Tony Bellew won the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title against Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park on this day in 2016.

Fighting at the home of his beloved Toffees, the Everton fan put on a show, claiming the belt with a third-round knockout.

Makabu had entered the fight as the bookmakers’ favourite and started well, sending Bellew to the canvas in the opening round with a left-hand shot.

However, the Liverpudlian quickly recovered with a barrage of combinations in the third round to floor Makabu.

The win meant Bellew won a world title at the third time of asking after previous bouts at light-heavyweight against Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson ended in defeat.

Bellew, who played ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan in Sylvester Stallone’s film Creed, admitted he had “achieved a dream”.

“I am Everton, and that’s why I got up. Nothing was going to stop me tonight,” he said.

“I’ve achieved a dream tonight, all those people who said I couldn’t do it, well I’ve done it. I’m world champion, that’s what I am!

“The last time I saw something like that I was in a Hollywood movie, now it’s real. I’ve lived the dream tonight. I am the best cruiserweight in the world, I have proven it tonight.”

Emiliano Grillo won his second PGA tour title after he edged out Adam Schenk in a double playoff hole while English golfer Harry Hall finished tied third in Texas on Sunday.

The Argentinian was two strokes clear and looked primed to take out the Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial Golf Course in Fort Worth.

But the 30-year-old hit a double-bogey on the last hole, providing an opening for Schenk to come back into contention, seeking to win his first PGA Tour title.

Grillo hit his drive into a small stream on the final hole which took the ball back 150 yards before stopping against a rock.

He decided to take a penalty stroke and landed a two-putt from 20 yards to tie with Schenk.

Schenk made par on the final hole while English PGA Tour rookie Harry Hall needed a par on the final hole to compete in the playoff.

Hall hit a bogey on the last hole after landing his drive into the water and finished tied in third with world number one American Scott Scheffler on 7-under.

Grillo struck a five-foot birdie putt to claim the title on the second playoff hole to get his first tour win in more than seven years, finishing the tournament on eight-under with 68 on his final day.

Grillo’s last win was in Napa in 2015 and has had four top 10 finishes this season.

American Adam Schenk finished second place for the second time this season and is still pushing for his first tour win.

Hall, 25, was leading after the first and second day but failed to hang on to the lead with two birdies and five bogeys on Sunday.

Englishmen Aaron Rei and Justin Rose finished tied 12th on three-under.

Jamaica’s wait to qualify for a FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup has been prolonged, as the young Reggae Girlz suffered a second-consecutive 0-4 defeat, this time at the hands of United States, at the Concacaf Under-20 Championships in Dominican Republic on Sunday.

A hat-trick from Madeline Dahlien (10th, 47th and 79th) and one from Tessa Dellarose (49th) saw the reigning seven-time champions to victory which secured them a semi-final berth along with Canada, who earlier registered a 5-0 win over Panama.

Both United States and Canada, are on six points each and will decide Group A winners in a top-of-the-table clash on Tuesday, while the Jamaicans and Panamanians are to meet in a contest of academic interest on the same day.

While it was a much-improved showing from the young Reggae Girlz in part, when compared to their 0-4 opening loss to Canada, they simply lacked the pedigree of their United States counterparts.

The Hugh Bradford-coached Girlz showed more heart defensively and did manage to show some semblance of individual flair when in possession, but again offered very little on the attacking front.

It took only 10 minutes for US to break the deadlock when Dahlien breached the backline and fired past Liya Brooks.

They continued to apply consistent pressure and found a few more openings but faulty shooting proved their undoing as they failed to hit the target.

That coupled with the fact that the young Reggae Girlz were more organized at the back, resulted in the score remaining 1-0 at the break.

However, the Girlz first half accomplishments quickly went out like a candle in the wind, as the US attackers went straight to work on the resumption. A weighted cross from Onyeka Gamero was expertly met by Dahlien beating Brooks to her left, two minutes in.

And before the Girlz could regroup, they found themselves further behind when Dellarose’s delightful left-footed strike from about 20-yards out, gave Brooks no chance at a save.

