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Swansea City manager Garry Monk has confirmed he is in the early stages of talks to sign a new contract with the club.
The former defender has impressed since taking over from Michael Laudrup in February 2014, guiding the Liberty Stadium outfit to a record Premier League points total as well as home and away victories against both Arsenal and Manchester United this season.
"I love this club, I've been here 11 years," he said. "You are doing it for the fans and the city.
"I've enjoyed every minute of it and have begun preliminary talks on a new contract. I'm looking forward to the future at Swansea.
"We are in discussions, an outline. We'll sit down and talk over the next few weeks.
"It is busy now but, with my agent and the club, it's about finding time to discuss it. It's an ongoing process. I’m focused on Swansea, but it takes time."
Swansea host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
Sunderland duo Jordi Gomez and Wes Brown have been ruled out of the remainder of the club's Premier League survival fight through injury.
Spanish midfielder Gomez suffered a suspected fractured knee-cap in training and will be absent for matches against Leicester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, with Sunderland currently sitting two points above the relegation zone.
Defender Brown is also expected to miss the rest of the campaign with a knee problem, while midfielder Jack Rodwell (hamstring) is not fit to face Leicester on Saturday.
"We have some problems," said Advocaat. "Jordi Gomez, Jack Rodwell and Wes Brown will not be involved.
"John O'Shea is back and so is our Italian friend, Emanuele Giaccherini.
"O'Shea trained on Thursday and Friday but Wes gave so much last weekend that he needs a little break.
"He has some problems with his knee and we don't know exactly how long it will take, but Jordi will be out for at least six weeks so both are probably out for the season.”
Captain Wayne Rooney is unavailable for Manchester United's Premier League encounter against Arsenal, manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed.
The striker sustained a dead leg in last weekend's 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace and was replaced by Radamel Falcao at half-time at Selhurst Park.
Rooney has failed to recover in time to face Arsene Wenger's men at Old Trafford, in a match that could have ramifications for third place in the Premier League, with Van Gaal also confirming to United's official website that full-back Luke Shaw is unavailable.
However, Robin van Persie has recovered from a virus that saw him miss the visit to Palace and is in line to face his former club, while Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo are also available.
Liverpool 1-3 Crystal Palace: Murray, Puncheon & Zaha spoil Gerrard’s Anfield farewell The Eagles struck either side of half-time to condemn Brendan Rodgers' side to defeat and move to within two points of the top half of the Premier League table
West Ham 1-2 Everton: Lukaku snatches late winner Stewart Downing put the Hammers in front at Upton Park but the Toffees hit back just six minutes later through Leon Osman before the Belgian added a second in stoppage time
Burnley 0-0 Stoke City: Clarets bow out with a whimper In a dour display, Sean Dyche & Co. bid farewell to top-flight games at Turf Moor for another year while the Potters reached their highest ever points total in the Premier League
QPR 2-1 Newcastle: Fer stunner keeps Carver in deep trouble Relegation is still a real possibility for the Magpies - who are without a win in ten games - going into the final day of the Premier League season next weekend
Tottenham 2-0 Hull City: Chadli & Rose pile on the agony for Bruce Mauricio Pochettino's side remain in the hunt for a Europa League spot after the win, while the result leaves Hull on the brink of relegation with one game to play
Sunderland 0-0 Leicester City: Stalemate enough to keep Pearson's Foxes up Hull City's loss to Tottenham at White Hart Lane sees the club confirm their Premier League status for another season, while the Black Cats also look unlikely to be caught
Southampton 6-1 Aston Villa: Mane hat-trick stuns Sherwood Ronald Koeman's side claimed a comfortable victory to remain hot on Liverpool's heels, while the result leaves the Villains at the heart of the relegation battle
Sherwood: Aston Villa unrecognisable in first-half Mane mauling
By Ryan Grant
May 16, 2015 18:23:00
Christian Benteke's 15th goal of the season was one of few positives for the Villans, who remain in the thick of the Premier League relegation scrap after the 6-1 defeat
Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood admits his side were "unrecognisable" in the first half of their 6-1 defeat against Southampton on Saturday.
Sadio Mane's early hat-trick - the fastest in Premier League history - put the game beyond Villa with just 16 minutes on the clock at St. Mary's, and set the tone for the comprehensive defeat.
