Premier League reports

LONDON (Reuters) - Brief reports from Sunday's final Premier League games of the season:

BIRMINGHAM CITY 4 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1

An impressive win for Birmingham that came too late to save them from relegation.

David Murphy's speculative long shot went through goalkeeper Brad Friedel's grasp to give Birmingham the lead after half an hour but Morten Gamst Pederson levelled.

Two late Cameron Jerome goals and an injury-time score by Fabrice Mumba secured the win but not survival.

CHELSEA 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 1

A frustrating day all round for Chelsea as events elsewhere ensured the title went to Manchester United.

Chelsea made little impact in the first half but went ahead when halftime substitute Andriy Shevchenko bundled in from close range.

That re-opened the championship race but once United went 2-0 up at Wigan it was virtually all over and Bolton's injury-time equaliser merely added to the gloom.

There was some good news for the home fans though when John Terry said that the elbow injury that ended his involvement after 12 minutes should not keep him out of the Champions League final against United on May 21.

DERBY COUNTY 0 READING 4

Reading scored four but it was the failure to find the net in the previous six games that caused their relegation.

James Harper, Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita were the scorers against a Derby team who finished last with one win to their name and a host of unwanted "worst-ever" records.

EVERTON 3 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1

Everton needed a point to secure fifth place and a UEFA Cup slot but got all three just to be sure.

Aiyegbeni Yakubu headed in a Manuel Fernandez free kick to give Everton a halftime lead but Michael Owen equalised soon after the restart.

With Aston villa leading at West Ham United and Everton's UEFA Cup hopes in the balance it fell to defender Joleon Lescott to knock in his 10th of the season after 70 minutes to ease the nerves with Yakubu's late penalty a bonus.

MIDDLESBROUGH 8 MANCHESTER CITY 1

What could be Sven-Goran Eriksson's last game in charge of City will be one to forget as Middlesbrough, who had scored 19 goals in their previous 18 league games, ran riot.

City were not helped by having Richard Dunne sent off after 15 minutes, Stewart Downing dispatching the resulting penalty.

The England man got a second in the second half while Afonso Alves got a hat-trick and there were further goals for Adam Johnson, Fabio Rochemback and Jeremie Aliadiere.

PORTSMOUTH 0 FULHAM 1

Danny Murphy proved Fulham's hero when he headed in Jimmy Bullard's free kick in the second half to keep the London club in the Premier League.

With both Reading and Birmingham City also winning, Fulham had to take three points at Portsmouth to survive and Murphy struck with 14 minutes remaining.

Fulham won their last three away games to survive, having looked doomed a month ago.

SUNDERLAND 0 ARSENAL 1

Arsenal ended a disappointing season with a victory thanks to Theo Walcott's goal after 24 minutes.

The Gunners also had a Mark Randall effort disallowed while Lukasz Fabianski was forced to make a late save to deny Sunderland an equaliser in a low-key affair.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 LIVERPOOL 2

Second-half goals from Andriy Voronin and Fernando Torres gave Liverpool the points to condemn Spurs to a bottom-half finish.

Torres, who made the points safe with the second goal, took his league tally to 24 for the season and was denied a 25th by the crossbar.

WEST HAM UNITED 2 ASTON VILLA 2

Villa must make do with a place in the Intertoto Cup after being held at West Ham.

Nolberto Solano's curler put West Ham in front but Villa levelled through Ashley Young.

Gareth Barry put Villa ahead in the second half but Dean Ashton struck again for the Hammers with two minutes left.

WIGAN ATHLETIC 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 2

United got the win they needed to win the title with goals in each half after Wigan had started strongly.

Cristiano Ronaldo settled their early jitters, slotting a 33rd-minute penalty past Chris Kirkland after Wayne Rooney was felled by Emmerson Boyce.

Ryan Giggs came off the bench to seal victory and a 17th league title for United.

(Writing by Mitch Phillips/Martyn Herman, editing by Justin Palmer)

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