LONDON : Arsenal hold on after a frantic finish to finish fourth ahead of their bitter rivals.
Tottenham beat Sunderland but it isn’t enough as Arsenal held on at St James’ Park.
FULL-TIME: Wenger runs onto the pitch to congratulate his players as the referee blows the final whistle.
90 + 2 mins: Fantastic piece of skill from Walcott as he skips past two challenges before pushing the ball past Harper…only to see the ball ricochet off the post.
Nervy time for the Gunners, especially with Spurs winning at White Hart Lane.
90 miins: There will be four minutes of added time at St James’ Park.
89 mins: Arsenal look to waste a few more seconds and make their final change with Wilshire replacing Cazorla.
88 mins: Newcastle think they have won a penalty as Debuchy is bundled over in the box but the referee waves paly on.
Over at White Hart Lane, Bale has scored a spectacular goal for Spurs.
The Welsh winger charges forward and smashes a spectacular 30-yard shot past the Sunderland keeper.
84 mins: Cazorla drifts clear of the Magpie defence to meet a pinpoint corner from Walcott but the Spaniard rushes his shot and blazes the ball over the bar
82 mins: Gibbs hacks down Debuchy but talks himself into the referee’s book as he vigorously disputes it was a foul.
81 mins: Pardew rolls the dice and makes his final change with Campbell replacing  Yanga-Mbiwa.
80 mins: Arsenal have been unable to break out of their own half, and Sagna is forced into conceding another corner.
78 mins: Arsenal make their second change as Podolski is replaced by the burly Giroud.
76 mins: Arsenal are continuing to sit back, content to hold on to their narrow lead.
73 mins: Newcastle build up a head of steam and Cisse gallops forward but once again only the brilliance of Koscielny has kept the Magpies off the scoreboard.
Over at White Hart Lane, Sunderland’s David Vaughnn has been sent off to help Spurs’ cause…
Chelsea regain the lead against Everton thanks to a neat finish from Fernando Torres.
71 mins: The Arsenal defence fail to deal with a loose ball after nice work by Cisse and Marveaux and the ball falls to Ben Arfa whose shot whistles wide of the post —Â Szczesny was rooted on the spot and can breathe a sigh of relief the shot wasn’t on target.
68 mins: Arsenal earn a free-kick on the edge of the Newcastle penalty area after another mazy run by Cazorla.
Podolski takes an age to line up a shot but can only blast the  ball into the wall
67 mins: Newcastle earn a free-kick after Podolski clatters into Tiote
64 mins: Newcastle make their second change and Gouffran is replaced by Marveaux.
64 mins: A neat interchange of passes between Gutierrez and Cisse nearly breaks open the Arsenal rearguard but Koscielny wallops the ball clear.
60 mins: Arsenal have really taken a stranglehold on that final Champions League spot: they have taken the lead and Spurs are struggling to find a way past Sunderland.
58 mins: Ben Arfa looks like Newcastle’s most dangerous player and maybe he is trying to impress Wenger.
The French winger cuts inside and only a desperate challenge from Ramsey clears the danger for the relieved visitors
57 mins: Newcastle’s Pardew makes his first substitution and Anita replaces the jaded Cabaye.
55 mins: Walcott shows his marker a clean pair of heels and races in on the Newcastle goal but Harper is on his toes to rescue the situation for the Magpies.
52 mins: GOAL! Newcastle 0, Arsenal 1.
Amazing finish from Kocielny. The Belgian defender is the quickest to react as Walcott’s free-kick bounces around the Newcastle penalty area. Koscielny sticks his leg out to poke the ball past Harper.
48 mins: Arsenal are playing with a lot more ambition and energy and Cazorla is hauled down by Tiote but the referee waves play on.
46 mins: Arsenal go straight for the jugular at the start of the second-half, as Podolski sprints past Debuchy and rolls the ball into the path of Walcott but Harper is alert to the danger and palms away the goalbound shot.
1559 GMT: It is goalless at St Mary’s Stadium as Southampton and Stoke have battled themselves to a standstill.
1558 GMT: Elsewhere, Liverpool look to give Carragher a winning send off as a thunderous header from Philippe Coutinho gives them a 1-0 lead over QPR.
1555 GMT: Both sides have 45 minutes to earn that top-four spot and a potential 20 million payout from the Champions League.
1550 GMT: Arsenal seem to be going through the motions content to hold out for a draw — which could prove costly as the final Champions League spot is still on a knifeedge.
Over at White Hart Lane, Tottenham are hanging on against Sunderland and Lloris is called into action as he saves a Connor Wickham point-blank shot with his chest to keep alive his side’s Champions League hopes.
45 + 2 mins: Yanga-Mbiwa dispossesses Walcott and the referee blows for half-time and the players march off the pitch
45 mins: Wenger seems frustrated with the lack of ambition displayed by his players and urges them forward and it nearly results in a goal — Walcott cuts inside and arcs a pss towards Podolski but the German cannot direct it past Harper.