Brooks was better positioned to deny substitute Jill Flammia’s effort from just outside the 18-yard box in the 54th minute, as she got down well to her right to parry onto the upright.

But Dahlien eventually secured her third and a fourth for the US with another easy finish beyond Brooks.

US, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico are set to contest the semi-finals.

The two finalists and third-place team will qualify for next year’s Under-20 World Cup.

Gary Lineker has congratulated Everton after his former club survived in the Premier League at the expense of his boyhood team Leicester.

The two clubs had been in jeopardy heading into the final round of fixtures on Sunday but ultimately Everton’s 1-0 victory over Bournemouth ensured they avoided the drop.

At one stage it looked as though it could be the Foxes who stayed up as they took an early lead against West Ham but their eventual 2-1 win was rendered academic by Everton’s result.

The Toffees ended the season in 17th place, two points ahead of Leicester, while Leeds were also relegated after a 4-1 loss to Tottenham.

Former England striker Lineker, who began his career at Leicester before spending a season at Everton in the mid-1980s, tweeted: “Absolutely gutted, but glad it’s Everton. Have a lot of love for that great football club. Congratulations.”

Leicester’s relegation comes seven years after they were crowned Premier League champions and just two years after they won the FA Cup.

Lineker added: “A word on Leicester. If eight years ago, you’d have given me the option of winning the Premier League and the FA Cup and then get relegated, I’d have snapped your hand off. Also I’d have told you not to be so utterly ridiculous.”

It has been a dismal season for Leicester and TV pundit Roy Keane was not sure how quickly they could recover.

The former Manchester United midfielder said on Sky Sports: “They didn’t seem to get any momentum into the season from a bad start. It’s no surprise to see them where they are.

“Clubs can bounce back but it isn’t easy. I think it is a rebuilding job at Leicester.”

Leeds’ three-year stint in the Premier League ended in a whimper as they were thrashed by Spurs at Elland Road.

The club had brought in Sam Allardyce in a last-ditch attempt to escape relegation with four games remaining but the former England boss was unable to engineer a recovery.

The team collected just one point from Allardyce’s games and finished in 19th position, five points behind Everton.

Keane was scathing of their performances.

He said: “They’ve looked weak over the last month or two, even with Sam coming in.

“They were fighting for their lives today and conceded four goals at home. That’s nowhere near good enough.

“Sam obviously came in too late. Defensively they look so weak. Some of the goals – it’s almost pub team defending.

“Not strong enough mentally, that desire – nowhere near good enough.”

Chelsea, meanwhile, aimed a parting shot at Leeds on social media.

Rivalry between those two clubs dates back to some hard-fought clashes in the 1960s and 70s.

In August, Leeds trolled Chelsea on Twitter during their 3-0 victory over the London club.

In that game, Chelsea tweeted the Blues were “starting to assert ourselves” just moments before Leeds opened the scoring and quickly followed with a second goal.

“Life comes at you fast!” Leeds tweeted in reply.

Now, nine months later, Chelsea have got their own back.

“It certainly does,” they tweeted.

Espanyol were relegated from LaLiga after a dramatic draw with fellow strugglers Valencia on Sunday.

Luis Garcia's side will not be playing top-flight football next term after Samuel Lino's 93rd-minute goal snatched a 2-2 draw for Valencia, sending Espanyol down.

The White and Blues will join already relegated Elche in dropping down to the Segunda Division, while a host of other teams, including Real Valladolid, Celta Vigo, Almeria and Valencia, remain in danger.

Valladolid are in 18th place with one game remaining, one point behind Celta and Almeria, and two points adrift of Valencia, Getafe and Cadiz in a congested battle for survival.

Jeff Stelling revealed singer Sir Elton John was among his well-wishers this week as the presenter signed off from the “best job that anybody could possibly have wished for” at Soccer Saturday.

Stelling announced last month his intention to stand down as anchor of the Sky Sports programme after almost 30 years and earmarked the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as his last show.

