Wigan Athletic: 15th

FA Cup:- 3rd Round

League Cup: 2nd Round

The experts’ pre-season dismissals of Wigan Athletic and eventual climb-downs are becoming somewhat familiar. Having finished the 2010-11 season by sneaking out of the Premier League drop zone on the last day thanks to Hugo Rodallega’s goal at Stoke, the Latics were amongst the bookmakers’ favourites to struggle again.

The club’s transfer activity did little to suggest otherwise. Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi made his loan move from Bolton permanent while Jean Beausejou
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Everton rounded off their Premier League campaign with a solid 3-1 victory over Newcastle United at Goodison Park, and the two teams provide sound examples to each other – the Magpies on how to turn a mid-table side into European contenders, and the Toffees how quickly that European dream can go sour.

Goals from Steven Pienaar, Nikica Jelavic and John Heitinga rendered Tony Hibbert’s own goal meaningless and gave David Moyes’ side another goal-laden home victory to end the season. But as the Newcastle fans celebrated qualifying for Europe despite the defeat it was
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Newcastle will be looking to end a memorable 2011/12 campaign in style in their final game against Everton. The Magpies are still in with a chance of making the Champions League places although they will need other results to go for them. A trip to Goodison Park is not the easiest way to end the season with Everton currently on a good run of form.

For Newcastle it is a must win game with Totteham and Arsenal, immediately above them in the table, boasting slightly more points and a better goal difference. The two London clubs both face potentially tricky games tha
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Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse is happy with life in the North East, but wants to secure a move to Spanish champions Real Madrid at some point in the future, ESPN Soccernet reports.

The Senegalese international has proved to be a magnificent signing for Alan Pardew’s side, scoring 13 goals in 13 games following his £10m January move from Freiburg. With the Magpies in the hunt for a Champions League place, the addition of Cisse to the squad has provided an extra goalscoring threat and Newcastle defender Danny Simpson has likened the striker to former Newcastle hero
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Valencia wrapped up the third Champions League place on a night of high drama in La Liga with two of the three relegation places still to be decided.

Los Che had a last-minute goal from Brazilian striker Jonas to thank for a 1-0 victory over Villarreal who are now just one point above the drop zone, while Valencia’s closest challengers Malaga went down to a 2-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men took the lead on 37 minutes when Eliseu’s long-range effort beat Thibaut Courtois, but the hosts hit back in the second half
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Chelsea completed the first half of a cup double under the Wembley arch and denied Liverpool the chance to secure their own with a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup final.

Kenny Dalglish’s team will be left wondering what might have happened had Andy Carroll’s header eight minutes from time had been adjudged to have crossed the line (the spectre of goal line technology haunting the aftermath of yet another match) but the real question is why it took them so long to turn up for the game.

It seemed that it wasn’t just Liverpool fans whose journey to Wembley was
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In March, Wigan Athletic lost 2-0 at home against Swansea, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, without a home win since August, it was also a result that got mild-mannered owner Dave Whelan’s goat. “That was our worst performance in four or five years and I will be having a meeting with Roberto on Monday to ask him some questions about the performance and selection,” the BBC quoted Whelan as saying.

Such protestations would have most managers quaking in their boots but the Monday meeting came and went with Whelan declaring that he was “very sa
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Saturday’s goalless draw with Aston Villa means that Sunderland have now drawn a blank in their last four League games. With three matches left and four points needed to finish higher than last season, it’s possible that a run that started so well under Martin O’Neill’s could end in disappointment, especially with Manchester United to visit the Stadium of Light on the final day of the season.

O’Neill’s first 10 games in charge at the Stadium of Light brought 19 points and with a run to the FA Cup quarter finals thrown into the mix, the dark days of the Steve Bruc
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Stunning strikes from Chelsea old boys Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba helped Chelsea book their place in the FA Cup final, but it is the performance of another man – referee Martin Atkinson – which will dominate the headlines.

Atkinson’s woeful decision just four minutes into the second half effectively killed the tie as it left Spurs needing to chase the game and wide-open to the counter attack. The score line was not a fair reflection of a game in which the losers had had the better of the opening 45 minutes.

But it was Chelsea’s second goal which
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Sporting Gijón boosted their hopes of top-flight safety after coming from behind to see off fourth-placed Levante 3-2 at El Molinon.

Javier Clemente’s players went into the game with the words of their boss ringing in their ears after the weekend defeat at Getafe, when the former Spain national team Coach said ‘his squad was not strong enough’ to compete in La Primera. His comments looked to be accurate after 16 minutes when Valdo got his second in two games, heading in Javi Venta’s cross, but the lead lasted just six minutes when Oscar Trejo took advantage of David Barral’
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