44 mins: Both teams seem content to be all-square at the interval and Arsenal’s Sagna seems to hesitate and before crossing the half-way line
42 mins: Arsenal earn a corner as Debuchy is forced to head the ball out of play with Podolski ready to pounce on any mistake
40 mins: Ben Arfa sets hearts racing as he jinxes past Gibbs and Cazorla before lining up a shot on the edge of the area, but the ball sails high over the crossbar.
He will rue not hitting the target after that mazy, slalom run through the Arsenal defence.
39 mins: Rosicky is booked for a foul on Ben Arfa.
 37 mins: Warm, heart-felt tribute from Magpie fans for Harper as his jersey number is displayed on the big screen
37 mins: Cabaye takes aim with a long-range effort but Szczesny gathers the ball.
34 mins: Koscielny is once again forced into a last-ditch tackle as his defensive partners go AWOL.
31 mins: Gibbs goes on a swashbuckling raid down the left wing before laying the ball into the path of Cazorla but his shot ends up high in the stands.
30 mins: Arsenal scupper a great chance to break the deadlock but there is a lack of communication and Oxlade-Chamberlain intercepts a pass just as Walcott was lining up a shot.
27 mins: Oxlade-Chamberlain comes on for Arteta.
It’s all going wrong for Arsenal at the moment as they have been on the back -foot for much of this match and unable to impose themselves on Newcastle.
Arsenal fans will be breathing a sigh of relief that it is still scoreless at White Hart Lane.
25 mins: Wenger is on the touchline barking instructions to his players, and it looks like Arteta is unable to carry on as he limps across the pitch.
23 mins: Gutierrez is booked after he upends Walcott as the winger was ready to launch a counter-attack.
22 mins: Newcastle are laying siege to the Arsenal penalty area and Koscielny is forced into conceeding a corner.
20 mins: Sagna again has to be alert to the danger as he hoofs the ball clear as Gutierrez was breathing down his neck and preparing to line up a sneaky shot.
17 mins: Newcastle fans are on their feet as Gutierrez bears down on the Arsenal goal and puts his laces through the ball but his shot doesn’t trouble Szczesny.
15 mins: Newcastle are looking dangerous on the break and Sagna has to be alert to thwart a dangerous attack.
Everton have meanwhile equalised at Stamford Bridge.
13 mins: The Arsenal defender is now forced to deny Newcastle as he has to be at full-stretch to nip in and deny Cisse who was ready to shoot from close-range
12 mins: Koscielny rises to meet Cazorla’s pinpoint cross but can only push his header wide of Newcastle upright.
10 mins: Arsenal have started brightly but Newcastle are playing with no fear and are forcing their way into this match.
8 mins: Cisse thinks he has sprung the offside trap as he charges toward the Arsenal penalty area but the linesman raises his flag, much to the defender’s relief who were caught napping.
Elsewhere, it seems Benitez’s bonus is safe as Juan Mata gives Chelsea an early lead over Everton.
7 mins: Walcott’s snap shot seems to awoken Newcastle and Cisse runs clear of the Arsenal defence but his shot is a whisker over the crossbar.
6 mins: Arsenal earn a free-kick and it results in Walcott having the first shot of the match, but his fierce volley doesn’t trouble the Newcastle keeper.
5 mins: Coloccini is marshalling the Magpie rearguard with great aplomb and barges Walcott off the ball.
3 mins: Lovely piece of skill from Cazorla who shows great close-control to wriggle past his marker, but Tiote is penalised for a reckless challenge on the mercurial Spanish midfielder.
1 min: A huge roar from the Magpie fans as the ball is passed back to long-term goalie Steve Harper, who is also leaving St James’ Park.
KICK-OFF: Back at St James’ Park, Newcastle get the match under way.
1557 GMT: The curtain will also come down on David Moyes 11-year tenure with Everton.
Moyes — who will take over from Ferguson at Old Trafford on a six-year contract on July 1 — said he was grateful to the players who have played under him.
“The memories I’ve got from Everton are going to live with me for a long time,” he said.
The trip to Stamford Bridge will also mark Everton captain Phil Neville’s last game for the club, although he will not play due to injury.
1557 GMT: Liverpool are also preparing to say wave farewell to Jamie Carragher, who is set to make his 737th and final appearance at home to Queens Park Rangers.
Carragher will captain Liverpool and the club have also announced that he will be honoured with a guard of honour from both teams before the game.
1556 GMT: There isnt much love lost between Pardew and Wenger, and the two managers nealy came to blows on the sideline during a league match between West Ham and Arsenal in November 2006.
West Ham’s Marlon Harewood scored a last-gasp winner at Upton Park and the two managers had to be pulled apart after Wenger objected to Pardew’s exuberant celebrations.
In March 2006, Pardew was highly critical of Wenger’s reliance on foreign players…fast-forward to 2013 and a quick glance at Newcastle’s side shows there are now 20 foreign players in his squad.
