SACKED! West Ham boot Grant after being relegated

LONDON (AP):

West Ham became the first team relegated from the English Premier League, and need a new manager for next season, after squandering a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Wigan yesterday.

Needing to beat their fellow strugglers to prolong a six-year stay in the top division, the Hammers were 2-0 up after 26 minutes, through a pair of goals by Demba Ba.

But Charles N'Zogbia started Wigan's comeback with a 57th-minute free kick, and Conor Sammon equalised 11 minutes later with his first goal for the club. N'Zogbia then scored deep into injury time, with a shot across goalkeeper Robert Green that went in at the far post.

An hour after the defeat left the east London club bottom of the standings and six points from safety with just one game remaining, West Ham said on their website that Avram Grant "is no longer the manager of West Ham United".

Grant served just one year of a four-year contract.

"I feel so sorry that we couldn't do the job that I wanted to do," Grant said immediately after the game. "I still believe in the future of this club."

Grant could be followed out of the club by leading players, including Scott Parker and Carlton Cole, with the cost of relegation from the lucrative Premier League widely estimated at £40 million (US$64.8 million).

"It's not an easy day," Grant said. "Not for me, not for others."

six points behind

West Ham are six points behind their nearest rivals, Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham, which lost 2-0 to visiting Fulham in another of yesterday's five games. That trio, along with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn, are the candidates to fill the remaining two relegation spots.

Wolves host Blackburn next Sunday, when Blackpool are at champions Manchester United, Birmingham are at Tottenham and Wigan are at Stoke.

Fulham defender Brede Hangeland scored twice to leave Birmingham still in danger of relegation.

Arsenal are in danger of finishing in fourth place - matching their lowest finish since Arsene Wenger took over as manager in 1996 - after a 2-1 home defeat by Aston Villa. Tottenham won 2-0 at Liverpool to move above their opponents into fifth place and Chelsea drew 2-2 with Newcastle.

A day after Manchester United won a record 19th English championship, Arsenal had a chance to put pressure on Chelsea for second place. But England striker Darren Bent scored twice in the first 15 minutes for Villa, and Arsenal wasted a host of chances and majority possession, before Robin van Persie scored for the Gunners with a minute left.

third place

Manchester City, which ended their 35-year wait for a trophy with a 1-0 win over Stoke in Saturday's FA Cup final, could now take third place from the Gunners if they beat Stoke again tomorrow.

Only the top three teams automatically reach the Champions League group stage, with the fourth-place team having to go through a play-off for the lucrative tournament.

Alex's 83rd-minute goal seemed to have given Chelsea victory over visiting Newcastle, but defender Steven Taylor equalised for the Magpies in injury time. Branislav Ivanovic had opened the scoring in the second minute, with Jonas Guiterrez replying in the 10th.

Tottenham won a league match at Anfield for the first time since 1993, to move above their opponents.

Liverpool had taken 20 points from a possible 24 in their previous eight home matches under Kenny Dalglish, who was confirmed as manager this week for the next three years, but Rafael van der Vaart volleyed Tottenham ahead in the ninth minute with his 13th league goal of the season.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was lucky not to get sent off for kicking Michael Dawson, picking up just a yellow card from referee Howard Webb, before Luka Modric doubled Spurs' lead with a 53rd-minute penalty awarded for a foul by John Flanagan on Steven Pienaar.

FA CUP FINAL

MANCHESTER CITY 1 STOKE CITY 0

GOAL:-MANCHESTER CITY: YAYA TOURE 74th.

Manchester City ended a barren sequence of 35 years without a major trophy, as Yaya Toure's late strike gave them a deserved FA Cup Final victory. Not since the 1976 League Cup win against Newcastle United have City won silverware, but Roberto Mancini's side dominated, throughout against a disappointing Stoke. Man City were only kept at bay by an outstanding first-half display from Stoke goalkeeper, Thomas Sorensen, as he produced saves from Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli while David Silva also squandered a glorious chance. He was powerless 16 minutes from time when Toure pounced on a loose ball 10 yards out.

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 1

GOALS:-BLACKBURN: EMERTON 20th. UNITED: ROONEY PEN 73rd.

A controversial Wayne Rooney penalty was enough to secure Manchester United's record-breaking 19th league title. The point confirmed a 12th Barclays Premier League title, for manager Blackburn had taken a first-half lead through Brett Emerton and they looked to be heading for defeat until Rovers keeper Paul Robinson was ruled to have brought down Javier Hernandez. Rooney kept his nerve to fire home the 73rd-minute spot-kick and send United's army of supporters into a title frenzy.

BLACKPOOL 4 BOLTON WANDERERS 3

GOALS:-BLACKPOOL: CAMPBELL 9th, 45th; PUNCHEON 19th; ADAM 63rd. BOLTON: K DAVIES 6th; TAYLOR 24th; STURRIDGE 53rd.

Blackpool boosted their Barclays Premier League survival hopes with victory in a truly superb, see-saw match with North West rivals Bolton. Kevin Davies fired the visitors ahead, but this was quickly overturned by DJ Campbell's neat finish and Jason Puncheon's curling 18-yard shot. Matt Taylor's angled drive levelled the scores again, only for Campbell to side-foot his team ahead before half-time. Daniel Sturridge headed Bolton's second equaliser of the game, but Charlie Adam's lashed finish proved decisive.

SUNDERLAND 1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 3

GOALS:-SUNDERLAND: SESSEGNON 34th. WOLVES: CRADDOCK 22nd; FLETCHER 54th; ELOKOBI 78th.

Wolves picked up a vital three points at Sunderland to boost their Barclays Premier League survival chances. Boudewijn Zenden hit the post from 25 yards for the home side, before Jody Craddock volleyed Wolves ahead from 10 yards against his former club. Stephane Sessegnon levelled before half-time, acrobatically volleying in Zenden's corner from four yards. But Steven Fletcher nodded Wolves back in front after the break, and George Elokobi's bullet header made it safe.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 EVERTON 0

GOAL:-WBA: MULUMBU: 10th.

Youssouf Mulumbu's early goal ensured that West Bromwich Albion finished their home campaign in the Barclays Premier League with a flourish, in a lively contest against 10-man Everton. Mulumbu scored from close range, after skilful work from Peter Odemwingie following Chris Brunt's lofted pass. Victor Anichebe, Johnny Heitinga and Leon Osman all went close for Everton, but their problems were compounded by Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's dismissal. A late tackle on James Morrison earned the Russian substitute a straight red.