Norwich 0-5 Tottenham: It's Champions League football for Spurs next season as braces from both Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min - as well as a Harry Kane strike - seal fourth place for Antonio Conte's side at the expense of bitter rivals Arsenal

  • Tottenham have confirmed their place in the top four at the expense of Arsenal after victory over Norwich
  • Antonio Conte's side dominated from start to finish as they ran riot in the Carrow Road sunshine
  • Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski both scored twice, while Harry Kane also found the back of the net
  • Son's second goal got the biggest cheer of the whole afternoon as it earned him this season's Golden Boot

Antonio Conte was serenaded in the sunshine as Tottenham completed their transformation in style with five goals, a return to the Champions League and a share of the Golden Boot for Son Heung-min.

It won't go down with the loaves-and-fishes or the water-into-wine but Conte claimed when he arrived in November with the team trailing in ninth that it would take a miracle for Spurs to make the top four.

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In the end, it came with a couple of points to spare. 'In my mind, my heart, my head I know what we did in these seven months,' said Conte. 'We didn't lift a trophy but I worked a lot with my players to bring this club to play Champions League. I want to consider this qualification like a trophy.'

Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham dominated from start to finish away at Norwich on the final day of the season
Tottenham were ninth in the table when Antonio Conte took over but he has guided the club into the Champions League

MATCH FACTS 

Norwich (5-4-1): Krul 5.5; Aarons 5, Byram 4.5 (Zimmermann 36, 5), Hanley 5.5, Sorensen 5, Giannoulis 4; Dowell 5 (Springett 61, 5), Lees-Melou 4.5 (Rupp 71, 5), Normann 5, Rashica 5.5; Pukki 5.

Subs not used: Gunn, Placheta, Tzolis, Tomkinson, Gibbs, Rowe.

Bookings: Byram, Normann, Springett

Manager: Dean Smith 5

Spurs (3-4-3): Lloris 6; Sanchez 6, Dier 6, Davies 7; Royal 6 (Bergwijn 73, 6), Hojbjerg 7.5, Bentancur 7.5 (Winks 73, 6), Sessegnon 6.5; Kulusevski 8.5 (Moura 68, 7), Kane 7, Son 8.

Subs not used: Gollini, Winks, Rodon, Bergwijn, White, Scarlett, Devine, Craig.

Manager: Antonio Conte 7

Ref: Chris Kavanagh 6

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Home wins against Arsenal and Burnley were decisive and this trip to Norwich, home of the worst team in the Premier League, became a glorious procession.

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Dejan Kulusevski struck twice either side of a diving header by Harry Kane, and Son grabbed two late goals inside five minutes to end the campaign on 23, level at the top of the charts with Liverpool's Mo Salah.

Conte spoke afterwards about the need to improve the squad to compete on a higher level and satisfy his personal ambitions, but declined to confirm he will definitely remain in charge next season.

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'I'm under contract until next summer,' said the Italian. 'I signed for one year and seven months. I enjoyed a lot my time in Tottenham. It was a big challenge to come in during the season, something not simple for a coach like me.

'On the other hand, I am a person with ambition. I like to fight for something important. I like to fight to win trophies. For me this is a trophy and I am very happy.

'We'll see. Now, it's good to have three, four, five days of rest and with a clear mind you can consider the season and find the best possible solution. You have to be calm before you talk. There is a lot of emotion in my mind, my heart now.'

Tottenham fans made their feelings clear as they sang Conte's name. With the Italian at the helm, they never seemed likely to mess things up at Carrow Road, helped by their hosts who were generous to a fault.

'Painful,' sighed Norwich boss Dean Smith. 'It sums up the season, too many individual mistakes that cost us goals. We lose the ball and don't have the athleticism to win it back, that's something we'll change in the summer.'

They slipped behind in the 16th minute, when Rodrigo Bentancur cut the ball square for Kulusevski to tap in. A Tim Krul error led to the second, kicking a clearance straight to Bentancur, who crossed for Kane to head in.

Norwich's best opportunity of the first half came when one goal down. Eric Dier's careless pass out of defence went straight to Milot Rashica, who advanced and lashed a shot wide from just outside the box.

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Dejan Kulusevski also got a brace - the first of his career - as his superb first half season in a Tottenham shirt drew to an end
Son's second goal received the biggest cheer of the afternoon as it won him the golden boot - which he'll share with Mo Salah
Harry Kane scored again on the Premier League final day - no player has done so on more occasions than the striker (nine)
Norwich's relegation has long been confirmed and they ended a miserable campaign with jeers from their own supporters

After a promising start to the second half they disintegrated, however, and dissent rang out, with chants for owner Delia Smith and her board to quit. These rumbled out into the streets. Few stayed behind for a miserable lap of appreciation.

The mood in the away end was far more celebratory as Kulusevski curled in his second, a brilliant strike by the Swede who muscled past the feeble defences of Dimitris Giannoulis before finding the top corner with his left foot.

Son, at this stage, cut a slightly frustrated figure. At kick-off he was a goal behind Salah, who started on the bench at Anfield, but the Korean was foiled by a series of saves by Krul. The pick of them an incredible reaction from at point blank range as Son connected with a low cross by Kane.