In the days leading up to his swansong, Stelling divulged he had messages of support from the likes of Gordon Strachan and Neil Warnock, plus a phone call from John, former chairman and director of Watford.

Stelling, an unapologetic Hartlepool fan who frequently celebrated their goals on Soccer Saturday, said: “Somebody asked me the other day if I’d ever been starstruck and yeah, I was starstruck when Elton John rang me at home to say ‘Thank you very much for all you’ve done’.

“He said ‘Every week I watch the show and every week you tell me Watford are losing and every week you tell me Hartlepool are losing so I feel like we’re kindred spirits’. There’s something in that, isn’t there?”

After touching tributes from colleagues past and present in a video montage, Stelling was given a standing ovation by the punditry panel of Paul Merson, Clinton Morrison, Kris Boyd and Michael Dawson.

Stelling, who had planned to quit last year before reversing that decision, briefly hid his emotions with a mask of himself and quipped: “This is tricky because I’ve changed my mind – just kidding.

“I haven’t changed my mind this time.”

Stelling was clearly moved by the highlights package Sky televised in the final minutes of the show after Everton retained their top-flight status and confirmed the relegations of Leeds and Leicester.

Merson, Alan Mullery, Frank McLintock, Clive Allen, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier passed on their congratulations, as did Chris Kamara, who in a nod to the catchphrase that has become synonymous with the pair and the show, said: “You are unbelievable, Jeff!”

Stelling looked back fondly on his 30-plus years with Sky, in which he not only covered football but live snooker, darts, greyhound racing, pool and thanked everyone with whom he had worked.

In his farewell monologue, he added: “It’s been the best job that anybody could possibly have wished for. My wife takes great pleasure in saying ‘You are the luckiest man ever to take a breath’ and you know what? I don’t tell her this often but she’s right.

“The principle success of Soccer Saturday is you lot at home, who have given us unswerving support – both for the programme and for me personally.

“So that’s it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I’ll be watching – when Hartlepool are not playing. From me, goodbye.”

Milan secured a top-four Serie A finish with a 1-0 win at Juventus as Olivier Giroud's header dealt a knockout blow to the Bianconeri's own hopes of Champions League qualification.

Still reeling from their 10-point deduction and Monday's miserable 4-1 defeat at Empoli, Juve required a win at Allianz Stadium to take the top-four battle to the season's final matchday.

However, the Bianconeri's lack of attacking thrust was on full display once again, with Giroud scoring the only goal of the game with an outstanding header as half-time approached on Sunday.

The Rossoneri were comfortable from there as they ensured Juve's chaotic season will end on another sour note, piling more pressure on embattled head coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Sandro Tonali headed Junior Messias' delivery over as Milan started brightly, but Juve soon improved, with Angel Di Maria failing to hook Moise Kean's cut-back home on the stretch.

More Bianconeri chances came and went as Federico Chiesa hammered over and Kean worked Mike Maignan from distance, but Juve found themselves behind five minutes before half-time.

Davide Calabria's hanging cross from the right was met with a textbook header from Giroud, who planted the ball beyond Wojciech Szczesny's despairing dive.

Adrien Rabiot forced a comfortable save from Maignan as Juve toiled after the restart, failing to make any attacking headway without injured striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Szczesny stuck out a leg to deny Alexis Saelemaekers and Rafael Leao fired over on the break, while Danilo had a close-range effort blocked in a goalmouth scramble as Juve's bid for Champions League football ended with a whimper.

What does it mean? Milan profit from Juve woes

When Juventus' 10-point deduction was confirmed earlier this week, Milan were the chief beneficiary after being propelled into the top four.

Stefano Pioli's men were determined not to let that advantage slip here, the Rossoneri weathering the Juve storm midway through the first half and deserving the three points after Giroud's goal. 

Milan thus completed just their third Serie A double over Juventus in the last 50 years, also doing so in the 1990-91 and 2009-10 campaigns.

Giroud the man of the moment

Giroud has so often been the man for the big occasion for both club and country, and he gave Szczesny no chance with a firm header just as Juventus looked to be in the ascendency.

