Newcastle, Hull City in Survival Battle

 Sir Alex Ferguson

Two of the Barclays Premier League's traditional heavyweights meet this weekend in a fixture that has provided countless iconic moments over the years. Manchester United have the chance to leapfrog Arsenal into third place, while their visitors will hope to overturn a poor recent record at Old Trafford

With Chelsea having sealed the English Premier League and the four UEFA Champions League spots safely booked, attention is now shifted to the bottom teams as the battle against relegation. Sunderland escaped the drop on Wednesday night after drawing with Arsenal and the attention is now focused on Newcastle and Hull as they both battle with the skin of their teeth to avoid the drop or join QPR and Burnley which have since known their fate 

Newcastle United’s season, and their future in the Premier League, now rests on results on survival Sunday following yet another defeat for Newcastle. The Magpies surrendered a lead against QPR to lose 2-1 in the Capital, leaving themselves just two points above Hull City who sit 18th.

And while Newcastle’s fate still rests in their own hands, recent form suggests that, despite opponents West Ham not being in great form themselves, they may need Hull’s opponents Manchester United to do them a favour on the final day at the KC Stadium.

Louis van Gaal’s side will likely have little to play for at Hull after their draw with Arsenal left them almost guaranteed to finish fourth thus securing their target of Champions league qualification.

Hull City defender James Chester has set his heart on creating another "special story" in his Hull City career by clinching Premier League survival with a win against his boyhood club Manchester United.

In the four and a half years since leaving Old Trafford for just £300,000 to join City, Chester has celebrated promotion out of the Championship, reached an FA Cup final and been capped by Wales.
Those achievements have justified the 25-year-old's decision to leave United in 2011, but he knows only a winning reunion on Sunday will keep the journey going.

"We would love it to end like a couple of years ago and everyone celebrating on the final day," said Chester, who was part of the City side which won promotion in a dramatic finale to the 2012-13 season.

In 2009 United went to Hull City on the final day of the season as the newly crowned Premier League champions four days before they were due to play Barcelona in the Rome Champions League final.

The Tigers were in a nail-biting last day relegation dogfight and Sir Alex Ferguson rested his entire Euro starting XI. United won 1-0.Hull survived because of results elsewhere but nobody could complain about a weakened United side because they’d played their part and got the three points.

But United are a slightly different animal these days and, having said goodbye to Old Trafford for the season the week previous and with their top four berth assured, I have a distinct feeling that this time that even if a full strength side is fielded then this Reds side won’t have quite the same appetite as those stand-ins had in ‘09.

United have had a see-saw season and I reckon they are all ready for their break.
United have got form for resting key players in the last weeks of the season when there’s nothing to play for. But they’re not preparing for a Champions League or FA Cup final this time.

Louis van Gaal is expected to pick as strong a team as he can. But that’s not to say the players haven’t already switched off with a place in the top four secure.

United’s inconsistent season, especially against teams they should beat, means Hull have a chance on Sunday. But United have more than enough to win at the KC Stadium and do Newcastle a favour. It just depends on whether the players have the desire to do it.

Dressing-room unrest, a change of manager and supporter dissatisfaction, Newcastle United's disastrous season will come to a close on Sunday with the north-east club needing a victory against West Ham United to guarantee Premier League survival.
With Burnley and Queens Park Rangers already down, the final piece of the Premier League's relegation puzzle will fall into place on Sunday -- and it will be either Newcastle or Hull City who go down.

Hull remain favourites for the drop as they currently occupy 18th place with 34 points and not only have to beat fourth-placed Manchester United but must also hope Newcastle, two points above them, fall to the Hammers.

Newcastle's sorry season is epitomised by a run of nine defeats in their last 10 league matches and supporter protests are planned against owner Mike Ashley's running of the club at St James' Park on Sunday.

"It's come to this and we have to deal with it. Newcastle's interim manager John Carver told reporters.We need the supporters this weekend. Put all your differences to one side and get behind the team. We will have an inquest after."
The club's plight is a far cry from Kevin Keegan's reign as manager when he established Newcastle as a Premier League force.
These days, however, Newcastle supporters are more used to relegation battles rather than title challenges, with the club last dropping to the Championship in 2009.

Hull boss Steve Bruce still bears the scars from his nine-year stint as a rugged central defender for United but the 54-year-old is hoping his former club does not supply the knockout blow to his side's survival chances.

"We just have to beat Man United and I haven't done that in 17 years (as a manager)," Bruce told reporters. Manchester United probably owe me something after wrecking my knee, my hip, and my ankle playing for them."

Sunderland, who drew 0-0 at Arsenal on Wednesday and are now safe, travel to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea will lift the Premier League title for the first time since 2010.

Apart from the final relegation spot, the only other outstanding issue to be decided is which teams will finish fifth and sixth to definitely claim two of the three Europa League places.

Liverpool, who are fifth on 62 points, travel to Stoke City while Spurs, in sixth on 61, travel to Everton. Southampton, who are seventh on 60, travel to Manchester City, who will finish second, but the team who finishes seventh will only take a Europa League spot if Arsenal beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup final on May 30. If Villa win that, they will take the third Europa League spot instead of the seventh placed team.