Everton end season as unofficial championsEverton 3 (Pienaar 16, Jelavic 27, Heitinga) Newcastle United 1 (Hibbert og 73)

Newcastle's Champions League dream evaporated as Everton finished the season in style at Goodison Park.
Steven Pienaar opened the scoring from 20 yards with a shot which deflected off Newcastle defender Mike Williamson.
Nikica Jelavic doubled the lead at the second attempt after being denied by Tim Krul before Johnny Heitinga headed the third.
Everton, who had Tim Cahill sent off after the final whistle, were better despite Tony Hibbert's late own goal.
Substitute Cahill was dismissed after appearing to grab Yohan Cabaye by the neck.
Newcastle have enthralled and amazed in equal measures this season, but this was one game too many for Alan Pardew's side.
They deserve huge credit for staying in Champions League contention to the last game yet Newcastle end the season with three defeats in four games.
In contrast, Everton closed the campaign on the back of a nine-match unbeaten run in the league which allowed them to finish above Liverpool in the table for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign.
There were times during the game when David Moyes's side played as though it was their first, not last, match of the season, so delightful was their play.
They never looked back once Pienaar opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a 20-yard attempt, following Marouane Fellaini's run, which deflected off Mike Williamson.
Pienaar, who is due to return to Tottenham after four months on loan at Goodison, was playing as though he had a point to prove.
The South African was denied a second goal by the foot of Newcastle keeper Tim Krul after Leon Osman had whipped the ball across the six-yard area.
Yet Everton were celebrating a deserved second goal after 27 minutes.
Jelavic was presented with the Premier League's Player of the Month award for April before the game and the Croatian demonstrated why he is one of the bargain buys of the season with another excellent finish.
The £5.5m signing from Rangers left Fabricio Coloccini trailing in his wake before Krul kept out his first attempt with a stunning save only for Jelavic to readjust himself and bury the ball in the back of the net.
Newcastle were a shadow of the side that had recently secured six straight Premier League wins.
Papiss Cisse went close on the stroke of half time while the Senegal striker was denied his 14th league goal since arriving from Freiburg in January when Tim Howard clawed away his effort.
Everton underlined their superiority when Heitinga made it 3-0 with a close range header following Darron Gibson's 65th minute cross.
Newcastle did find the net after Hibbert inadvertently headed past Howard following Ryan Taylor's long punt forward in the 73rd minute.
But the drama was far from over.
After Osman had hit the post in the dying moments, Cahill was shown a red card after the final whistle after raising his arm at Cabaye and had to be dragged away by his team-mates.

Defiant Wolves draw with ToffeemenWolverhampton Wanderers 0 Everton 0

Wolves avoided equalling a Premier League record of 10 straight home defeats with a scrappy draw.
Everton controlled the opening period, with Nikica Jelavic having an effort controversially ruled out for offside and Steven Pienaar also threatening.
The hosts improved after the interval but Everton still looked more dangerous with Jelavic dragging wide with their best opportunity.
But relegated Wolves earned a first home point since 4 December.
A fortnight after their demotion was confirmed with a 2-0 home defeat by Manchester City, Terry Connor's team finished their final home game with the kind of defiance that has been absent for most of the season.
With Connor facing an uncertain future and several key players, including Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis sure to attract interest from elsewhere, it will be a significant summer for the club. They finish their campaign with a trip to Wigan next Sunday.
Everton manager David Moyes will be frustrated that his team could not translate their dominance into a victory as they extended their unbeaten run to eight games.
Moyes is also facing a pivotal few weeks and the Scot will meet chairman Bill Kenwright to discuss his future after the Blues finish the campaign at home to Newcastle.
Although they could not find a finish - a surprise given they had scored 13 goals in their previous four league games - it was the only thing missing from yet another impressive Everton performance.
Pienaar underlined why Moyes is so keen to keep him when his loan spell from Tottenham expires and James McFadden, whose contract expires this summer, also added creativity in the wide areas in only his second Premier League start of the season.
Leon Osman felt he should have been awarded a penalty after going down under Michael Kightly's challenge after Jelavic and McFadden went close.
The visitors felt hard done by once again when Pienaar guided a pass through for Jelavic, who produced a neat finish only to be called back for offside despite replays showing the Croatian appeared to be level with Ronald Zubar.
Wolves only really threatened from set-plays, with Stephen Hunt lifting a shot over and Fletcher thumping high and wide.
After the break Fellaini planted a header over from six yards after being picked out by Tony Hibbert's cross at the other end.
Wolves keeper Dorus de Vries was at full stretch to push away Jelavic's well-struck free-kick and, as the game degenerated, David Edwards missed with a header from a cross from Kightly, who scuffed wide shortly afterwards.
Jelavic was wasteful once again when he dragged wide after racing clear on to Fellaini's long header and substitute Denis Stracqualursi had another effort ruled out for offside as both teams had to settle for a point.

Brittania draw see Everton keep titleStoke City 1 (Jerome 68) Everton 1 (Crouch 44og)

Cameron Jerome came off the bench to earn Stoke a point against Everton at the Britannia Stadium.

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch's own goal put David Moyes's side in front just before half-time.

Other than Rory Delap's long throws, Stoke struggled to create decent chances until Jerome was brought on as part of a treble substitution midway through the second period.

Moments later the striker burst clear to finish from just inside the area.

It was the third time Jerome, who joined in a £4m deal from relegated Birmingham last summer, has come off the bench to score this season and he has only managed one other league goal.

Having made just six Premier League starts since his move to Stoke, Jerome, 25, recently expressed his frustration at being used as a substitute. 

The former Cardiff man will hope his latest contribution can help push him past Tony Pulis' established partnership of Crouch and Jonathan Walters.

Although Pulis will be grateful for Jerome's impact, Stoke are still limping through the final weeks of the season and now have just one win in their last nine matches.

Everton can at least be content with moving a further point clear of Liverpool after extending their winless run to seven games in this forgettable tussle.

In announcing Delap's new one-year contract before kick-off,  manager Pulis had claimed his veteran midfielder offers much more than just his famed long throw.

Other than a Matthew Etherington effort that flew over from just outside the area, Delap was the source of all of Stoke's first-half opportunities, with Robert Huth, Ryan Shawcross and Kenwyne Jones all failing to make the most of opportunities from the former Republic of Ireland international.

Everton lost Victor Anichebe, who had a penalty appeal turned down after a Huth challenge, to injury but his replacement Magaye Gueye immediately gave them plenty of thrust down the left.

The French youngster's cross was seen late by Nikica Jelavic and the Croatian could only send an improvised effort over the bar with his knee.

But the visitors took the lead just before the interval when Tony Hibbert's cross hit Marc Wilson and glanced in off Crouch's back.

Everton continued to soak up Stoke's direct attacks and Jelavic, Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman combined for the latter to slice wide from a good position.

Pulis attempted to spark his team with a treble substitution and, within moments, it made a difference.

Jerome charged on to a loose ball near the halfway line and neither Phil Jagielka or John Heitinga made a challenge before the striker produced a calm finish.

