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MT 8 May 2016

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52 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 MAY 2016 Sport FOOTBALL FA Trophy Sliema Wanderers - Birkirkara ............ 1-0 Today 17:00 Balzan - Pembroke Athleta England - Premier League Norwich City - Manchester United ...... 0-1 AFC Bournemouth - West B. Albion ..... 1-1 Aston Villa - Newcastle United ............ 0-0 Crystal Palace - Stoke City ................... 2-1 Sunderland - Chelsea ........................ 3-2 West Ham United - Swansea City ........ 1-4 Leicester City - Everton ....................... 3-1 Today 14:30 Tottenham Hotspur - Southampton 17:00 Liverpool - Watford 17:00 Manchester City - Arsenal Italy - Serie A Inter - Empoli .................................... 2-1 Bologna - AC Milan ............................ 0-1 Today 12:30 Roma - ChievoVerona 15:00 Atalanta - Udinese 15:00 Carpi - Lazio 15:00 Fiorentina - Palermo 15:00 Frosinone - Sassuolo 15:00 Sampdoria - Genoa 20:45 Hellas Verona - Juventus 20:45 Torino - SSC Napoli Spain - Liga BBVA Today 17:00 Barcelona - Espanyol 17:00 Celta Vigo - Malaga 17:00 Eibar - Real Betis 17:00 Getafe - Sporting Gijon 17:00 Las Palmas - Athletic Bilbao 17:00 Levante - Atletico Madrid 17:00 Real Madrid - Valencia 17:00 Real Sociedad - Rayo Vallecano 17:00 Sevilla - Granada 17:00 Villarreal - Deportivo La Coruna Germany - Bundesliga Borussia M. - Bayer Leverkusen .......... 2-1 E. Frankfurt - Borussia Dortmund ........ 1-0 FC Cologne - Werder Bremen .............. 0-0 Hamburger SV - Wolfsburg ................. 0-1 Hannover 96 - Hoffenheim ................ 1-0 Hertha Berlin - Darmstadt .................. 1-2 Ingolstadt - Bayern Munich ................ 1-2 Schalke 04 - Augsburg ....................... 1-1 VfB Stuttgart - Mainz 05 ..................... 1-3 Football Results & Fixtures Vardy double gets party started as Leicester lift Premier League trophy Leicester celebrated the greatest day in their 132-year history in style as the newly-crowned Premier League champions comprehensively beat Everton before lifting the trophy CLAUDIO Ranieri's men this sea- son produced one of the most re- markable feats in sporting history, going from supposed relegation fodder and 5,000-1 outsiders to win the league for the first time with two matches to spare. There was a magical atmosphere around the King Power Stadium for the final home match of a campaign to cherish, with Leicester winning their title party 3-1 as Roberto Martinez's side were completely overrun. City, like their fans, showed no hangover from the celebrations that have been ongoing since Totten- ham drew at Chelsea on Monday, with Jamie Vardy requiring just five minutes of his return from suspen- sion to put the home side ahead. Andy King provided the goal with a wonderful cross and the acad- emy graduate, part of the Leices- ter side that won the League One and Championship crowns, struck home the second to raise the noise levels several notches. Vardy scored his 24th league goal of the campaign with a second-half penalty but missed another spot- kick shortly afterwards, although that and a late Kevin Mirallas goal were never going to stop a party that now rolls onto Chelsea and a title parade on May 16. The 100th league meeting be- tween these clubs was a celebration more than a match, with fans par- tying in the city's streets and out- side the King Power Stadium long before kick-off. Inflatable trophies were held aloft, flags waved and beer guzzled as fans enjoyed the most remark- able of triumphs, even cheering the thunder that echoed around the ground as a storm replaced the sunshine. The rain cleared just in time for Ranieri to lead world-famous ten- or Andrea Bocelli onto the pitch, where he revealed a Leicester shirt during surreal but touching rendi- tions of 'Nessun Dorma' and 'Con Te Partiro'. Ranieri stood there proudly as the songs were belted out and was smiling again soon after, with Ever- ton not only giving them a guard of honour but allowing them to take an early lead. A wonderful clipped cross from King, one of four City changes, fooled John Stones and the return- ing Vardy read it well, directing home to raise the volume a further few notches. Joel Robles prevented King dou- bling their advantage soon after from a fine Riyad Mahrez cross, before Christian Fuchs was blocked by Aaron Lennon. Out-of-form Romelu Lukaku was denied