Jonas Gutierrez secures Newcastle's Premier League survival with West Ham win

Argentinian returns after lengthy absence to score second goal that ensures Newcastle survive on last day as Hull City are relegated to the Championship

English Premier League 2014-15

Agence France-Presse

Published: 1:11am, 25 May 2015

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Newcastle United secured a dramatic survival and Hull City were relegated from the English Premier League yesterday after drawing 0-0 at home to Manchester United on a final day of the season marked by high-profile departures.

Hull, beaten FA Cup finalists last season, needed to beat United to stand any chance of staying up, but their failure to do so left them three points adrift of safety.

I told the players it was going to be a 90-minute roller coaster and I thought we controlled our emotions quite well

John Carver

Newcastle were the only other team at risk of relegation, but they secured their top-flight status with a 2-0 victory at home to West Ham United.

Jonas Gutierrez, who returned to action last month after a 17-month battle with testicular cancer, was Newcastle’s saviour, teeing up Moussa Sissoko for a 54th-minute header and scoring with a deflected effort.

“I told the players it was going to be a 90-minute roller coaster and I thought we controlled our emotions quite well,” said interim manager John Carver.

“We knew what was happening at Hull, but we had to go about our own business.”

Hull City will be in the Championship next season. Photo: AFP

At Hull, Manchester United were without on-loan striker Radamel Falcao and injured goalkeeper David de Gea, heavily linked with Real Madrid, meaning both may have played their final games for the club.

The hosts made an enterprising start and saw Paul McShane and Dame N’Doye have goals ruled out for offside.

The visitors lost Angel di Maria to injury and saw substitute Marouane Fellaini sent off for an ugly foul on McShane.

But home manager Steve Bruce was unable to engineer a first managerial win over his old employers as Hull sank into the Championship.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard departs Liverpool for Los Angeles Galaxy. Photo: AFP

“In football, there are times like you feel like today. Relegation from the Premier League. You are desperately disappointed with what has happened. It is an awful experience, and it will dawn on the players we are not in the Premier League any more,” said Bruce.

Elsewhere, Steven Gerrard scored in vain on a wretched final appearance for Liverpool as Brendan Rodgers’ side sank to a humiliating 6-1 defeat at Stoke City.

Manchester City's Frank Lampard departs England to move to New York. Photo: EPA

With Raheem Sterling benched over his contract stand-off with the club, Liverpool conceded five first-half goals, with Mame Biram Diouf scoring twice and Jonathan Walters, Charlie Adam and Steven Nzonzi also on target.

In football, there are times like you feel like today. Relegation from the Premier League. You are desperately disappointed with what has happened. It is an awful experience

Steve Bruce

Gerrard replied in the second half, to give the visiting fans one last goal before his departure for the Los Angeles Galaxy, but ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch restored Stoke’s five-goal cushion late on.

Liverpool nevertheless qualified for the Europa League alongside Tottenham Hotspur, who won 1-0 at Everton courtesy of Harry Kane’s 21st goal of the league campaign and 31st in all competitions.

Gerrard’s former England team-ate Frank Lampard also found the net in his final game before leaving England for the United States, but he scored in a winning cause as Manchester City beat Southampton 2-0.

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