Having guided his side to back-to-back victories over Everton and West Ham, Sherwood was disappointed by the manner of the loss, but believes his side will bounce back against Burnley next weekend.
"We were unrecognisable from the team we can be," he told reporters. "Credit to Southampton, who punished every single mistake we made and we made a few.
"They didn't need to be told. They're defenders and it's not just them, it's the whole team. That includes me – we're all in it together and I take responsibililty for that today.
"I just think that's one bad 45 minutes they've given me since I've been here. As much as I feel sorry for our travelling fans it isn't a bad turnaround.
"What can you do at this stage? We've got to win next week and win a cup final, there would be no point in me stripping paint off in there.
"It was a bad first half, I know that they know that, an idiot knows that. We just feel sorry for our fans.
"We have no choice but to respond. I've seen enough character to know they will."
The Villains' Premier League fate will go down to the final game of the season, before their FA Cup clash with Arsenal at the end of the month.
Roberto Martinez hailed Everton's battling qualities in coming from behind to win 2-1 at West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Stewart Downing fired the home side in front after 62 minutes, but Everton rallied well, equalising through Leon Osman six minutes later.
The match looked to be heading for a draw until Romelu Lukakau found a stoppage-time winner - his 20th goal of the season.
"We left it late to score the winning goal, but I thought the performances started very early," Everton manager Martinez said. "I thought we were very strong in the first half.
"Even before West Ham scored the opening goal I thought we had the better chances.
"When you come to face West Ham - a team we know well having faced them three times already this season - I thought the way we stopped their goalscoring was very good and the way we defended the box was very impressive.
"On top of that, we created very good opportunities.
"Even more impressive is, when West Ham get into the lead, they don't surrender many leads.
"I thought we showed a great maturity of controlling the moment in those five minutes [after West Ham went in front].
"Once we got the equaliser from Leon Osman, it seemed that we were the team that could get those three points."
With both sides in contention to claim the additional UEFA Europa League place made available via the Fair Play Award, the card count was almost as relevant as the score and the hosts did prevail on that count, picking up one yellow to the visitors' four.
John Carver wants a repeat of Newcastle United's performance against West Brom when they take on West Ham on the final day of the Premier League season after seeing his side lose 2-1 at QPR.
Newcastle appeared to be heading for a win that would have secured their top-flight survival on Saturday when Emmanuel Riviere's 24th-minute strike put the visitors 1-0 up.
But Newcastle collapsed in the second half, with Matt Phillips' header and a long-range stunner from Leroy Fer clinched the points for already relegated QPR.
Defeat leaves Newcastle two points ahead of third bottom Hull City, who lost 2-0 at Tottenham and host Manchester United next weekend, going into the final day.
Carver's men had performed well in a 1-1 draw versus West Brom prior to the reverse at Loftus Road and Carver said: "It is still in our hands and if you want it enough then we can do something about it.
"I saw against West Bromwich Albion, after the players had their post-mortem and I had mine, I thought there was a good reaction and we need that same reaction next week.
"We could have put it to bed, we haven't, but it's definitely the biggest game [against West Ham]. This is the biggest game this football club has had for a long, long time.
"I want the same atmosphere as we had against West Brom. It could be the fans who get us across the line and keep our Premier League status.
"A lot of people out there will say 'why should they?'. Because I think they want this team to stay in the Premier League, and if it means giving us that extra five, 10 per cent that's going to keep us in the Premier League, then we need it.
"Once we get the game out of the way, hopefully we've got our Premier League status, then we can have a post-mortem and they can voice their opinion and we'll deal with it."
Record points haul boosts Stoke ambitions, says Hughes
16 May 2015
Stoke manager Mark Hughes hailed his side's achievement after securing the club's record Premier League points tally and insisted he will push for further improvements next season.
Stoke reached 51 points in a Premier League campaign for the first time with a 0-0 draw at Burnley, and Hughes expressed pride at achieving back-to-back finishes in the top half of the table.
He said: "We're delighted and it's a huge effort from everybody this year. We got 50 points last year - ninth position - but we've had to work harder this year for it.
"We've had more injuries to key personnel and we've come through as a group and been really strong."