The Potters striker also lifted a header over the bar from a ball shortly after before Huth had a free-kick deflected straight to Tim Howard.

Fulham in sticky situation after Toffeemen defeatEverton 4 (Jelavic 7(pen), 40, Fellaini 16, Cahill 60) Fulham 0

Nikica Jelavic scored twice as Everton moved a step closer to their goal of finishing above Liverpool with an emphatic victory at Goodison Park.
The Croatian struck twice before half-time, with Marouane Fellaini adding another to make it 3-0 at the interval.
Substitute Tim Cahill added a fourth on the hour mark, as Fulham fell apart.
The victory moves Everton into seventh place in the Premier League table, two points clear of their great Merseyside rivals with three games remaining.
The Toffees are finishing the season as strongly as anyone, with manager David Moyes determined to secure the eighth top-eight finish of his 11-year tenure.
Everton have not finished above Liverpool in the Premier League table since 2005 but they have now scored four goals in three consecutive league games.
Much of that has been down to the form of Jelavic, who signed from Rangers in January. And he stole the show again, this time at the expense of Fulham's defenders.
Cottagers manager Martin Jol missed the trip to Merseyside with a chest infection, leaving first-team coach Billy McKinlay in charge for the day.
If that illness had not been enough to rule Jol out, a quick glance at the record books might have left the Dutchman feeling sick.
Fulham had lost their previous 18 matches at Goodison Park, their last victory coming in February 1948, their last point in 1959.
Recent history also provided Everton supporters with confidence. The same side that held Manchester United to a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford took the field and began where they left off last Sunday.
Sharper to the ball, swifter to use it, Everton snatched the initiative from the off.
Steven Pienaar's quick feet won an early free-kick as Moussa Dembele lunged in. Jelavic's curling effort only got as far as Pavel Pogrebnyak, who raised his hand in front of his face to block the ball while standing in the penalty area.
Referee Phil Dowd had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Jelavic made no mistake, taking his tally to nine goals since his move to Merseyside.
The Croatian striker almost scored a second minutes later, latching onto Phil Jagielka's long ball, outmuscling Brede Hangeland only to fire his shot against the right-hand upright. A minute later Fellaini did double the lead, heading in unmarked from a right-wing corner.
Fulham had chances and might have pulled a goal back but for a fantastic save by Tim Howard.
Clint Dempsey's deflected shot appeared to have wrong-footed the American goalkeeper, but he quickly changed direction, thrusting his right hand up to deflect the shot up and over the bar.
Everton were in command, though. A delightfully weighted pass by Pienaar sent Jelavic clear, he beat a charging Mark Schwarzer to the ball, turned and shot beyond the lone Fulham defender on the line.
The second half offered little respite for the visitors. Cahill, who replaced the injured Darron Gibson at half-time, added a fourth on the hour mark, latching onto Pienaar's chipped through-ball to beat Schwarzer.
Jelavic came within a whisker of his hat-trick with a curling free-kick, but Schwarzer came to Fulham's rescue on a day they will want to forget.

Last minute winner sees Fulham take titleFulham 2 (Pogrebnyak 58, Senderos 89) Wigan Athletic 1 (Boyce 57)

Philippe Senderos's 89th-minute winner gave Fulham a dramatic victory which ended Wigan's recent revival.
The Latics, who have climbed out of the bottom three in recent weeks, led through Emmerson Boyce's fierce drive.
But Fulham levelled moments later when Pavel Pogrebnyak fired into the bottom corner and the Russian hit the bar from John Arne Riise's cross soon after.
Pogrebnyak hit the post again before Senderos won it with his header from Riise's whipped free-kick.
It was the Swiss defender's first goal since joining Fulham in June 2010 and, until he struck, it appeared Wigan would leave Craven Cottage with a hard-earned point to go with their unlikely wins in the last month.
After four victories in their last five games, including famous triumphs over Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, the Latics already had daylight between themselves and the relegation zone but they were to fall agonisingly short of what would have been another step towards beating the drop.
Wigan had started like a train against the Gunners on Monday, with two goals in the first 10 minutes, but they were far more patient and pragmatic on their return to the capital.
With the visitors content to sit back, it was left to Fulham to try to find an attacking spark but they only sporadically managed to find a way through to Ali Al Habsi's goal.
The Cottagers' best early chance was a clever Danny Murphy free-kick that caught the Wigan defence napping, but Damien Duff blasted wastefully over at the near post.
Duff also curled wide after exchanging passes with Mahamadou Diarra and bursting into the area, while Clint Dempsey fired a couple of dangerous balls across the face of goal.
Wigan created little before the break but that changed in an eventful second half which produced plenty of goalmouth action and no little controversy.
The game exploded into life with Boyce's firecracker finish after 57 minutes, with the Wigan defender surging on to a loose ball after trying to find Connor Sammon on the edge of the box, and slamming a fierce low shot into the bottom corner.
But Fulham were behind for just 71 seconds, with Pogrebnyak providing an instant response from 20 yards out after good work from Moussa Dembele.
Pogrebnyak came within an inch of adding a second five minutes later when he met Riise's low cross, and it was unclear whether the ball had crossed the line or not after it came down off the bar.
The Russian striker turned to celebrate after connecting with the ball before seeing it bounce down and away. Linesman Mike Mullarkey did not flag for a goal and Pogrebnyak's reaction suggested he thought that was the right decision, and that he could not believe he had missed.
Fulham continued to press and Pogrebnyak went close again minutes later, when he could only steer his follow-up on to the post after Al Habsi had pushed away Dempsey's angled drive.
With the home side completely dominant, Senderos almost found the net inadvertently when Duff's cross hit Gary Caldwell and hit him before flying into the side netting.
The Cottagers were not to be denied, however, and they snatched the points when Senderos stooped to meet Riise's delivery from the left, and direct his header past the Wigan keeper.
Martin Jol's side were already mathematically safe from the drop and, after taking 10 points from their last four games, they are now looking up rather than down the table, with this win taking them up to ninth.

Two goals in a minute see Wigan keep titleArsenal 1 (Vermaelen 21) Wigan Athletic 2 (Di Santo 7, Gomez 8)

Wigan pulled off a shock 2-1 win at Arsenal to boost their Premier League survival hopes.

Franco Di Santo fired the Latics - who last week beat Premier League leaders Manchester United - ahead on the break after seven minutes, before Jordi Gomez doubled their lead inside 90 seconds. Thomas Vermaelen reduced the deficit with a bullet header on 21 minutes, but the second-half onslaught from the shell-shocked Gunners never came as the Latics moved five points clear of the relegation zone.

It had been a bright start by Arsenal, who were looking to tighten their grip on third place, as Yossi Benayoun forced Ali Al Habsi into a fingertip save from his close-range header.

The Latics had brought a small following of only some 200, who had perhaps travelled more in hope than genuine expectation.  However, it was the visitors who took a shock lead on seven minutes.

Wigan broke quickly from an Arsenal corner through Gomez down the left, who clipped the ball through to the on-rushing Di Santo. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny raced to the edge of his area, but was beaten to the ball and the Wigan striker went on to knock into an empty net.

