Saturday 5 May 2018 20:39, UK
Crystal Palace sent Stoke down but Darren Moore guided West Brom to a shock 1-0 win over Tottenham to preserve their Premier League status – at least until Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Mark Noble added to his West Ham tally as Leicester continued their winless run under manager Claude Puel.
Here, we pick out five of the best stats from Saturday's Premier League action…
It was not seen as the most exciting of appointments but Roy Hodgson has completed a remarkable revival at Crystal Palace since his arrival in September. Despite losing their first seven Premier League games of the season, the Eagles guaranteed their survival thanks to the 2-1 win away to Stoke City - a result that also relegated the home side.
Palace's achievement of staying up after losing their first seven games (without scoring a single goal in the process) is not only unique in Premier League history but Hodgson's men are the first top-flight team in England to pull off this feat since Liverpool in the 1899/1900 season. The decision to appoint Hodgson has been spectacularly vindicated.
The appointment of Paul Lambert did not work out quite so well for the Potters with the Scot failing to win any of his last 13 games in charge since getting the three points in his opening game. There was brief hope on Saturday when Xherdan Shaqiri curled in a first-half free-kick but, for the fourth time under Lambert, Stoke lost their half-time lead.
Stoke cannot complain too much but Shaqiri will be missed. Some have speculated whether he is one of the best players to be relegated from the competition. He is certainly one of the most entertaining - 67 per cent of his 21 Premier League goals have come from outside the penalty area. Of players with 15 goals or more, only David Ginola can match that.
Mark Noble struck for West Ham with a fine volley in their 2-0 win over Leicester at the King Power Stadium. The skipper has now scored 37 Premier League goals for his side, now level with Trevor Sinclair, with only two players having found the net for the club more times than that in the competition. Paolo Di Canio leads the way with 47. Carlton Cole got 41.
The King Power Stadium was almost empty for the post-match lap of honour and that is understandable given Leicester's recent form. They are without a win in their last six Premier League home games - their longest such run since 2014.
Worryingly for Leicester manager Claude Puel, the last time that the Foxes went three Premier League games without scoring a goal came in February 2017. That sequence of six goalless games resulted in the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.
How West Brom must be wishing they had turned to Darren Moore earlier. The 44-year-old caretaker boss prolonged the Baggies' stay in the Premier League with a last-gasp 1-0 win over Tottenham at the Hawthorns. The result keeps their hopes alive, at least until Tuesday's game between Swansea and Southampton at the Liberty Stadium.
Remarkably, Moore has now picked up three wins and two draws in his five games in charge - pitting his wits against Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Rafa Benitez and Mauricio Pochettino in the process. Only Liverpool, who take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, are on a longer unbeaten run in the Premier League than his West Brom side.