He added: "Back-to-back top-10 finishes is something this club hasn't done for 40-odd years. It's a real achievement and something we're all very proud of, but next year we'll try and test them again and do better if we can."
Hughes had words of praise for captain Ryan Shawcross, who was a surprise inclusion at Turf Moor after making a late recovery from a knee injury.
The Stoke boss added: "I told everybody at the press conference that Ryan wasn't playing because that's what I'd been told, but lo-and-behold, I turn up at training after the press conference and he's putting his hand up to play.
"I think that shows the leadership that he has and his desire to be part of what we're doing.
"I thought he was excellent today. He had to be resolute in his defending and I thought he did that all day long. It was a really big performance from him when we needed him."
As Steven Gerrard's Liverpool career comes to an end, here are the key numbers that tell the story of an Anfield legend:
709 - Only Ian Callaghan (857) and Jamie Carragher (737) have more Liverpool appearances to their name than Gerrard.
185 - Goals scored by Gerrard for Liverpool, putting him in fifth place - immediately above Robbie Fowler, Kenny Dalglish and Michael Owen - in the Anfield record books.
115 - The number of different clubs faced by Gerrard in a career spanning over 16 years.
40 - Goals scored in European competitions - a Liverpool club record - including his famous header against Milan in the Champions League Final 2005.
9 - Major honours won by Gerrard at Liverpool, comprising three League Cups, two FA Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, one UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) and one UEFA Champions League.
3 - The number of times Gerrard finished as a runner up in the Premier League, falling just short of his ambition to win the competition.
Gerrard holds back tears on emotional Anfield goodbye
16 May 2015
Steven Gerrard bid an emotional farewell to Anfield after his final home match as Liverpool captain ended in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The 34-year-old was unable to rouse one more famous comeback as goals from Palace trio Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray cancelled out Adam Lallana's first-half opener.
Before embarking on a lap of honour featuring his team-mates - all wearing 'Gerrard 8' on their backs - and his three daughters, the MLS-bound Gerrard addressed the capacity crowd from the field.
"It felt very strange," he said of his last outing in front of the Kop.
"I've been dreading this moment, the reason being because I'm going to miss it so much.
"I've loved every minute of it. I'm absolutely devastated that I'm never going to play in front of these supporters again."
Gerrard was flanked by Gerard Houllier, the manager who handed him his Liverpool debut as an 18-year-old against Blackburn Rovers in 1998.
Despite inspiring the club to famous trophy triumphs, including in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final and the 2006 FA Cup final, the midfielder highlighted his maiden appearance as a favourite Anfield moment.
"It's very difficult to pick one [moment], but I think the very first time I ran out at Anfield, thanks to this man here to my left [Houllier], is a moment I'll never forget," he said.
"The first time you ever play for Liverpool football club is a dream come true. Everything else after that was a bonus for me."
Gerrard praised boss Brendan Rodgers and the current playing staff, before signing off by paying a warm tribute to the fans that adore him.
"There's unbelievable potential in the squad," he said. "I'm sure that there's going to be some new signings in the coming weeks.
"I look at the players in front of me who a shared the dressing room with for many, many years. I absolutely love them to death and I wish them every success in the future."
Finally, Gerrard added: "I have to say my last thank you to the most important people at any football club; these supporters stand out more than any of them
"Before I go, before the tears come, I've played in front of most supporters around the world but, let me tell you, you are the best."
Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla conceded the London club must improve their record in key matches away from home if they are to claim an elusive Premier League crown.
Hopes of winning the Premier League for the first time since 2003-04 may be gone, but Arsene Wenger and Co. are still challenging for second spot behind Chelsea, with Arsenal third heading into Sunday's clash at fourth-placed Manchester United.
In what has become fairly routine over the years, Arsenal have threatened to challenge for top honours, only to fall off the pace after dropping points on the road and that must change if the Premier League trophy is to ever come to the Emirates.
"In our eyes, Arsenal are always a candidate to win the Premier League, the players really believe that," Cazorla told the Mirror.
"But over the years we have dropped key points in stadiums where we need to win. That's our handicap and the thing we need to change."
While their quest for league silverware is over for another season, it has not been all doom and gloom for Arsenal, who have the opportunity to claim back-to-back FA Cup titles against Aston Villa on May 30.
"I would say the season for Arsenal is positive," the Spaniard said.