by Marcin Wasilewski and Tom Cleverley clipped over on rare Everton voyages forwards, with N'Golo Kante's hopeful effort made more difficult than it needed to by Robles. The heavens opened once again as City poured forwards, with King following up fine work by Mahrez to slot home smartly when the ball fell kindly for him in the box. Morgan and Mahrez missed the target before the break, after which Kasper Schmeichel denied Oumar Niasse with an unorthodox header before preventing Lukaku. The Belgium international was again denied by the Leicester goal- keeper, whose opposite number had to be alert to deny Fuchs driving home. Robles would soon be beaten, though, as Matthew Pennington brought down Vardy, with the Everton defender avoiding a second booking but giving away a pen- alty that the fouled England striker slammed home. Seven minutes later, Leicester's top scorer had another chance from the spot. Having been denied a hat- trick by Robles, a wild Darron Gib- son challenge on Jeffrey Schlupp saw Vardy take a penalty he blazed horribly over. Leonardo Ulloa and King flicked headers wide as the clock wound down, with Bryan Oviedo denying Vardy the hat-trick he craved before Mirallas scored an undeserved, if classy, goal - even cheered by the Leicester fans such was feel-good mood inside the ground. Substitute Demarai Gray was de- nied a fourth deep in stoppage time, but the home fans did not care a jot. A loud roar met the final whis- tle and chants echoed around the ground as the pitch was readied for the Premier League trophy presen- tation. Club ambassador Alan Birchenall brought the trophy to the stage, fol- lowed by a rapturous reception for clearly moved Leicester boss Rani- eri. The players were cheered onto the field, collecting their medals one by one, before captain Wes Morgan took to the stage and became the first captain in the club's history to lift the trophy aloft to a background of fireworks and cheers. In other matches, Jermain Defoe capped a stirring Sunderland fight- back as they scored a priceless 3-2 win over Chelsea to leave Newcas- tle in the Barclays Premier League relegation zone. Sunderland started the day in the bottom three but swapped places with their north-east rivals, who drew at Aston Villa, by seeing off the deposed former champions at the Stadium of Light. Chelsea led at 1-0 and 2-1 - Diego Costa and Gary Cahill scoring ei- ther side of a beautifully hit volley from Wahbi Khazri. Sam Allardyce's Black Cats then seized the moment with two goals in three minutes, Fabio Borini lev- elling against his old club and De- foe sealing the points after finding space in the box. John Terry, set to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, was sent off in the closing moments. Newcastle could manage no bet- ter than a 0-0 draw at already rel- egated Villa to sit one point behind Sunderland, having played one game more. Manchester United reduced the gap on fourth-placed Manchester City to one point with a 1-0 win over a Norwich side that now seem doomed. United needed a win to keep the pressure on their neighbours for the final Champions League place and, although it was far from a clas- sic display, Juan Mata brought back the points after capitalising on Se- bastien Bassong's error at the back. The Canaries are not mathemati- cally down but are four points away from safety and their fate lies in the hands of others. West Ham lost their penultimate game at Upton Park as Swansea claimed a 4-1 win to dent the home side's European ambitions. The visitors were two up at half- time through Wayne Routledge and Andre Ayew. Ki Sung-yeung then made it 3-0 before Hammers substitute Diafra Sakho and Swansea striker Bafetimbi Gomis added to the scoreline. Crystal Palace were 2-1 winners over Stoke at Selhurst Park, formal- ly ensuring survival, with Dwight Gayle making a timely case for an FA Cup final starting spot. He scored both of his side's goals in the second half to overturn a Potters lead earned through Char- lie Adam's 27th-minute effort. Bournemouth and West Brom, two sides who have already achieved their primary aim for the season by surviving, drew 1-1 at Dean Court. Salomon Rondon gave the Baggies a 16th-minute lead but Craig Gard- ner spurned the chance to double the lead from the penalty spot. Substitute Matt Ritchie made him rue that miss by grabbing an equal- iser eight minutes from time.

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