The 36-year-old striker has now scored 12 times in Serie A this season, his best return in one of Europe's top five leagues since he hit as many Premier League goals for Arsenal in the 2016-17 campaign.

Fatal blow for Allegri?

Allegri has faced stern criticism for most of the campaign, and the pressure may just become intolerable now they will finish outside of Italy's top four for the first time since 2010-11 (when they finished seventh).

Having also fallen short in the Europa League semi-finals, the Bianconeri have suffered three successive defeats for the first time since doing so in 2011 under Luigi Delneri.

What's next? 

Milan wrap up their Serie A season against Verona next Sunday, while Juventus will be playing for a Europa League place when they visit Udinese on the same day.

Katie Taylor laughed off talk of retirement after her first professional defeat this month and is targeting a November rematch against Chantelle Cameron.

Taylor’s bid to become undisputed world champion in two weight categories simultaneously fell flat as the previously unbeaten lightweight was outpointed on her Ireland homecoming by Cameron in Dublin.

Cameron, who retained her four light-welterweight world titles with the majority decision win, has intimated she wants to step down to 135lbs to challenge for Taylor’s belts in any return bout.

And the 36-year-old Taylor insisted her only priority is another showdown with Cameron, telling RTE: “I don’t even know what retirement means. I definitely don’t feel like it’s time for me to retire.

“It will happen one day in the future, but now my sights are set on securing a rematch with Chantelle. That’s the only fight that matters to me now. I think we’re looking at a November date.

“I haven’t looked back on the fight yet. I think the right person won. I have to take the loss and move on from it. I’m just excited to get back to America to start training again for the rematch.

“I will learn from this. I definitely didn’t feel myself in there. I did feel very, very tired straight away. I’ll just have to go back to the drawing board.

“I’m definitely not going to end my career like that.”

Real Sociedad claimed a place in the Champions League despite a 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Sunday.

Fifth-placed Villarreal’s loss at Rayo Vallecano by the same scoreline meant Sociedad could not be caught in fourth spot.

Antoine Griezmann and Nahuel Molina were on target for Atletico at the Civitas Metropolitano with Alexander Sorloth hitting a late reply for the visitors.

Atletico’s victory took them back within a point of second-placed city rivals Real Madrid.

Raul de Tomas and Isi Palazon struck either side of the hour-mark for Rayo Vallecano against Villarreal at the Vallecas Stadium. Giovani Lo Celso gave the Yellow Submarine hope seven minutes from time but it was not enough.

At the other end of the table, Espanyol were relegated after conceding a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at Valencia.

Samuel Lino struck three minutes into added time to seal Espanyol’s fate after they had replied to Diego Lopez’s opener with goals from Cesar Montes and Martin Braithwaite.

Valladolid remain in the bottom three with a game remaining after drawing 0-0 with another troubled side, Almeria, who are just a point above them.

Cadiz boosted their survival hopes with a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Celta Vigo and Getafe did likewise as they saw off Osasuna 2-1.

Champions Barcelona, meanwhile, extended their unassailable lead at the top of the table to 11 points with a 3-0 win over 10-man Mallorca at the Nou Camp.

Ansu Fati opened the scoring in the first minute before doubling the lead after the dismissal of Mallorca’s Amath Diedhiou. Gavi wrapped up the win 20 minutes from time.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic struck an 89th-minute winner as Lazio moved back into second place in Serie A with a 3-2 victory over relegated Cremonese.

It was the Serbian’s second of the game at the Stadio Olimpico with Elseid Hysaj also on target for the Rome side.

Cremonese had hit back from 2-0 down through Pablo Galdames and a Manuel Lazzari own goal.

Hellas Verona remain in the bottom three after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 1-1 with Empoli.

The hosts had led at the Marcantonio Bentegodi Stadium through Adolfo Gaich but Giangiacomo Magnani turned into his own net in the sixth minute of time added on.

Their survival fight will still go to the final day, however, with the result having pulled them level on points with Spezia.