"We are in the FA Cup Final and we are fighting for second place in the Premier League.
"Being knocked out of the Champions League was painful because we played our worst game of the year at home against Monaco. That was the low point. But overall it’s been good."
Allardyce: Players have seen the reality of the Premier League
16 May 2015
Sam Allardyce bemoaned West Ham's habit of conceding late goals following Romelu Lukaku's stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 defeat to Everton on Saturday.
Lukaku found the net after Leon Osman had cancelled out Stewart Downing's opener - the Belgian having previously scored a last-gasp leveller in the return fixture.
West Ham have also dropped points courtesy of late goals against Tottenham, Leicester City and Stoke City since the beginning of 2015.
"Since the turn of the year, I think that's five in the last minute," said Allardyce. "Another bitter disappointment for us on the basis that it was a very entertaining game in which we had our noses in front and didn't maintain the correct amount of defending... to make sure we made life more difficult for Everton to score.
"Trying to be more and more creative to trying and score another goal, we paid a heavy price for it by Everton's swift counter-attacking and better finishing than ours, which has been our problem for many games now."
For Lukaku, it represented a sixth goal in as many matches against West Ham and Allardyce, who felt his side should have been given a first-half penalty for handball, is sick of the sight of the former Chelsea frontman.
"I thought we'd done it finally, at last," added Allardyce. "He hadn't caused us that many problems today. But he was there again to finish us off.
"One good thing is that the lads have learned their lesson since the turn of the year on what happens in the Premier League if you don't focus correctly.
"They'll learn that lesson now when, in the early part of the season when everything was in top gear, they must have thought 'it's not quite as hard as I thought it was this Premier League'.
"But they've seen the realities and the cruelness of the Premier League since the turn of the year and that's a great lesson for them all to learn for next season."
Mauricio Pochettino insists he wants Tottenham to secure a place in the UEFA Europa League following their 2-0 Premier League win over Hull City on Saturday.
Second-half goals from Nacer Chadli and Danny Rose ensured the points against a Hull side who now need to beat Manchester United on the final day to have any chance of survival.
Victory for Tottenham, meanwhile, marked their first win in four games and keeps them a point ahead of Southampton in sixth place, which will be good enough to qualify for Europe's second-tier competition.
Seventh will also become a Europa League spot should Arsenal beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup final.
The Europa League has been seen as an unwanted distraction by many due to impact the hectic schedule can have on players, but Pochettino told BBC Sport: "[It is a] very important three points, we made a big effort this season. [It has been a] difficult season for the players, [so I am] happy for them and the supporters.
"The first half wasn't easy, they [Hull] play for survival and were very aggressive. Second half we played much better and deserved the victory.
"It was a very important three points [and] very important to stay in competition for the fifth position.
"I want to play in Europe next season. We have only one game ahead - we need to win to stay in the Europa League next season. That is very important to keep working."
United assured of Champions League spot after Liverpool defeat
16 May 2015
Manchester United are assured of a return to the UEFA Champions League following Liverpool's 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Liverpool needed to win both of their remaining Premier League fixtures and hope United lost theirs, overturning a goal difference deficit of 14 in the process.
The outcome at Anfield guarantees the Old Trafford club, who sit five points behind second-placed Manchester City and two adrift of Sunday's opponents Arsenal, at least fourth, although they could yet finish higher if other results go their way.
If United do end the season in fourth, Louis van Gaal's men will need to get through a two-legged qualifying play-off to earn their place in the draw for the group stage.
The draw for that play-off round takes place on August 7, with the first leg to be played across the 18-19 of the same month and the second on the 25-26.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew reserved praise for Jason Puncheon and Marouane Chamakh after they played starring roles in the 3-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield.
The hosts took a 26th-minute lead as Adam Lallana capitalised on an error from Martin Kelly, with Steven Gerrard appearing on course for the winning farewell to his home ground that he craved.
But Palace tore up the script as Puncheon netted a fine free-kick before half-time and substitutes Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray added goals during the second period.
"We knew what the narrative was today and the agenda, we talked about that," said Pardew, who was pleased to see his players build on impressive displays in defeat against Manchester United and Chelsea in their previous two outings.
