Steven Gerrard scored one goal and set up the other for Dirk Kuyt to guide Liverpool to a 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, keep the Reds in second place in the Premier League and relegate Albion to the league below.
Liverpool went into the game knowing that the title was out of reach after Manchester United held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw on Saturday to capture the point it needed to stay out of reach with one more game to go.
Gerrard took advantage of some poor control by West Brom defender Martis Shelton to put Liverpool ahead after 28 minutes at the Hawthorns as he passed to Kuyt who went through for the second in the 59th.
West Brom came close several times and Liverpool defenders Jamie Carragher and Alvaro Arbeloa had to be pulled apart by teammates when they began arguing and pushing each other over some slack defending.
Manager Rafa Benitez congratulated Man United for its third Premier League title in a row but did not say well done to manager Alex Ferguson, with whom he has been feuding over comments the two rivals had made about each other.
“I will say congratulations to Manchester United. They have done well, but I do not want to say too much,” Benitez said. “I prefer just to say well done to the club, a big club, a good club.
“Normally you have to be polite and respect the other manager. During the season we have seen a lot of things that I didn’t like, so that’s it. I say congratulations to United because they have won. And that’s it.”
West Brom was relegated for the third time in seven years.
In Sunday’s other game, Chelsea beat Blackburn 2-0 with Nicolas Anelka scoring the second to draw level on 18 goals with Man United’s Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the Premier League scorers’ list.
Florent Malouda had already given Chelsea a fourth minute lead as the Blues stayed third, three points behind Liverpool and seven behind Man United with only round of games to go.