Jeff Stelling signed off from the “best job that anybody could possibly have wished for” as the presenter bade farewell after almost 30 years of fronting Soccer Saturday.

The 68-year-old announced last month his intention to stand down as anchor of the Sky Sports programme and earmarked the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday afternoon as his last show.

After touching tributes from colleagues past and present, Stelling was given a lengthy standing ovation by the punditry panel of Paul Merson, Clinton Morrison, Kris Boyd and Michael Dawson.

Stelling, who had planned to quit last year before reversing that decision, briefly hid his emotions with a mask of himself and quipped: “This is tricky because I’ve changed my mind – just kidding.

“I haven’t changed my mind this time.”

Stelling was clearly moved by the highlights package Sky televised in the final minutes of the show after Everton retained their top-flight status and confirmed the relegations of Leeds and Leicester.

Merson, Alan Mullery, Frank McLintock, Clive Allen, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier passed on their well wishes and congratulations, as did Chris Kamara, who in a nod to the catchphrase that has become synonymous with the pair and the show, said: “You are unbelievable, Jeff!”

Stelling revealed he had been contacted by the likes of former Scotland player and manager Gordon Strachan as well as singer Sir Elton John, a noted supporter and former chairman and director of Watford.

Stelling, an unapologetic Hartlepool fan who frequently celebrated their goals on Soccer Saturday, said: “Somebody asked me the other day if I’d ever been starstruck and yeah, I was starstruck when Elton John rang me at home to say ‘Thank you very much for all you’ve done’.

“He said ‘Every week I watch the show and every week you tell me Watford are losing and every week you tell me Hartlepool are losing so I feel like we’re kindred spirits’. There’s something in that, isn’t there?”

Stelling looked back fondly on his 30-plus years with Sky, in which he not only covered football but live snooker, darts, greyhound racing, pool, and thanked everyone with whom he had worked.

In his final monologue, he added: “It’s been the best job that anybody could possibly have wished for. My wife takes great pleasure in saying ‘You are the luckiest man ever to take a breath’ and you know what? I don’t tell her this often but she’s right.

“The principle success of Soccer Saturday is you lot at home, who have given us unswerving support – both for the programme and for me personally.

“So that’s it. Soccer Saturday will be back next season. I’ll be watching – when Hartlepool are not playing. From me, goodbye.”

Willian wants to stay put at Fulham, though a decision has yet to be made on the Brazilian's future at Craven Cottage.

The 34-year-old former Chelsea and Arsenal playmaker joined Fulham in September last year and has been a key player for Marco Silva's men this season.

Fulham signed off on an impressive first campaign back in the Premier League with a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday, with Willian setting up Kenny Tete's opening goal.

That represented Willian's fifth league assist of the season, and his 10th direct goal contribution in the competition for Fulham.

Willian – who is soon to be out of contract – is unsure if he will be staying in west London, but he would be happy to do so.

"I don't know yet," he told Stats Perform. "Honestly, I have no idea what is going to happen. The future belongs to God.

"If I stay at Fulham, for sure I'll be fine, I'll be happy. I feel very good there, it's a club that welcomed me very well. But if it's somewhere else, I'll try to do my best in the same way.

"I haven't decided yet. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks, what I'll decide. But if I could stay in the Premier League and at Fulham, it would be a good thing for me."

Explaining why he elected to return to England with Fulham, who had been tipped to struggle yet managed to remain well clear of danger, Willian said: "I've always loved the Premier League. That's not news to anyone, everyone knows how much I'm a fan of the league here. 

"The Premier League, for me, is the best league in the world.

"Deciding to go to Fulham was a matter of a week or so. I was already in London. I came here to be closer to here and to have some conversations with my manager. It was a matter of a week or so before I decided to go to Fulham.

"I had some talks with Marco Silva as well and I really liked what I talked to him about and what he told me."

Another new signing that has starred for the Cottagers this season is Joao Palhinha, who has impressed as a holding midfielder.

"He's our watchdog," Willian said of the in-demand Portugal international. "He's the watchdog of our team. Without a doubt, he's an important player.