"I thought it was just important that we carried the level of performance we had against Chelsea and Man United," he said
"The only difference today was that we probably had a bit more control of the ball with Chamakh coming into the team - we've missed him.
"Puncheon was on terrific form and those two players did give us a level of control.
"I thought in the first 15 minutes we really were in 'Steven Gerrard World' - we were giving the ball away and it was wave after wave.
"Almost after the mistake we made [for the opening goal] we improved considerably.
"I thought we had real good focus for this game considering the emotion of the day for Steven and Liverpool."
There were emotionally charged tributes for Gerrard from the Anfield faithful before and after the match and Pardew felt privileged to have been involved in the occasion.
"It was an honour to be here today," he said. "The start of the game was special and the end was even more special. It was a lovely moment.
"It's very difficult for me to put into words what he's done for Liverpool so I can't talk about that.
"I can only speak as a fan of football and a lover of football for what he's done for England. He's carried the nation at times.
"We should all be honoured as Englishmen to have someone who's conducted himself with such honour in this game."
Mixed emotions for Rodgers as Gerrard farewell ends in defeat
16 May 2015
Brendan Rodgers bemoaned an error-strewn defensive display that condemned Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to a 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace on his Anfield farewell.
Adam Lallana put the hosts in front on an emotionally charged Merseyside afternoon but Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray were on target as Palace ran out deserved winners.
Rodgers enjoyed the rousing reception Gerrard was granted before and after the match but there was little to please the Liverpool manager in between.
"He got a wonderful send-off," Rodgers said of Gerrard. "He gave everything right until the very end.
"He was the one driving forward to get us goals in the game.
"The support he got was absolutely brilliant and probably what he would expect having been a wonderful player here and given his all for the club.
"In terms of that it was fantastic for him and his family and a special day for them; in terms of the result and the performance it was disappointing.
"I thought we started really well, scored a fantastic goal with Adam. But we made poor defensive errors across the field and that punished us at the end of the first and in the second half.
"We didn't defend well enough, their attacking players caused us a problem and we didn’t cope with that."
Gerrard will end a 17-year Liverpool career against Stoke City next weekend before embarking on a new chapter in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy.
Rodgers accepts that the club faces a challenge in approaching life after their captain but it is one he relishes.
"I've always said he is a player and a person who is irreplaceable for the club, what he's given over his time here. The standards he has set are second to none.
"We'll go forward at the end of the season once next week's finished and we'll have to plot a way to improve come the summer. That's our challenge."
Arsene Wenger has no plans to follow iconic manager Alex Ferguson into retirement, with the Arsenal boss in no hurry to relinquish his role.
Wenger, 65, has transformed Arsenal since swapping Japan's Nagoya for London in 1996, guiding the club to three Premier League titles, five FA Cups and five Community Shields.
Ferguson was 71 years old when he retired as Manchester United manager in 2012-13 after 26 years in charge, which included 13 league trophies, two UEFA Champions League crowns and five FA Cup titles.
And while Wenger opened up about what he might do when he eventually retires, the Frenchman is going nowhere fast.
"Sometimes I think, 'What is he [Alex Ferguson] doing all day?' But he looks very happy in his retirement," Wenger said ahead of Sunday's trip to United, which pits third versus fourth.
"He is lucky because he is interested in horses as well. When he gets up in the morning, he can go to horses, practice or training."
Wenger added: "What would I do if I was retired? I love horses as well but I don't go to races.
"I like to ride horses because I was once a farmer but my back would not take riding anymore. Maybe I will just watch a lot of football matches when I retire."
Manchester United winger Angel di Maria is facing a make-or-break off-season after manager Louis van Gaal demanded a change in behaviour from the embattled player.
United splashed a British-record £59.7million to lure Di Maria to Manchester but after a brilliant start to life at Old Trafford, the Argentina international's form has plummeted, with the former Real Madrid midfielder having not started the past eight matches.
And in a sign of Van Gaal's patience wearing thin, the Dutch boss warned Di Maria - a transfer target for French champions Paris Saint-Germain - must work harder to alter his game if he is to remain a United player.
"The players have had to adapt to the philosophy and Di Maria has to do that," said Van Gaal.
"He can still do that, of course, because every player can, but it's important that he wants to do that in his head.
"When you are open to coaching, then you can change. But a change of behaviour is very difficult.
