Table Decided Early at Top and Bottom of the Premiership Table

Reading and Queens Park Rangers fought out a desperate battle for survival on Sunday that nobody survived.

Neither side was able to earn the three points which would have kept their slims hopes of survival alive, and instead both teams were resigned to relegation.

 

As QPR and Reading remain 9 points behind Aston Villa with 3 games to play, it appears that survival is still possible, however as Aston Villa play 18^th placed Wigan on the final day of the season, either an Aston Villa win or draw moves them out of reach of Reading and QPR, and likewise Wigan would move onto 35 points with a win, 10 clear of Reading and QPR – so whatever the result it is impossible for Reading and QPR not to remain in the bottom three spots.

Of more concern for teams higher in the table was the PFA Player of the Year Awards, now the destination of the title has already been decided.  Gareth Bale took the prize for the second time after a blistering run of form in the second half of the season which has given credibility to comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Robin Van Persie again demonstrated his credentials for the award at the weekend against his former club Arsenal.  He may have almost walked into the wrong dressing room at the Emirates Stadium as Manchester United arrived, however it was Bacary Sanga that seemed to momentarily forget Van Persie had moved on, passing him the ball before fouling him in the area to give Van Persie the opportunity to score from the spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBLM_TFTydY

Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale were nominated for the PFA Player of the Year Awards as they have both seemingly carried their clubs with their fantastic form, however as Luis Suarez begins his 10 match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic, Liverpool demonstrated they are no one man team, racking up their highest scoring win of the season over Newcastle without their star striker.

Coutinho and Sturridge were in inspired form, showing that Liverpool will be able to cope without the controversial Uruguayan, and possibly making members of the Liverpool hierarchy think that should a suitable offer come in, they may well decide to cash in on Suarez and avoid the controversy that follows him around.

The race for the Champions League places between Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham, along with the battle to beat the drop, now looking like a straight contest between Wigan and Aston Villa are the main points of interest in the League.

It was a good weekend for Cheslea, as Tottenham and Arsenal dropped points.  Arsenal gaining the point at the expense of Man Utd was also good for Chelsea as it means United cannot surpass Chelsea’s record points total of 95, set in Jose Mourinho’s debut season.

Wigan and Aston Villa meet on the last day of the season, and it appears both their fates hang on that one game.

Elsewhere in Europe, PSG can seal the title next weekend after a bad tempered 1-0 win over Evian.

David Beckham made the headlines for the wrong reasons, receiving a controversial sending off, where he appeared to raise his leg to perform a vicious stamp on his opponent, but instead planted it in the ground and shielded the ball.  From Beckham’s body movement and his opponent’s play acting, the referee was convinced that a foul had occurred.

Beckham is no stranger to a controversial sending off, incurring the hatred of the whole of England in 1998 when he was sent off during England’s World Cup exit to Argentina.  This incident is unlikely to draw the same levels of criticism.