"He's a player who does a fundamental job. As they say in football, he does the dirty work, which is the player who steals a lot of the balls and makes it possible for us to attack the opposition."

Leeds boss Sam Allardyce apologised to the club’s fans after a 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham confirmed their Premier League relegation.

Allardyce, who Leeds had turned to in desperation with four games remaining, also urged the club to quickly resolve their ownership issue to aid their bid to bounce straight back from the Sky Bet Championship.

The former England manager said he had no regrets about taking on the job and will sit down with the board next week to discuss whether he will stay in the role.

Allardyce said: “I can’t say I’ve enjoyed it. I’m glad I came back. I tried my best to get Leeds out of trouble, but I can’t enjoy anything when I don’t win.

“We didn’t leave a stone unturned and it’s really sad that Leeds is in this position and to the fans, I apologise that I didn’t do better and the players didn’t do better.”

Leeds issued a statement shortly after the game also apologising to the club’s supporters for a “painful” relegation.

It read: “We apologise to our fanbase that the performances this season have not seen the club consolidate our status as we had all hoped.

“However, Leeds United remains in a strong position to build a team that can challenge for promotion from the Championship next season.

“We know things have not been good enough, we know we have to improve, but please be assured that behind the scenes we have worked hard to ensure that the past will not be repeated.

“Our focus is now on how we get straight back to the Premier League. ”

Leeds majority shareholder and chairman Andrea Radrizzani is understood to have stayed in Italy as the club crashed out of the top flight.

Harry Kane’s brace and goals from Pedro Porro and Lucas Moura ensured Leeds’ three-year stay was over and Jack Harrison’s second-half effort for Leeds was scant consolation for their fans, who vented their fury at the board throughout the match.

Speculation is mounting over whether a consortium Radrizzani is reported to be part of is poised to complete a takeover at Sampdoria and so expedite the sale of his shares in Leeds to American co-owners 49ers Enterprises.

Allardyce said: “I can tell them (the Leeds board) what I think needs to be done and then they can say what they think.

“Obviously, how is the club going to go forward? And who with? Because we all know about whether it’s going to be bought or stay the same, what’s going to happen?

“That’s probably the first factor that needs to get sorted out before you even speak to me, if you’re going to speak to me.”

Spurs, who missed out on a place in Europe next season despite Sunday’s result, will also begin their search for a new manager and interim boss Ryan Mason said some “huge decisions” would have to be made by the club.

Mason, who has won two of his six games back in temporary charge, said: “First of all it’s to understand who we want to be and where we want to go, going forward.

“Then it’s realising who fits that, members of staff and also players as well. It’s an important few weeks now and hopefully we make the right decisions.”

Mason added: “We have quite big squad. Whoever is in charge in pre-season, there are a lot of players and decisions to make.

“Obviously the bigger picture is disappointment over how the season has gone as a whole because we’ve finished outside of Europe for the first time in a long time. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Rasheed Broadbell, Shericka Jackson and Steven Gardiner won their respective events in impressive fashion at the Diamond League meeting in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday.

In the 110m hurdles delayed by two faulty starts and run into a headwind of 1.3 m/s, Broadbell, the Commonwealth Games champion, used his trademark late surge to defeat World Champion Grant Holloway and set a new meet record of 13.08.

“I am happy about how I performed today. I am pleased to get this win. I managed to get this victory by being focused during the race. My goal this year is to execute well,” said Broadbell, who broke the previous meet record of 13.12 set by David Oliver in 2016.

“I would like to thank the crowd here for being supportive and fantastic. I am getting ready for the world championship by staying healthy and in good shape.”

Holloway equaled the previous record 13.12 while finishing second. Olympic champion Hansle Parchment was third in 13.24 edging Devon Allen who was fourth in 13.25.

Jackson, the reigning 200m world champion and the second-fastest woman of all time over the distance, recovered from a sluggish start to set a new meet record of 21.98. Finishing second was Bahamian Anthonique Strachan, who ran a lifetime best of 22.15. American Tamari Davis also ran a lifetime best of 22.30 for third.

