Skrtel extends Liverpool contract

Leicester and Leeds have been relegated from the Premier League after a tense final day of the season in which Everton avoided the drop.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how the battle for survival played out.

4.30pm: Final games kick off. Everton began the day in the crucial 17th position on 33 points (-24 goal difference) with Leicester 18th on 31 (-18) and Leeds 19th, also on 31 (-27).

4.32: Harry Kane gives Tottenham the lead at Leeds (live standings: 17: Everton 34, 18: Leicester 32, 19: Leeds 31).

5.03: Harvey Barnes puts Leicester 1-0 ahead against West Ham (17: Leicester 34, 18: Everton 34, 19: Leeds 31)

5.37: Leeds fall 2-0 behind to Spurs as Pedro Porro scores (17: Leicester 34, 18: Everton 34, 19: Leeds 31).

5.46: Abdoulaye Dou…

Manchester City have been fined £260,000 by the Football Association (FA) and warned about their future conduct after their supporters invaded the pitch following the title-clinching victory over Aston Villa on the final day of last season.

Pep Guardiola s side secured a fourth title in five seasons with a dramatic 3-2 comeback win against Villa at the Etihad Stadium on May 22.

Thousands of supporters made their way onto the field at the full-time whistle, with smoke flares let off, a goalpost broken and Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen allegedly attacked.

Greater Manchester Police charged two men over the disorder, while the FA formally charged City in August, with the English champions admitting to failing to control their supporters.

— FA Spoke…

BERLIN (AFP) – Germany striker Lucas Podolski said on Saturday he sees no reason why Michael Ballack will not return to captain the national side when the Euro 2012 qualifiers begin next month.

Ballack s ankle injury in May ruled the midfielder out of the World Cup and in his absence, Philipp Lahm took over the captaincy and has said he wants to continue to skipper the side.

Germany play Belgium in their opening Euro 2012 qualifier in Brussels on September 4 and Podolski says he can see 33-year-old Ballack being reappointed captain.

The issue has sparked hot debate here, especially as Germany finished third and played arguably the most attractive football of the World Cup under Lahm s leadership.

Michael Ballack has been part of the side for years and…

Remi Garde has the intelligence to be a success at Aston Villa, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Garde is the favourite to take over at Villa Park following the sacking of Tim Sherwood last Sunday.

Sherwood was relieved of his duties with Villa having taken just four points from their opening 10 league fixtures after helping the Midlands club survive relegation last term.

Garde left Lyon at the end of the 2013-14 season for personal reasons having led the Ligue 1 club to Coupe de France glory in 2012.

The 49-year-old played under Wenger at Arsenal from 1996 to 1999 and, speaking at a news conference on Friday, the Arsenal boss said: I am convinced he is a front-runner. Remi is an intelligent man who is now experienced.

He will try t…

Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac could be leaving Stade Velodrome in the summer transfer window, according to French daily L Equipe.

The France international had been linked with a January exit as well, but he made it clear that he wanted to finish the season with OM.

However, with his current deal due to expire in June 2015, there is every chance Marseille will be forced to cash in on him at the end of the season.

Gignac reportedly has a long list of admirers among top European clubs and he continues to be linked with a switch to English Premier League.

The 28-year-old joined Marseille from Toulouse in August 2010 and has since registered 32 goals in 103 Ligue 1 appearances for the club.

Having failed to beat Gignac s former club last weeke…

Edin Dzeko continued his fine run of form in the Champions League by scoring twice and setting up another to lead Roma to a 3-0 victory over CSKA Moscow in Group G.

Following a hat-trick in Roma s last Champions League outing against Viktoria Plzen, Dzeko was at his best again on Tuesday, taking the game away from CSKA – who beat defending champions Real Madrid in their previous outing – in the space of 13 first-half minutes.

Having rounded off a superb passing move for Roma s opener, the Bosnia-Herzegovina striker doubled the hosts tally with a typically composed finish in the 43rd minute.

Dzeko was not done there, though, claiming an assist five minutes into the second half when Cengiz Under hammered home to wrap up the points and move Roma up to secon…

Verdict: Under 2.5 goals

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Two sides enjoying a bright run of form of late, Marco Silva s Everton side will welcome Brighton to Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.

Everton

Starting with Marco Silva s side, although the Blues might be coming off the back of a 2-1 loss away at Old Trafford last time out, Everton appear to be showing signs of settling to life under the former Watford manager. With the likes of Barcelona duo Andre Gomes and Yerry Mina making their debuts following injury issues, the Toffees have won their other three Premier League outings. It has also been their form at Goodison that has shown the most improvements following on from their 3-1 loss at home to West Ham back in September. Beating Palace and Fulham in…

Sunday s Premier League clash between Leeds United and leaders Arsenal was temporarily suspended soon after it started due to technical issues following a power cut at Elland Road.

The game had only been under way for a couple of minutes when referee Chris Kavanagh brought it to a halt, having lost contact with the VAR and also being unable to use goal-line technology.

Following a lengthy spell on the field attempting to keep warm, both sets of players were told to return to the dressing rooms by referee Kavanagh.

Leeds tweeted: The game is temporarily suspended, after a power cut causes issues with the referee s communications systems.

Play in Yorkshire resumed around 30 minutes later, with Arsenal looking for a seventh consecutive win in all competitio…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has complained that coins were thrown at him at Anfield on Sunday as his team suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Liverpool.

He still had the spirit to make jokes about it, though.

Next time we ll do it better, didn t get me, they ll try again next year.

Pep Guardiola confirms that coins were thrown at him from the Anfield stands during the game against Liverpool

— Football Daily (@footballdaily)

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has apologized for that after the match and said it should not have happened.

I m sorry. That never should happen.

Jurgen Klopp apologises after he was told that Pep Guardiola had coins thrown at him

— Football Da…

Danny Graham has admitted that he is yet to hold talks with Sunderland regarding his future,.

The striker moved to the Black Cats’ north east rivals Middlesbrough on loan back in January having spent the first half of the season at Hull City, where he became surplus to requirements following Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic’s transfers to the KC Stadium.

Having scored just once during his time with both Sunderland and Hull, the 28 year old has got five goals in seventeen Championship appearances for Aitor Karanka’s side, and he is keen to remain at the Riverside next season.

Graham began his career with Boro, but made just a handful of appearances for the club; spending most of his time out on loan before eventually securing a permanent move to Carlisle U…