Before the away support had time to calm down, they were in dreamland again less than 90 seconds later. This time Victor Moses did the damage down the left, turning Bacary Sagna inside out, with his cross not gathered by Szczesny - and Gomez was on hand to scramble the loose ball over the line.

Emirates Stadium was left in stunned silence, with midfielder Mikel Arteta then limping off injured and replaced by Ramsey in the ninth minute. Arsenal - who had won nine of their last ten Premier League games - needed a response.

Benayoun was again denied by a fine one-handed save from Al Habsi as he looped Rosicky's cross towards the top corner. The Gunners halved the deficit on 21 minutes when Vermaelen crashed in a bullet header from 12 yards after Rosicky's right-wing cross.

Al Habsi was alert again to beat away Robin van Persie's fierce drive as Arsenal pressed forward, centre-half Johan Djourou then dragging his shot just wide from the edge of the Wigan penalty area.

Arsenal maintained their momentum, and Rosicky should have done better than sky the ball high over the crossbar after being played in by Van Persie. Wigan, who were unfortunate to lose at Chelsea amid some controversial decisions, continued to defend deep with two banks of four and made the most of any stoppages - much to the frustration of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal came out on the offensive at the start of the second half, with Andre Santos' shot deflecting just away from Van Persie and then Theo Walcott. Wigan, though, stuck to their game plan of organised defending, while also looking to break quickly down the flanks.

Moses was a real handful for Sagna, and got away again into the Arsenal box on 52 minutes before forcing Szczesny into a reaction save. Vermaelen headed over from Van Persie's corner, before Santos stabbed a cutback by his captain wide from six yards when he really should have hit the target.

Moses could have extended Wigan's advantage when put through on 59 minutes, but shot tamely at Szczesny. Wenger had seen enough, replacing Benayoun with Gervinho to inject some fresh life into the attack.

Arsenal stepped up the pressure again, but once more the Wigan rearguard stood firm. With 16 minutes left, Wenger sent on teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, sacrificing Djourou as Alex Song dropped into the back four. Wigan responded by replacing Di Santo with Conor Sammon.

Gervinho was switching flanks intermittently, and his ball from the left floated across the face of goal. Maynor Figueroa appeared to barge Walcott over as the Arsenal forward scampered away down the right, but referee Andre Marriner waved play on.

There was five minutes of stoppage time, but despite plenty of Arsenal pressure, Wigan held out for a deserved win, their first at Emirates Stadium, which could just keep them in the Premier League.

Latics tactics pay off as United lose unofficial titleWigan Athletic 1 (Maloney 50) Manchester United 0

At this time of the season, the Manchester United instinct is to crush the hope of their nearest rivals. Show no weakness. Drive on relentlessly until the job is done. Lose at Wigan Athletic? Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams are simply not programmed to throw away games like this one.

Call off the trophy engravers. The Premier League title race just became interesting again last night, even if took a dire United performance to spark it into life. Ferguson was at a loss to explain why they had failed to perform in a first half in which he admitted his team had been "totally dominated" by Wigan. United are still in the box seat but suddenly, from nowhere, Manchester City have hope.

There are five games left in the season and, with a five-point lead, United will still be hard to catch. This could be their last bad result, one last aberration on the road to the club's 20th title. It is, after all, only their fourth league defeat of the season. But the pressure is back on and the game against Aston Villa on Sunday has huge significance.

Momentum. When United arrived at the DW Stadium last night they had it and they left having been knocked out of their stride by a spirited Wigan team who moved out of the relegation zone for the first time since mid-December. Roberto Martinez called it a "historic night" for his club and he was right. In 14 attempts in the Premier League this was the first time they have taken so much as a point from United.

Wigan's victory was all the more impressive for the fact that they had a Victor Moses goal very harshly disallowed in the first half and it might just have broken their confidence but, as Martinez said, they came out for the second half even more determined. "I loved my players' arrogance," Martinez said. "We were patient on the ball and we played Manchester United eye-to-eye."

There were some fine performances in the Wigan side, not least the goal-scorer Shaun Maloney who struck a wonderful shot from outside the area to beat David De Gea. He was not the only one, though. Gary Caldwell, Moses, Jean Beausejour and Maynor Figueroa were all excellent. Martinez said that this was a team still nursing the injustice of those two offside goals scored against them by Chelsea on Saturday.

United's first-half efforts were best encapsulated in the moment, around midway, that Ferguson stepped up to the touchline and flapped his arms around in the manner that has, for most of his managerial career, denoted fury. It was directed at Wayne Rooney.

On that occasion Rooney responded in a fashion that suggested he was aggrieved. When he was substituted with 25 minutes left he jogged off meekly. The most polite thing you could say about his performance was that he looked exhausted. Neither was this Ryan Giggs's best evening, but you could also say the same of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia.

United were unrecognisable from the team that has taken grip of the title race in spring and torn it from City's grasp. Now that game between the two Manchester clubs at the Etihad Stadium on 30 April once again looms large, providing, of course, that City can stay in touch with their rivals. Ferguson's team have demoralised their rivals with the sheer relentlessness of their performances in the past but that spell has been broken.

It was not until the 19th minute that United had an attempt on goal, a ball through by Michael Carrick to Giggs whose shot was saved by Ali Al-Habsi. It was in this buoyant period for Wigan that you felt they needed to score and so they did. In controversial circumstances it was disallowed by Dowd.

Moses won the corner that led to the goal that never was, dribbling brilliantly around Jonny Evans and hitting a shot that was blocked by Rio Ferdinand. From the corner the Wigan striker stole in towards the near post and headed the ball firmly past De Gea. He was still celebrating when he realised the goal had been chalked off and the game had restarted.

It was not immediately clear what Dowd had seen in the moments that led up to the goal but it emerged that David Richardson, the linesman on the tunnel side at the DW Stadium, had raised his flag for what he regarded as a foul by Gary Caldwell in the goalmouth. Replays showed the Wigan captain backing into De Gea who stumbled backwards over his line.

At best it was a let-off for United, at worst it was another dubious decision in a week when officials have been under heavy scrutiny. The United players were out early after half-time and it felt as if they may well have weathered the best of what Wigan had to throw at them. But Martinez's players came back stronger.

Dowd made a mistake in the build-up to the goal, wrongly giving Wigan a corner when Phil Jones tried to corral Beausejour away from the ball as it ran out of play down the left channel. It should have been a goal kick.

Jones was still protesting the decision when Maloney played the ball short to Beausejour and got it back before embarking on a run from the left that took him across the face of the United box parallel with the goal. He was waiting for the brief window of space to shoot. When he did so, the ball curled around De Gea's reach and inside the left post.

It was a joyous moment for Wigan. Ferguson had already replaced Young with Tom Cleverley and over the next 15 minutes he brought off first Javier Hernandez for Danny Welbeck and then substituted Nani for Rooney. Finally, with 20 minutes of the game left, United got going.

They had a penalty turned down when Figueroa handled Jones's cross from the right. On 76 minutes, Welbeck appeared to react in the area to having his shirt pulled. By the end of the game, Jones was injured and little more than a passenger. Ferguson had already used his three substitutes. It was Wigan who had the best chance in the final 10 minutes when Figueroa and Moses both had shots blocked. United had run out of steam.