Stephen Gardiner ran an easy 44.70 to win the 400m ahead of Vernon Norwood, who ran 45.11 for second place. Rusheen McDonald surged late to finish third in 45.55.

In the opening race, the Women’s 400m hurdles Shamier Little ran a season 53.95 with three Jamaicans in her wake. Rushell Clayton, who led heading into the seventh hurdle, was not far behind in 54.15 while Shian Salmon, who seemed to stumble over the 10th and final hurdle, recovered to finish strong in 54.42m for third.

Janieve Russell finished fourth in 55.41.

Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Fernandez established a world-leading 14.84m to win the triple jump. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk took second place with her best jump of 14.65m with two-time world championship silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts finishing third with her season-best effort of 14.53m.

 

 

 

 

Mikel Arteta remained tight-lipped about the future of Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka but was pleased to see him get the appreciation he deserved after their 5-0 thrashing of Wolves.

Xhaka netted a first-half double in what is expected to be his final appearance for the Gunners with a summer exit to Bayer Leverkusen in the works and left the pitch to a standing ovation in the 75th minute with supporters’ urging him to stay.

It completes a remarkable turnaround for the Swiss international, who saw his relationship with the Emirates crowd reach an all-time low in the winter of 2019 during a home match with Crystal Palace where he chucked his shirt on the floor before subsequently being stripped of the captaincy.

Arteta convinced Xhaka not to leave Arsenal during the following transfer window and his brace on the final-day saw the 30-year-old finish the campaign with nine goals, his best ever tally.

Asked about Xhaka’s impending departure, Arteta responded: “You know that?

“It’s news for me.”

The Gunners boss was more forthcoming about the reception Xhaka received before, during and after the emphatic victory over Wolves.

“Well deserved. He’s had an incredible season,” Arteta said.

“I think one year back I spoke to him and I told him ‘there’s a question mark on you, you have to deliver more, you have to be better, I’m going to challenge you to play here.’

“He went back and I think he started to train the next day. He came back in preseason four kilos less, fit, with this (focused) face and really willing to do it. He’s been exceptional.

“He’s been a key part of the team, the success of the team and I’m so happy everybody is appreciating what he’s done.”

While the final-day clash was not the league title celebration Arsenals fans would have hoped for back in April, when they held an eight-point lead over champions Manchester City, Arteta’s side still concluded their campaign in front of a party atmosphere.

After Xhaka’s quickfire double, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Jakub Kiwior netted to earn the hosts a 26th league win of the campaign.

When Arteta addressed the packed Emirates crowd after full-time, he was repeatedly serenaded and the Spaniard expressed his delight at finishing on a good note.

He added: “It was really nice the way they transmitted their love and support to the team, to every player, and obviously to me as well.

“It’s been a really emotional year and a very special season. The team and our people deserved to end it in a good way so I’m really happy.

“It was one of my big dreams to connect again with the soul of this football club – that’s our people. We have done that and there’s no discussion about it. That makes me really proud and grateful to be part of that journey together.

“We want to deliver together success and the destination has to be trophies and success for this club, but we have to enjoy the journey together and especially the company.

“I said it especially there because we have special people in this club, an incredible group of players and an amazing support.

“That has to be enjoyed because at the end it’s about winning or not winning the margin, but you cannot underestimate those other things. I think if we don’t do it then we will regret it.”

It proved a memorable finish for Arsenal, but not for Wolves or their manager Julen Lopetegui.

Lopetegui’s future is uncertain given the financial troubles of the Molineux club and he warned another “miracle” is not guaranteed next season.

“We have lost against one of the best teams in the Premier League but the way we have lost, I am not happy,” he said.

“I don’t want to forgot that the second part of season the team has made has been fantastic, being out of relegation (zone) three matches before end.

“That is why I highlight the merit of the players. Maybe it (survival) has been a little miracle and we have to learn for the future.

“Maybe one miracle is possible, two no. That is why you have to learn for the future to be able to improve and do our hard work.”

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