With Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all otherwise engaged, attention turned to the fight at the other end of the table this weekend. Going into the games nine were still in with a decent shout of going down, making it the closest relegation battle for years.
Saturday’s five games saw five goals, with no team scoring more than once. Who needs the Big 4, eh?
Newcastle United is a sort of football purgatory. A place where players endure torment and damnation before eventually being put out of their misery.
Whether it’s the weather, the cuisine, the women or the lifestyle, a move to St. James’s Park is a sure fire way to ruin your career.
Laurie Cunningham’s name may not ring a bell but it should do. He was the first black footballer to wear an England shirt, the first black player to represent his country in a competitive international and the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid.
The son of a Jamaican racehorse jockey, Cunningham’s career began at Leyton Orient where he made a name for himself as an electric left-winger. Small, strong and with bags of pace, he could beat a man with ease and was a natural goalscorer.
Now a reminder from the liberal-minded Netherlands, where the Eredivisie has continued much along the same course as it has for the last few months. AZ Alkmaar continue to notch up victory after victory and Steve McClaren has kept his team FC Twente on the top of the chasing pack in second. The gap between the teams has remained constant though, there is no turn of events that can deny Louis van Gaal from leading AZ to their second Eredivisie and glory. Nine points buffers the champions elect from FC Twente and only four games remain of the season.
A last gasp goal in a five-goal thriller in Gijon, Northern Spain, sent a side who three weeks ago looked deadmen walking - soaring back into fourth place and Champions league contention. A win which could prove to be debt ridden Valencia's salvation.
A magnificent run and finish from Silva put Valencia ahead early on against Sporting, but then a penalty kick from Barral levelled matters soon after. Eventual match winner Mata then won his side a penalty which David Villa tucked away to put Valencia ahead again in the 56th minute, only for Bilic to head Sporting level again just a quarter of an hour later. Time was ticking away and Valencia's big chance looked to be lost but with two minutes remaining Silva found Mata in the box to smash home an absolutely crucial winner.