Referee costs QPR titleManchester United 2 (Rooney 15pen, Scholes 68) Queens Park Rangers 0

Manchester United's march towards a 20th Premier League title continued with a 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford.


QPR's hopes of capitalising on Wigan Athletic's defeat yesterday were virtually ended after 13 minutes when captain Shaun Derry was sent off for fouling Ashley Young inside the box.


Wayne Rooney converted the penalty kick and United should have run up a huge score, such was their overwhelming dominance thereafter. Instead, they were forced to rely on a second-half piledriver from Paul Scholes to wrap up a win that keeps them on course to clinch yet another championship.


Behind, down in numbers and without Joey Barton, who is one booking away from a two-match ban, and Bobby Zamora, left on the bench after a recent head cold, QPR found themselves in an impossible situation.


United effectively set up camp around the visitors' penalty area and the only wonder was they had not increased their advantage by half-time. Rooney brought a couple of decent saves out of Paddy Kenny, first with a curling free-kick, then a chip that was bound for the top corner.


Patrice Evra lashed a shot wide and Danny Welbeck had an effort charged down by Anton Ferdinand as QPR mounted a brave rearguard action. Selected ahead of Javier Hernandez, Welbeck was eager to do well but was denied a goal at the start of the second half by an offside call.


Welbeck then fired well over from an acute angle, much to the frustration of Sir Alex Ferguson. As with their previous home game against Fulham, United were failing to make their pressure tell. Rooney was the next to waste an opportunity, although it was a half-chance, and Kenny needed to make a save.


Rafael should have scored after being brilliantly picked out by Scholes but the young Brazilian panicked, driving his shot straight at Kenny, who had gone down early, the ball then rising up onto the crossbar and bouncing to safety.


Welbeck was set up by Rooney but, despite having two efforts, failed to beat Kenny, who repelled the initial shot, then gathered the follow-up as it was stabbed goalwards.


It needed an old head to take control and Scholes duly obliged, drilling home from 25 yards after Abel Taarabt had gifted possession to Rafael. Michael Carrick's ferocious 35-yard shot came crashing back off a post as United tried to improve their goal difference, which Ferguson continues to insist might be significant

New champions crowned at Loftus RoadQueens Park Rangers 2 (Taarabt 22, Diakite 66) Arsenal 1 (Walcott 37)

QPR collected a valuable victory in their battle against the drop as Samba Diakite's first goal for the club ended in-form Arsenal's winning run.
Adel Taarabt had darted past Thomas Vermaelen to fire in the game's opener but the hosts were soon pegged back.
Theo Walcott found space in the box and sidefooted into an open net after his initial effort came back off the post.
Paddy Kenny denied Robin van Persie one-on-one after the break before Diakite blasted in Jamie Mackie's pass.
The Hoops remain in the relegation zone only on goals scored, having the same points and goal difference as the Blackburn side who occupy 17th place.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea are among QPR's final seven games, but, after defeating Liverpool in their previous home game , Mark Hughes' side will fancy their chances of taking more big-name scalps in the run-in.
The hosts showed the industry and determination that has become their manager's hallmark, but there was no shortage of quality to their play either.
With seven Premier League successive victories behind them, Arsenal began with a confidence that ebbed away as they soon found themselves forced back.
Taarabt's erratic set-piece delivery came good as Bobby Zamora nodded over while Alex Song was fortunate to escape when Nedum Onuoha's volley appeared to strike his hand.
As QPR grew in belief, Taarabt skinned Vermaelen with a slick shuffle of feet, advanced on goal and wrapped a low curling shot round Wojciech Szczesny to put his side ahead.
The Moroccan had taken more shots than any other player without scoring in the Premier League, but his finish made a mockery of that statistic.
QPR's fans were cheering every pass as their team moved the ball about neatly in the middle of the field, but their joy came to an end when Arsenal struck back without warning.
As a clutch of QPR defenders were drawn to van Persie on the edge of the box, Walcott sneaked free of his marker and tucked the ball home at the second attempt after the division's top-scorer had smuggled the ball to him through Clint Hill's legs.
With the scores level, neither side could gain an upper hand early in the second half.
Mackie was denied a penalty - falling under Laurent Koscielny's challenge while gamely chasing a long ball - in between dangerous efforts at the other end from Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey.
Van Persie, without a goal in his previous two games, had a great chance but Kenny managed to palm away his fierce shot after the Dutchman had scampered clear.
Diakite gave Szczesny no chance to match those heroics though as he slammed Mackie's cut-back into the net shortly after.
Arsenal threw on Marouane Chamakh and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and ushered Szczesny forward for a late corner, but Joey Barton came as close as anyone to adding to the scoreline, as the visitors tasted defeat in the league for the first time since 22 January.

Classy Arsenal easily past dour VilliansArsenal 3 (Gibbs 16, Walcott 25, Arteta 90) Aston Villa 0

Goals from Kieran Gibbs, Theo Walcott and Mikel Arteta gave Arsenal victory over Aston Villa and took their winning run to seven Premier League matches.
Gibbs exposed some poor defending and goalkeeping from Villa to put the hosts in front with a crisp low finish.
Arsenal were dominating their opponents and doubled the lead when the excellent Walcott collected Alex Song's lofted ball and slotted past Shay Given.
Arteta wrapped up the match in stoppage time with a stunning free-kick.
It was another important result for the Gunners, moving them three points above fourth-placed Tottenham - who drew 0-0 with Chelsea earlier in the day - and continuing their superb upturn in form.
For much of the season their hopes of a top-four finish looked in serious doubt, but that now looks comfortably within their grasp.
Their day did not start so well as centre-back Laurent Koscielny pulled out of the side after feeling a knee injury during the warm-up.
More trouble loomed when his replacement, Johan Djourou, required lengthy treatment after being hit in the face by Emile Heskey's arm.
But the Swiss recovered and, aside from a Marc Albrighton drive that sailed over shortly after the re-start, Arsenal were in total control.
Villa had no answer to the pace of wingers Walcott and Gervinho, and allowed Arsenal far too much time and space to pick passes to the pair.
There was an early warning when Given parried Walcott's strike after a sharp exchange between Walcott, Bacary Sagna and Robin van Persie.
Villa, who remain three places above the relegation zone, were desperately lacking the defensive leadership of injured captain Richard Dunne - never more so than when Arsenal opened the scoring.
Alan Hutton, Stilyan Petrov and Chris Herd stood still as Gibbs collected Gervinho's pass and fired in an effort that Given should have saved.
Walcott then skilfully met Thomas Vermaelen's diagonal ball and ghosted behind Stephen Warnock before Carlos Cueller arrived with vital clearance.
Villa had lost only one of their previous eight away games and they briefly threatened when Stephen Ireland broke clear and crossed towards Heskey, only for Vermaelen to intercept.
Arsenal were swiftly back on the offensive and their reward came when Song found Walcott and he stepped inside Cuellar to side-foot home.
Given saved well from a Van Persie header and Arteta's drive, while Warnock brilliantly nodded Van Persie's goalbound shot over the bar.
The second half was more even, with Djourou needing to be alert when Albrighton crossed for Gabriel Agbonlahor, while Song headed over and Tomas Rosicky tested Given from distance.
Both managers used their full quota of substitutes and one of Villa's, Andreas Weimann, benefited from an error by one of Arsenal's, Andre Santos, but dragged wide when clean through.
Arteta then had the final word, producing a magnificent set-piece with virtually the final kick.