1555 GMT: Failure to finish third could prove very costly for Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez.
The outgoing Blues boss has a clause in his contract that will pay him a £250,00 bonus if Chelsea gain automatic qualification for the Champions League
1550 GMT: A quick round-up of all the possible scenarios: –
— Arsenal will clinch a top four-finish if they beat Newcastle at St James’ Park
— If Arsenal lose or draw, Spurs must beat Sunderland to leapfrog Arsenal into fourth spot
— Arsenal can still finish third but it will require them to beat Newcastle and for Chelsea lose to Everton
— If Chelsea are held to a goalless draw and Arsenal win 2-1 then the two London sides will have to meet in a play-off at Villa Park as they be level on points, goal difference and goals scored
1542 GMT: Spurs fans might be forgiven for thinking they are jinxed not to qualify for the Champions League.
In 2006, Tottenham failed to finish above Arsenal after most of their squad suffered food poisoning a few hours before their last-day fixture against West Ham. Spurs lost 2-1 and Arsenal beat Wigan 4-2 to pip their north London rivals.
Last year, Spurs finished fourth in the league but were denied a place in the Champions League after Chelsea (who finished sixth) beat Bayern Munich in a dramatic final.
1540 GMT: Villas-Boas knows a top-four finish will further bolster his reputation which was severely dented after he was sacked by Chelsea after just eight months at Stamford Bridge.
The Portuguese coach fell out with his players and was portrayed as aloof, inflexible and arrogant, but he appears to be very popular at White Hart Lane with top players coming over to the sideline so he can share in their goal celebrations.
1538 GMT: Over at White Hart Lane, Spurs are hopeful that Gareth Bale will sign a new contract to keep him at the club but the Welsh winger might decide his future lies elsewhere if Villas-Boas’ team fail to qualify for the Champions League.
1537 GMT: There is also a possibility that Chelsea and Arsenal will end the season level on points, goal difference and goals scored, which would necessitate a play-off to decide which club finishes third and qualifies automatically for the Champions League.
For that to happen, Chelsea would need to draw 0-0 at home to Everton and Arsenal would need to win 2-1 at St James’ Park.
All the clubs still have a financial incentive to finish the season as high up the table, with each league place worth an extra 755,000 pounds (892,000 euros, $1.145 million) due to the incremental allocation of end-of-season prize money.
1535 GMT: The fixture between the Gunners and the Magpies always seem to produce plenty of goals…
Arsenal romped to a 7-3 victory over Newcastle in December 2012.
Theo Walcott scored a hat-trick at the Emirates and will be hoping to add to his goal tally against a porous Magpie rearguard that has already shipped 67 goals this season. The match was tied 3-3 after 70 minutes but a four-goal salvo in the last 20 minutes sunk Newcastle.
In 2011, Newcastle were losing 4-0 after just 26 minutes but fought back to score four late second-half goals to secure an improbable 4-4 draw at the Emirates.
1534 GMT: In the run up to this match Pardew has been forced to clarify his comments after suggesting that he didn’t mind if his side suffered a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal.
“I’ve had a few Tottenham fans remind me about that comment, but it was made purely out of relief after the victory at QPR, and was definitely tongue in cheek,” he added on the eve of the match.
1533 GMT: Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has challenged his players to end a turbulent season on a high by playing a part in frustrating Arsenal’s Champions League hopes.
Pardew’s side have conceded nine goals in their last two home games, and were humbled 7-3 at the Emirates Stadium in December.
They only sealed their Premier League future with victory last weekend at QPR, but could finish as high as 10th if they inflict the Gunners’ first defeat on Tyneside since 2006.
“It’s very important to go out by putting in a good performance for our fans,” Pardew said.
“The last couple of home games have been tough for us, and there’s something riding on the game for Arsenal which I think is good for us.”
1532 GMT: Arsenal are once again walking the Champions League tightrope, but can be proud of the way they clawed their way back up the league.
Tottenham held a seven-point lead over Arsenal after their derby victory over the Gunners on March 3.
With one game to play, Arsenal are now a point ahead of their great rivals, and have qualification in their grasp. It’s been quite a swing, with Arsenal taking 23 points to Spurs’ 15 over the same period.
WELCOME TO AFP’S LIVE REPORT on the final day of the 2012/3 English Premier League season, with live text commentary from Arsenal’s match against Newcastle at St James’ Park.
The title is already at Old Trafford and the relegation places have already been decided, so attention will turn to see whether Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur will finish fourth to earn the final qualifying place for next season’s Champions League.
Arsenal’s fate is in their own hands with Arsene Wenger’s side knowing a win over Newcastle will guarantee them a top-four finish and a 16th consecutive place in Europe’s elite club competition.
Spurs hope to pip Arsenal but to do that they must win at home to Sunderland and hope Wenger’s side slip up at Newcastle.
Elsewhere, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will bid an emotional farewell to his managerial career as he takes charge of the Red Devils for the 1,500th and final time at West Brom.
 The curtain will also come down on the playing careers of Paul Scholes, Michael Owen, Phil Neville and Jamie Carragher as the four former England internationals have decided to hang up their boots.
Stay with us for all the action ahead of kick-off at 1500 GMT
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