Sunday’s fixtures will mark the close of another season and goodbye to the 2012/13 campaign. In the last Premier League home game, Wigan will face Aston Villa and Harry Redknapp’s QPR will travel to Liverpool.
Wigan vs Aston Villa on Sunday, May 19th at 16:00
With QPR and Reading both already down the other team were Sunderland who could have yet still faced relegation. However, for weeks now many fans foreseen the Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa final day fixture as the decider in what was supposed to be a winner takes all match – with the loser heading down to the Championship. Unfortunately this was not to be. Tuesday night’s clash between Arsenal and Wigan ended in a 4-1 home win which boosted the Gooners European hopes – yet was the final nail in the coffin for Wigan just three days after their FA cup triumph. The defeat confirmed the Latics relegation, making them the first team ever in history to have won the FA cup and been relegated in the same season. It also almost concludes the end of the season as it’s for the first time in many a years that both the league title and the three relegated teams have been decided before the last game of the season. Despite going down – whilst Villa can breathe a sigh of relief and begin to prepare for another season in the Premier League, Sundays atmosphere as Wigan’s last home game in the league is sure to be filled with mixed emotions. A lot of uncertainty will lie around the future of their manager and also a number of key players within the squad whilst on the other hand the fans will be sure to cheer on and give a good send off to their FA cup hero’s.
Liverpool vs QPR on Sunday, May 19th at 16:00
Another manager who will be preparing for life in the Championship will be Harry Redknapp who is likely to be relishing the season coming to an end. After a disaster season for Queens Park Ranger, Redknapp has recently made comments suggesting that there will be whole-some changes and a lot of ins and outs transfers to be made over the summer as he tries to stamp some authority on the multi-million pound squad full of huge egos. They will come up against a Liverpool side on Sunday who will be feeling the opposite and won’t want the season to end after coming into the game off a seven game unbeaten streak. One man in the Liverpool squad who certainly won’t want the season to end just now is inform striker Daniel Sturridge who has bagged 5 goals in his last 3 matches including a hat-trick last weekend against Fulham FC. However, Sundays clash between the two sides will all be about one man. Jamie Carragher. The former England international has decided to call an end on his career and after making 736 appearances for Liverpool, will be finally putting on the red shirt for one last time as he leads his side out at Anfield come Sunday afternoon. Carragher has become a true legend at the club and whilst being a one man team has made the 5th most appearances as an outfield player in the Premier league. Liverpool fans will be sure to give a huge reception in what will be an emotional farewell for such a local hero.