Early strike see's Arsenal move up to thirdEverton 0 Arsenal 1 (Vermaelen 8)

Arsenal moved up to third in the table after claiming their sixth successive Premier League win courtesy of a battling display at Everton.
Thomas Vermaelen headed the only goal of the game from a corner during a period of early Arsenal dominance.
But Everton rallied and were denied an equaliser when Royston Drenthe's finish was wrongly ruled out for offside.
The Toffees had further chances to get something from the game but the Gunners showed great resilience to hold on.
What is clear from this is that early February reports of Arsenal's demise were greatly exaggerated.
Following a 0-0 draw at Bolton seven weeks ago, the Gunners were seventh, 12 points behind third-placed, north London rivals Tottenham, bringing the doom-mongers out in force.
However, their last six games have seen them take 18 points, score 19 goals, rediscover the confident swagger for which they are synonymous under Arsene Wenger and demonstrate a resilience many thought they lacked.
At Goodison Park, the opening 15 minutes were a testimony to the north London side's attacking prowess as the reborn Tomas Rosicky, the supremely prolific Robin van Persie and the recalled Aaron Ramsey all threatened to put the game beyond the home side.
This period should have yielded greater reward than Vermaelen's solitary headed goal from a Van Persie corner.
Everton are a potent force on their own turf, though, as Champions League-chasing trio Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham have all discovered recently, and they stemmed the tide before turning it in their favour for much of the remainder of the game.
That the Toffees got nothing from the match is because of a combination of three factors - their own inefficiency in front of goal, Arsenal's newfound defensive solidity and an erroneous assistant's flag.
The latter came shortly after Vermaelen's goal as Drenthe's finish from inside the box was ruled out for offside, only for replays to show he was two yards behind the last defender at the time of Tim Cahill's pass.
This could have been the platform the home side needed to go and potentially win the game but, instead, they were unable to convert long periods of possession into enough clear-cut chances to hurt the visitors.
Their best chances fell to Marouane Fellaini, who headed across goal and wide, and Drenthe, who fired over from the edge of the area.
Earlier in the season, Arsenal would not have won this game, but a settled back five has given them a new robustness.
It was this that ultimately earned them a three points that sees them move above rivals Spurs - who drew 1-1 at home to Stoke on Wednesday - for the first time since September.

Arsenal grab late winner to deny Magpies a pointArsenal 2 (Van Persie 15, Vermaelen 90) Newcastle United 1 (Ben Arfa 14)

Thomas Vermaelen struck in the fifth minute of injury time as Arsenal moved to within one point of bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a dramatic 2-1 win over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium.


The Gunners went behind to a precise finish from Hatem Ben Arfa in the first half but they were level 55 seconds later when Robin van Persie held off Mike Williamson's challenge to slot home Theo Walcott's cross.


Van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Gervinho were all guilty of wasting good chances in the second half and the game looked beyond Arsenal, but Vermaelen popped up in the 95th minute to rifle home Walcott's cross from close range to snatch all three points.


The last-gasp win, Arsenal's fifth on the bounce, means the ten-point gap that once separated them from Spurs has now been reduced to one, and the Gunners all of a sudden seem well-placed to achieve the top-four finish that seemed way beyond them at the turn of the year.


Having stretched their unbeaten run to four games with an impressive hammering of AC Milan last week, it looked as if tonight's game was set to be a stroll for the home side, and it started as such on a chilly night in north London.


Walcott found space on the touchline and whipped across a wicked pass, but Van Persie somehow failed to tap in from six yards. Cheick Tiote was then lucky to escape without a booking after sinking his studs into Alex Song's ankle with a late challenge.


The Gunners were dominating but the home crowd were stunned in to silence in the 15th minute when the Magpies took the lead. Vermaelen erroneously passed to Tiote and the ball found its way to the right flank, where Ben Arfa cut inside and fired a precise finish past Wojciech Szczesny.


The home crowd were on their feet less than a minute later, however, as Van Persie came to the rescue. Walcott galloped down the right after being freed by Rosicky and he crossed for the Dutchman, who shrugged off Williamson's challenge before slotting home.


A scrappy period followed. Arsenal's build-up play was impressive but they were failing to test Tim Krul in the Newcastle goal. Fabricio Coloccini did well to block Walcott's shot as the ball pinged around the Newcastle box in the closing minutes of the first half.


Newcastle brought on James Perch for Davide Santon, who had struggled to keep tabs on Walcott during the first half. The England winger did not take long to slip past his new marker, however, as he got to the byline and curled over a lovely ball but Rosicky headed at Krul.


Coloccini threw himself into the line of Mikel Arteta's shot to deny Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who moments later delivered a pin-point cross to Van Persie but the striker could only muster a weak shot at Krul.


Rosicky, who earlier today signed a contract extension, was in exquisite form, embarrassing Yohan Cabaye with a clever turn before finding Van Persie in the box, but he was again denied by Krul.


Rosicky then missed a glorious chance to put Arsenal ahead. He exchanged passes with Walcott, and found acres of space in the box but he mishit so badly that his shot went out for a throw.


Newcastle gifted Arsenal another chance to equalise ten minutes from the end when Ben Arfa surrendered possession to Kieran Gibbs, who found Van Persie in the box but he fired well wide from a tight angle.


It seemed as if Arsenal were not going to find their way through as another chance to win the game escaped them. Arteta's corner somehow evaded everyone in the box apart from Gervinho at the back post but he horribly miscued wide.


Krul came to Newcastle's rescue in the final minute, palming over a brilliant header from Vermaelen with an acrobatic save which looked to have rescued the game. Walcott drove a deflected shot over in injury time, which he felt struck Coloccini's arm, but referee Howard Webb waved away his protests.


Arsene Wenger thought the game was over, sitting with his head in his hands, but Walcott's 95th-minute cross dropped into Vermaelen's path and he finished from close range to send the home crowd into ecstasy.

RVP injury time winner defeats LFCLiverpool 1 (Koscielny og 23) Arsenal 2 (Van Persie 31, 90)

Robin van Persie struck an injury-time winner as Arsenal dealt Liverpool's hopes of Champions League qualification a shattering blow with a 2-1 win victory at Anfield.


Dutch international Van Persie volleyed home magnificently in the third minute of stoppage time to claim his second of the match and take his season's tally to 31 in all competitions.


Van Persie's last-gasp winner saw Arsene Wenger's side cement their grip on fourth place, and moved the Londoners to within four points of third-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who play Manchester United tomorrow.