"Always, the old errors are coming back, so a change of behaviour is not so easy. So we have to wait and see.
"It’s not that Di Maria doesn't have the quality. He has to perform in a way that we want. Not in the way I want, but in the way we want as a club."
Chelsea captain John Terry's performances have surprised many, none more so than his manager Jose Mourinho, who conceded he thought the veteran centre-back was finished when he returned to Stamford Bridge two years ago.
Terry has been an ever-present at Chelsea since Mourinho's return, playing every match as the London club cantered to the Premier League title this season.
But the 34-year-old's achievements did not seem possible prior to Mourinho's arrival, with former boss Rafael Benitez claiming the Englishman was not capable of playing twice in a week.
Terry has gone on to prove Benitez wrong and he has even surprised Mourinho, who gave the veteran a new contract in March.
"I think he knows that, without me, he probably wouldn't be at Chelsea in this moment. Because, probably, with another manager he wouldn't play. And without playing, he wouldn’t have another contract," Mourinho said.
"This is not about the club, but the managers. If the managers don’t want the players, and the player doesn’t play, the club has to open the door.
"If a player is not important, sooner or later he leaves. Under me, he has had already two new contracts. But I also know that, probably without him, I wouldn't be Premier League champion.
"Without him it would have been very difficult."
Mourinho added: "I didn't think Terry had this much to give. I thought he was over, I thought he was in trouble, because for the previous two years he hadn’t played two or three consecutive matches.
"He was not an option for the managers. He was injured. The managers preferred other players in front of him. I thought there was something wrong and that he couldn’t get back to his normal level.
"When I signed for Chelsea he had one more year of his contract and I wanted to respect that year and see what was going on.
“We spoke and he knew my nature: that I owed him a lot, but I’' give him nothing he didn't deserve. He knew that was my way of being a manager, and he was prepared already."
Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland: Black Cats survive as Gunners tighten grip on third
May 20, 2015 21:35:00
Dick Advocaat's side held on at the Emirates Stadium to preserve their Premier League status for another season
Arsenal secured third place in the Premier League despite again failing to score at home as Sunderland came way with the point they needed to avoid relegation.
The Gunners dominated the first half, though they struggled to break the visitors down, with Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud's off-target efforts the closest they came to a breakthrough.
Dick Advocaat threw on Steven Fletcher at half-time, and he almost made an immediate impact, only to be denied by David Ospina.
At the other end Costel Pantillimon saved well from Giroud before Fletcher wasted two more great chances to score.
Arsenal had the best of the late chances, but after Sebastian Coates cleared Aaron Ramsey's effort off the line and Billy Jones cleared against his own post, Pantillimon saved from Theo Walcott to preserve a point.
Arsene Wenger's side spent the majority of the opening 45 minutes camped inside the Sunderland half but lacked the composure in the final third to break the deadlock.
The hosts' best chances came as Ozil lashed over the crossbar after getting on the end a lofted pass from Jack Wilshere - making his first start since November due to ankle problems.
Wilshere then set up Giroud with a similar ball, only for the Frenchman to fire narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
Advocaat made a double change at half-time as Fletcher and Jack Rodwell were brought on for Danny Graham and Connor Wickham.
And the changes almost paid instant dividends - Fletcher denied by a low save fromOspina, who then thwarted Patrick van Aanholt at the near post following a superb Jermain Defoe pass.
Sunderland goalkeeper Pantilimon was forced into his first meaningful save of the match in the 56th-minute, diving brilliantly to his right to prevent Giroud from converting Hector Bellerin's right-wing cross.
Still, the visitors continued to cause Arsenal problems going forward and went close to profiting on the counter, however, Fletcher's lobbed effort was turned wide by Ospina.
Fletcher let another chance go begging by prodding a left-wing delivery from Van Aanholt high and off target.
Sunderland's hearts were in their mouths when Ramsey's deflected cross hit Jones in the face and cannoned off the left-hand post.
Pantilimon provided more heroics to deny Walcott but, despite continued late pressure from Arsenal, a gutsy Sunderland hung on to ensure they can breathe easy on the final day of the season, while Hull and Newcastle sweat over their Premier League futures.
Advocaat was visibly emotional as he went to thank the jubilant travelling support after the final whistle.
