas Verona 20:45 Lazio - Inter Tomorrow 19:00 Genoa - Roma 21:00 SSC Napoli - Atalanta Spain - Liga BBVA Real Sociedad - Real Madrid ............... 0-1 Atletico Madrid - Rayo Vallecano ........ 1-0 Real Betis - Barcelona ........................ Late Granada - Las Palmas ......................... Late Today 12:00 Athletic Bilbao - Celta Vigo 16:00 Espanyol - Sevilla 18:15 Deportivo La Coruna - Getafe 20:30 Valencia - Villarreal Tomorrow 20:30 Malaga - Levante Germany - Bundesliga Bayern Munich - Borussia M. .............. 1-1 Borussia Dortmund - Wolfsburg ......... 5-1 Darmstadt - Eintracht Frankfurt ........... 1-2 Hannover 96 - Schalke 04 .................. 1-3 Hoffenheim - Ignolstadt ..................... 2-1 Mainz 05 - Hamburger SV ................... 0-0 Bayern Leverkusen - Hertha Berlin ..... 2-1 Today 20:15 Werder Bremen - VfB Stuttgart Football Results & Fixtures Townsend free kick gives Newcastle win over Palace ANDROS Townsend's stunning free-kick dragged Newcastle out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone as Rafael Ben- itez's rescue mission gathered pace with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. The £12million January signing struck with 58 minutes gone - his third goal in five games - to give the home side a precious lead, but it took a 70th-minute pen- alty saved by Karl Darlow to deny Magpies old boy Yohan Cabaye an equaliser. Victory, coupled with Sunder- land's draw at Stoke, eased New- castle out of the bottom three ahead of Norwich's trip to Arse- nal and left the bulk of a crowd of 52,107 dreaming of a great escape with just two games remaining. Jermain Defoe scored an injury- time penalty to earn Sunderland a potentially priceless point at Stoke. The Potters looked on course for victory after Marko Arnautovic gave them the lead five minutes into the second half but Defoe made it 1-1 having won the spot- kick himself. Newcastle's victory over Crystal Palace meant the draw was not enough to prevent Sunderland dropping back into the bottom three but it was more than they looked like getting for 90 minutes. Arsenal celebrated in unison as Danny Welbeck's strike earned a 1-0 win which leaves Norwich's position ever more precarious. The well-publicised protests in the 12th and 78th minute - to sig- nal 12 years since Arsenal's last Premier League title - were a bit like the Gunners' season. Lots of expectation, poor execution. And Welbeck gave Arsene Wenger reason for cheer and optimism of an 18th successive season in the Champions League with the decisive goal. The Gunners' clash at Manches- ter City on May 8 will be crucial in determining their finishing position, while Norwich play at home to Manchester United the previous day desperate for points in their bid to avoid the drop. West Ham sent out a European warning as they powered into fifth with an impressive win at West Brom. Mark Noble's double and Cheikhou Kouyate's strike gave the Hammers a 3-0 victory which sent them above Manchester United on goal difference. United will retake fifth spot if they avoid defeat against cham- pions-elect Leicester on Sunday but the Hammers kept up the pressure and they have lost just once in their last 13 games in all competitions. They face United in their final game at Upton Park on May 10 in what is set to become a winner- takes-all clash. Left-back Leighton Baines' first goal since November 2014 se- cured Everton's first home league victory since early February but it was not enough to prevent grow- ing opposition to Roberto Mar- tinez's continued reign as man- ager. A plane f lying the banner 'Rob- erto must go' was followed by a handful of fans in the Gwladys Street End holding up 'Martinez Out' signs and chanting 'Get out of our club' at the end of the 2-1 win over Bournemouth. Only five home league wins in the last 12 months tells its own story and it is unlikely Baines' goal, after Marc Pugh had can- celled out Tom Cleverley's strike inside the opening 10 minutes, will ease the pressure. Troy Deeney grabbed two late goals to condemn Aston Villa to a club-record 11th straight defeat. Deeney, a boyhood Birmingham fan, stuck the knife into the team he loves to score against more than any other as Watford ran out 3-2 winners. Relegated Villa were leading with just five seconds of normal time remaining thanks to goals from Ciaran Clark and Jordan Ayew, either side of Almen Abdi's free-kick. But the beleaguered midland- ers, who had Aly Cissokho sent off with 15 minutes left, could not hold out as Deeney's double piled on the agony. Newcastle United's Andros Townsend celebrates after scoring the winning goal Ranieri vows to stay calm THE Foxes will win the Barclays Premier League with victory at Manchester United on Sunday, the first top-f light crown in their 132-year history. They are seven points clear of second placed Tottenham and Spurs must win all of their games and hope Leicester slip up to stand a chance of beating the Foxes. Ranieri has never won a top league in his 30-year manage- rial career, finishing second four times including with Chelsea in 2004, but the Italian maintained he is keeping his emotions in check. "I understand that people want to start to dream and to enjoy but I am a pragmatic man," said Ra- nieri, whose first game in England with Chelsea was a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford in September 2000. "It (the excitement) is not dif- ficult to understand. For the first time in the club's life, they can win the title. It is unbelievable, it is history. I have felt a lot of emo- tion but I haven't seen it this early before. In Italy, they are very su- perstitious. "We are fighting to turn this dream into a reality. But not yet. I see all the happiness around the city and that's great, but it's not finished. "Sunday will be a very tough match, I have a lot of respect for (Louis) Van Gaal, the players and Manchester United fans. I know very well it will be a very difficult match. But we go with the same mentality." "'Stay calm', I tell the players, 'Stay hungry'. I told the players that everything is in our hands. If our strength is being solid and concentrated, then we must con- tinue." Jamie Vardy remains banned after being handed an additional one-match suspension by the Football Association after he admitted an improper conduct charge following his red card against West Ham two weeks ago. Claudio Ranieri: Has vowed to keep his emotions in check