But the defeat has left Liverpool with a mountain to climb if they are to secure a return to Europe's elite next season, with ten points now separating them from Arsenal in fourth. The defeat was cruel on the Merseysiders, who had dominated throughout only to be denied by a string of superb saves from Wojciech Szczesny and the woodwork.


Van Persie admitted Liverpool had been unlucky to lose. "I don't think we deserved it if I'm being honest because Liverpool played better but to nick it like we did, we can only be pleased," the striker said.


"We are ten points ahead of Liverpool now and Spurs play tomorrow against Man Utd. We will have to wait and see. It is a big win, a massive win." 


Polish international Szczesny had needed to be alert from the outset, reacting swiftly in the tenth minute to snuff out a break from Luis Suarez before dealing with a follow-up from Stewart Downing.


Szczesny then pulled off a superb double save as Liverpool missed their sixth penalty of the campaign after the Arsenal goalkeeper was adjudged to have brought down Suarez following a neat one-two with Dirk Kuyt.


Kuyt's spot-kick was firm but Szczesny guessed correctly, diving to his right to block before springing back across goal to deny Kuyt's attempted rebound.


It was only a temporary reprieve, however, as Liverpool took the lead on 23 minutes, Koscielny turning Jordan Henderson's whipped low cross into his own net past Szczesny. Two minutes later and Liverpool were threatening again, Suarez's shot denied by the foot of the post.


But Arsenal were back on level terms in the 31st minute with their first genuine effort of the game. Bacary Sagna sent in a superb deep cross from wide on the right and Van Persie held off the attentions of Jamie Carragher to head past Pepe Reina.


Liverpool continued to look the likeliest to score, however, and Suarez drew another fine save from Szczesny on 40 minutes after weaving his way through the Arsenal defence.


Liverpool struggled to carve out as many clear chances after the break but the Reds did squander a golden chance to go 2-1 ahead on 70 minutes. Kuyt crossed from the right to find an unmarked Martin Kelly only for the defender to miskick from point-blank range with the goalmouth gaping.


A draw seemed the likeliest result but deep into injury time, provoked by a second-half injury to Mikel Arteta, Alex Song chipped into the Liverpool area and Van Persie volleyed home on the full to clinch a dramatic win.

Five star Gunners make sensational comebackArsenal 5 (Sagna 40, Van Persie 43, Rosicky 51, Walcott 65, 68) Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Saha 4, Adebayor (pen) 34)

Harry Redknapp's CV took a real hit today as Arsenal produced a sensational comeback to inflict Tottenham's biggest north London derby defeat since 1978. Spurs looked certain to enhance Redknapp's England credentials by making him their first manager for 86 years to win away against the Gunners for two successive seasons and first to do the double over them for 19.


But, in a complete reversal of last season's corresponding fixture, Tottenham threw away a two-goal lead to concede five at Arsenal for the first time since 1934. It was an amazing performance by a Gunners side who lost 8-2 at Manchester United at the start of the season and 4-0 at AC Milan 11 days ago, Arsene Wenger's men once again inspired by talismanic captain Robin van Persie.


Arsenal looked all over the place at the back as Spurs raced to a 2-0 lead through Louis Saha and an Emmanuel Adebayor penalty. But Van Persie refused to accept defeat, helping his side score twice in three minutes to go in level at half-time, netting the equaliser after Bacary Sagna pulled a goal back.


Arsenal - who leapfrog Chelsea back into fourth in the Premier League - were rampant after the break, Tomas Rosicky completing the comeback and Theo Walcott scoring twice before Scott Parker was sent off to complete Tottenham's misery.


It looked like being so different after four minutes when Arsenal's shambolic defending from Milan resurfaced. Former Gunners striker Adebayor, 28 today, played the ball into a gaping hole for Saha to run into, with Thomas Vermaelen's lame block only succeeding in deflecting the Frenchman's shot over the stranded Wojciech Szczensy.


The home side fought back, Kieran Gibbs seeing a dubious penalty appeal rejected and Parker getting away with an accidental handball. It was breathless stuff and Szczensy beat away another Spurs effort before Van Persie wasted a glorious chance to level when he drilled wide after his initial shot was blocked. He went even closer six minutes later with a drive that deflected into the sidenetting, his resulting corner seeing Brad Friedel acrobatically tip over Rosicky's header.


Arsenal were beginning to dominate but more risible defending almost saw Spurs double their lead on the break, Szczensy denying Adebayor and Kyle Walker sending the 25-yard rebound just over the crossbar. Parker, who was everywhere, was booked after clattering into Van Persie moments after being denied a free-kick of his own, with Luka Modric also carded for dissent.


Laurent Koscielny immediately followed for upending Niko Kranjcar, Tottenham immediately surging upfield to win a controversial 32nd-minute penalty. Gareth Bale was under all sorts of pressure from Gibbs but threw himself to the floor under what looked no contact from Szczensy. Adebayor kept his cool to rub salt into the wound but wisely chose not to celebrate.


Terrific turnaround
It could have been 3-0 before half-time had Bale chosen to pass rather than drill a shot too close to Szczensy and Spurs were made to pay when Arsenal sensationally hit back before half-time. The first goal came five minutes before the break, Van Persie desperately unlucky to hit the post before Mikel Arteta swept the ball back in and Sagna powered home a header. Van Persie then sent the Emirates into raptures, pouncing on a loose Benoit Assou-Ekotto clearance, and turning onto his left foot before curling deliciously beyond Friedel.


Redknapp responded by throwing on Rafael van der Vaart and Sandro at half-time for Saha and Kranjcar but Arsenal's tails were up and only another fabulous Friedel save from Yossi Benayoun's precise finish prevented them completing the comeback. Benayoun then caught Walker with a tackle that forced the full-back off and he was barely back on when Rosicky made it 3-2 in the 51st minute, playing a one-two with Sagna before poking in the latter's deflected cross.


Tottenham finally got a foothold but it was Arsenal who were now dangerous on the break, Walcott drilling inches wide, while Sandro was completely off the pace, rightly booked for tripping Van Persie.  As in the first half, the Gunners scored twice in three minutes to kill the game. It was a brilliant counter-attack that brought the 65th-minute fourth goal, Benayoun releasing Van Persie, who held off Ledley King and Younes Kaboul before squaring for the onrushing Walcott to clip the ball over Friedel.


It was Tottenham's defence that was now all over the place and Kaboul played Walcott onside, the winger racing onto Alex Song's pass and finding the bottom corner. "Harry for England", the Arsenal fans chanted ironically before Rosicky almost made it six after a one-two with Walcott and Parker was shown a second yellow for treading on Vermaelen's toe two minutes from time.

Mackems title charge halted by HenrySunderland 1 (McClean 70) Arsenal 2 (Ramsey 75, Henry 90)

Thierry Henry's stoppage-time winner handed Martin O'Neill his first home defeat as Sunderland manager.


Arsenal fell behind after defender Per Mertesacker injured himself in trying to control the ball, with James McClean firing a shot past Wojciech Szczesny.


Mertersacker was carried off but his replacement Aaron Ramsey then directed a shot past Simon Mignolet.
But on-loan Henry, who returns to the New York Red Bulls next week, stylishly volleyed past Mignolet to grab the win.


It was a remarkable conclusion to Henry's second spell with Arsenal in the Premier League, even more so given he had come on as a substitute for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and had just the one chance.


The Frenchman showed why he has scored 176 goals in 258 top-flight games in those two spells as he cleverly directed his volley past Mignolet after ghosting in between John O'Shea and Michael Turner to connect with Andrey Arshavin's cross from the left.


Just as importantly Henry's goal enabled Arsene Wenger's side to leapfrog over Chelsea into the fourth Champions League spot on goal difference.
Such a scenario had looked highly unlikely given McClean had put Sunderland ahead with just over 20 minutes to go.


McClean took advantage of Mertesacker's misfortune after the German injured his ankle as he attempted to control the ball, with the Sunderland forward blasting a shot into the corner of the net.


Mertesacker had to be carried off but within five minutes Arsenal were level after another of their substitutes Ramsey picked up the ball on the edge of the box and guided his shot past Mignolet.


Henry's late intervention might have ensured the first defeat for Sunderland under O'Neill at the Stadium of Light, but what was evident was the enormous strides the Black Cats have made under their new manager.


Sunderland expended enormous energy in trying to disrupt Arsenal's fluent style and, in McClean and Stephane Sessegnon, the home side had a couple of players with the speed and skill to always threaten Wenger's team.
Arsenal were also indebted to Szczesny who made a couple of good saves from Craig Gardner shots, while John O'Shea might have done better with a couple of second half-efforts.


In a scrappy first half, Sunderland had a strong penalty claim when the ball bounced off Mertesacker's hand.


Arsenal's best chance in the first period came from Theo Walcott, who flashed a shot past the post after good work from Oxlade-Chamberlain and Robin van Persie.


The two sides meet again in the FA Cup next Saturday, though at least Sunderland will not have to face Henry - who has now scored seven goals in 11 games against them.

Sunderland rule the Britannia Stoke City 0 Sunderland 1 (McLean 60)

Sunderland's impressive form continued as a strike from James McClean secured them a 1-0 victory and all three points against ten-man Stoke City at a wintry Britannia Stadium.


In a contest during which snow fell throughout, a first half of few goalscoring opportunities finished with Potters defender Robert Huth receiving his marching orders in the 45th minute. The German was shown a straight red card following a tackle on David Meyler.


McClean then netted in the 60th, bursting through the hosts' defence and tucking the ball away to seal a victory which means the Black Cats have now taken 22 points from the 30 on offer in the Premier League since manager Martin O'Neill took charge of the Wearsiders. O'Neill's side, who had been hovering just above the relegation zone when he was appointed in December, remain eighth in the table while Stoke have slipped to 12th.


Potters manager Tony Pulis made three changes to his first XI, forward Cameron Jerome and midfielders Glenn Whelan and Rory Delap replacing Kenwyne Jones, Wilson Palacios - who, like the ill Matthew Etherington, did not feature in the squad at all - and Dean Whitehead.


There was only one adjustment for the visitors, with Meyler promoted to the starting line-up and Fraizer Campbell dropping to the bench, while transfer deadline day loan signings Wayne Bridge and Sotirios Kyrgiakos were also among the substitutes.


The snow that had been falling in the build-up to the game - which was being cleared off the pitch right up until kick-off - continued to come down as the action got underway and it took a while for either side to really warm up.


Stoke enjoyed the lion's share of possession early on and, after Jerome was beaten to Peter Crouch's flick-on by Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, the Potters won a corner that led to Marc Wilson trying his luck from outside the box, firing in a low effort which was blocked.


Mignolet then claimed a useful-looking cross into the area from Whelan, but there was little being fashioned in the way of genuine attempts on goal. Stephane Sessegnon started to show some endeavour for the visitors, seeing one shot deflect away from danger and, on the half-hour mark, drilling another narrowly wide.


It was Sunderland's best spell yet, but with conditions getting worse, it was difficult to build any momentum. Jerome, who had taken a knock, came off for Ricardo Fuller before Jon Walters brought a save out of Mignolet with a drilled shot. The first half then ended on a sour note for Stoke as Huth was dismissed for a sliding challenge on Meyler.


Pulis, incensed by referee Martin Atkinson's decision, reacted by substituting Jermaine Pennant for Jonathan Woodgate. Sunderland went close shortly after the interval as Sessegnon headed McClean's cross just over the bar.


At the other end, another Wilson long-range attempt looped up off a Black Cats shirt, but the visitors were looking to make their man advantage count and, 15 minutes into the second half, they took the lead.


Collecting the ball from Sessegnon, McClean powered forward and, having evaded Andy Wilkinson and Ryan Shawcross, slotted it past Thomas Sorensen. Delap tried to make a swift response but lashed a shot off target and, after Mignolet survived spilling a long throw from the midfielder, Walters put an effort high and wide.


Stoke continued to press, with Crouch's header being caught by Mignolet. The goalkeeper then got down to save an angled effort from Fuller. Wilson's deflected shot earned a corner towards the end, but it went unconverted as Sunderland emerged triumphant.

Mackems cage the Canaries in 3-0 rout Sunderland 3 (Campbell 21, Sessegnon 28, Ayala o.g 54) Norwich City 0

Sunderland moved up to eighth in the Premier League after ending Norwich's six-match unbeaten run in some style.
Fraizer Campbell, starting in the top flight for the first time since August 2010, opened the scoring with a superb right-footed volley from 25 yards.
Stephane Sessegnon started and finished a delightfully-worked second, heading in Campbell's perfect right-wing cross.
The Black Cats added a third soon after the break when Phil Bardsley's cross fizzed in off Daniel Ayala's knee.
How times have changed at the Stadium of Light since Martin O'Neill took charge in December.


Sunderland recorded only one win in their first seven home matches in the league this term but O'Neill has presided over four in the last five.
There had been little to choose between these teams in recent meetings, with 11 of the last 14 matches settled by the odd goal and the other three drawn.
But Paul Lambert's first managerial challenge against his former boss at Celtic was a one-sided affair, the Canaries unable to find any passing rhythm and Sunderland far sharper throughout.
Campbell, who returned after an 18-month injury lay-off to score the equaliser against Middlesbrough  in the FA Cup last weekend, forced Norwich keeper John Ruddy to push away his early header following a fine cross from the industrial James McClean.
Norwich had barely got out of first gear, and indeed would barely do so for the rest of the evening, but they might have taken the lead when Steve Morison flicked on a free-kick and Grant Holt hit a fierce volley on the turn. Fortunately for the home side, it was too close to goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to cause him serious difficulties.


But Campbell put Sunderland ahead in magnificent fashion, controlling a high ball neatly and unleashing a fabulous shot that soared over Ruddy into the corner of the net. It was the former Manchester United striker's first Premier League goal since April 2010.
Sunderland, slick, creative and full of confidence going forward, and well-organised defensively, fashioned a magnificent second.
Sessagnon nutmegged Bradley Johnson in the centre circle, sprayed the ball wide to Campbell on the right-flank, then darted into the six-yard box to head home the inviting first-time cross.
The intrepid 800-strong band of Norwich supporters who had made the 510-mile round trip needed something inspirational from their side in the second period, but another rapid Sunderland break ended their chances of anything to celebrate.


An intricate one-touch passing move on the right freed Bardsley and his cross from the byeline flicked off Ayala's knee into the net off the underside of the bar.
Norwich made a double substitution and one of the new arrivals, Anthony Pilkington, delivered a perfect left-wing cross for Morison but his header was fractionally wide and there were to be no further chances for the visitors.
Eight minutes from time Sunderland were able to give a debut to new loan signing Wayne Bridge, whose last Premier League appearance was against them for West Ham in the final match of last season.
Bridge received a warm ovation from the home fans, buoyed by an impressive performance from their team, who have lost only two matches in O'Neill's 11 in charge.

Champions Season So Far

Sunderlands 2-0 win at the weekend against a Swansea City full of confidence after their own 3-2 win at home to Arsenal shows just how far the Mackems have come in the past few weeks since the arrival of Martin O'Neill at the Stadium Of Light.

Ask any Sunderland fan and they to a man would agree if the men in charge had stuck with previous manager Steve Bruce then they may well have found themselves either relegated or a season of fighting for survival.

Bruce was never a fans favourite, probably due to his Newcastle roots but the Sunderland faithful stuck with him just to see if their side was going to improve on last seasons 10th place finish.
With the arrival of some 11 new signings things were looking good with some fans even dreaming of a place in Europe but as the season got under way it soon came to the fore that Sunderland weren't heading to Europe next season, but maybe Doncaster!!!

They started the season of with a draw against Liverpool but then they lost to their main rivals Newcastle and really from that moment their season seemed to go from bad to worse leading to Bruce's sacking on November 30th.

Within a week owner Ellis Short had found the man to take the team forward. Northern Ireland's Martin O'Neill. The former Wycombe Wanderers, Leicester City and Celtic (whom he supported as a boy) manager took over and declared he was over the moon taking over the other club he supported and in his 9 games in charge he's won 6 and lost 2 propelling the Mackens up the table to 10th place and rekindling the supporters hopes of a place in Europe.

Things are looking good at the Stadium of Light. The players are playing for the manager, the fans are returning and the victories are coming one after the other. Could they still achieve a place in Europe this season, lets wait and see.

Sunderland continue fine form and claim titleSunderland 2 (Sessegnon 14, Gardner 84) Swansea City 0

Two sublime goals extended Sunderland's renaissance under Martin O'Neill and ended Swansea's four-game unbeaten run.


Stephane Sessegnon found the top-right corner from the left side of the penalty area to put Sunderland ahead.


Sebastian Larsson had earlier struck the Swansea post, before Scott Sinclair wasted the visitors' best chance by firing over from six yards.


Swansea dominated without threatening and Craig Gardner's late 25-yard volley wrapped up victory.


The substitute's clincher five minutes from time was a rare effort on goal from Sunderland, who hardly threatened after Sessegnon's opener.


But Swansea's inability to offer a cutting edge on their travels was again evident, with home keeper Simon Mignolet troubled only twice, consigning Brendan Rodgers's side to a seventh away defeat in 11 games.


The victory moves Sunderland above Swansea into 10th place as O'Neill collected his 10th point from a possible 12 at home since taking over.


Sunderland's opener came as a breathless opening 15 minutes ended with a moment of genuine quality.


After a quick exchange of passes with James McClean down the left flank, Sessegnon opened up his body to curl an unstoppable effort into the top right corner.


The precise strike was too good for Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm, who had earlier deflected Larsson's volley on to the foot of the post.


Swansea, basking in the plaudits of their 3-2 win over Arsenal last Sunday, also threatened in the opening exchanges.


Sunderland defender Wes Brown, back after a three-game injury absence, denied Nathan Dyer with a well-timed last-ditch tackle, before Phil Bardsley followed suit to stop Scott Sinclair on the opposite flank.


Sinclair was guilty of wasting a glorious chance when he blasted over from barely six yards from Dyer's low cross.


The visitors went on to dominate the rest of the half, with Gylfi Sigurdsson slotting seamlessly into the Swansea midfield as he made his first start.


His far-post cross gave Danny Graham a great chance to level, but the striker failed to keep his header down.


Despite Swansea's dominance of possession, Sunderland stopper Mignolet was not tested until the 57th minute when he palmed away Sigurdsson's free-kick.


The home crowd grew impatient as Sunderland struggled to find any cohesion, but the Black Cats suddenly came to life in the final 15 minutes.


Sessegnon headed wide from McClean's inviting cross, before Vorm needed to be alert as he rushed out to beat Connor Wickham to the ball at the edge of the box.


Wickham wasted a glorious chance to seal victory when he fired wildly wide from close range, but the points were secured when Gardner struck.


The substitute controlled Sessegnon's crossfield pass on his chest before sending a dipping 25-yard volley into the top corner.

Champions Transfer Window Update

Its fair to say the January Transfer Window is a usual quiet affair but one team that hasn't been quiet are the current Unofficial Premier League Champions Swansea City.


As the enter the last few weeks of the window Swansea have signed four new players, the most out of all Premier League sides and as yet no-one has left the Liberty Stadium.
So who has Brendan Rodgers signed?

First deal was actually completed in August when Swansea signed Darnel Situ from French side Lens.
Situ agreed terms on August 31st but there was complications with the deal and the 19 year old defender didn't receive international clearance in time for the £250,000 to be completed. Lens did however agree to loan the defender to Swansea up until the reopening of the transfer window and then on January 10th the deal was completed. Situ is still waiting to make his debut for his new club and will be hoping to make an impression in 2012.

Icelandic International Gylfi Sigurdsson was next to join the Swans. The Hoffenheim midfielder has agreed to join the club on loan for the rest of the season after falling out of favour from his current club. Its not known whether this could lead to a permanent deal in the future but the midfielder has already made his mark when coming on as a substitute to set up the winning goal in Swansea's 3-2 victory over Arsenal on January 15th.

Rodgers headed home for his next signing when he snapped up prolific striker Rory Donnelly from Northern Ireland outfit Cliftonville. The 19 year old scored 20 goals in his 49 appearances which lead to Swansea making a £100,000 bid. Everton soon started sniffing around meaning Swansea upping their bid and signing the promising striker on 10th January.

Finally, the most recent new comer to the Liberty Stadium see's Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran joining on loan until the end of the season. The highly rated midfielder has made 11 appearances for the Blues and has been sent out on loan by Andre Villa-Boas to gain some valuable Premier League experience. The way he likes to play seems perfectly matched to the way Swansea play so this could be the perfect match, although with Swansea flying high in the Premier League at the moment its a wonder whether Josh will break into the squad!!!!




As I say Swansea have been busy in the market but what do we make of the signings? Well Sigurdsson has already made his mark in the starting line up and with the addition of McEachran Swansea have a midfield full of talent, as for Situ and Donnelly I can't see them making much of an impression at the Liberty Stadium and I wonder whether these are signings "for the future"