At 2-0, Kulusevki dribbled around the Norwich 'keeper and with the goal open, paused and tried to find Son. His hesitation allowed Max Aarons to scramble back and clear.

Eventually, Son found the net, a shot rapped firm and low, after a clever pass from Lucas Moura and his second soon followed, a delicious goal curler from outside the box, took him level with Salah, who came off the bench to score for Liverpool.

The honour is shared and they receive a trophy each. 'It's incredible to have this award,' said Son as he cradled the Golden Boot. 'I missed the easiest chances and scored the toughest ones but I didn't give up. I wanted to score and the team helped me a lot. You could see they wanted to help me.

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'I got really emotional. I dreamed of it as a child. Literally, it's my in hands. I can't believe it.'

 
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18:17
GOODNIGHT!

That's all from our live coverage of the top four race, which was ultimately decided very early on in the afternoon as Spurs ran riot at Norwich. 

There were big wins in the end for both North London clubs and it's fair to say there's hope for the future for both of them. But for now, congratulations Tottenham. 

You can find our match report from Spurs's 5-0 triumph over Norwich above. 

17:57
FULL-TIME: Norwich 0-5 Tottenham, Arsenal 5-1 Everton

That's that at both Carrow Road and the Emirates Stadium. The race for the top four has very much been the bridesmaid today in comparison to the title race, but it's been an entertaining afternoon nonetheless with 11 goals across the two games. 

Tottenham have finished in the top four, a remarkable achievement considering the disarray they were in when Antonio Conte was appointed. 

Arsenal will feel they have thrown fourth place away, having held the advantage less than two weeks ago. 

17:47
Son-shine

Are we looking at this season's golden boot winner in Son? It looks that way at the moment, even though Mohamed Salah has just scored for Liverpool. 

As things stand, the pair would share the accolade with 23 goals each. 


17:43
82 mins: ARSENAL GOAL! (Odegaard)

A really precise finish from Martin Odegaard, who almost passes the ball into the bottom corner. Arsenal lead 5-1!

The Gunners have been superb today even though their efforts are ending in vain. 


17:35
76 mins: TOTTENHAM GOAL! (Son)

Son now leads the race for the golden boot! And what a way to do it. 

He picks the ball up on the edge of the box and curls it superbly beyond Krul. A perfect day for Spurs just keeps getting better. 


17:30
71 mins: TOTTENHAM GOAL! (Son)

Son has got his goal! He makes it 4-0 to Spurs as he slots past Krul. He's now level with Mo Salah in the race for the golden boot. 


17:24
64 mins: TOTTENHAM GOAL! (Kulusevski)

3-0 Tottenham! 

It's the best goal of the afternoon so far as Kulusevski cuts in from the right hand side and curls a beautiful effort past Krul and into the top corner. 

Spurs securing Champions League football in style. 


17:20
60 mins: ARSENAL GOAL! (Gabriel)

Another for the Gunners! They are certainly making sure they do their job properly as Gabriel sticks it home. 

There's a hint of offside, but the VAR check confirms the goal and it's 4-1. 


17:17
56 mins: ARSENAL GOAL! (Cedric)

Arsenal have restored their two-goal lead against Everton. Cedric Soares scores his first goal in over two years with a sensational strike. 

But I'll say again - it matters little as long as Spurs don't concede three. 

17:15
54 mins: Son going for gold

One thing that is worth keeping an eye on is the race for the golden boot. Son is currently on 21 goals, while Mohamed Salah - who is on the bench for Liverpool today - is on 22. 

The South Korean international has just seen a shot saved by Tim Krul. 

17:08
Arsenal's leaky defence

This might go some way to suggesting why the Gunners are likely to fail to finish in the top four...

17:04
46 mins: Second half begins

We're back under way in both matches. While the title race and relegation battle remain on a knife edge, we're expecting little drama now in this fight for the top four. 

16:55
HALF-TIME: Norwich 0-2 Tottenham, Arsenal 2-1 Everton

We've had entertaining first halves in both games, with Tottenham and Arsenal both in front. 

The race for the top four is surely done and dusted as a Norwich comeback seems about as likely as Manchester United winning the title. Arsenal could score 10 second half goals and it wouldn't matter one jot. 


16:51
45+3 mins: EVERTON GOAL! (van de Beek)

Arsenal's lead is halved on the stroke of half-time! Donny van de Beek has his first goal for Everton as he taps in from close range. 

It's the Dutchman's first appearance in over two months after recovering from a thigh injury. 

16:45
Kane loves the last day

Harry Kane's goal put him in elite company. Will he break ANOTHER record this afternoon? 


16:43
First-half celebrations

Goal celebrations for both teams, but it looks all set to be Spurs who will be partying come full-time. Antonio Conte's side have one foot in next season's Champions League. 


16:35
32 mins: TOTTENHAM GOAL! (Kane)

Just as Arsenal double their lead, Spurs do the same! It's horrific defending from Norwich, who try to play the ball out from the back but end up gifting it to Bentancur who crosses it for Harry Kane to head into the empty net. 

That is surely fourth place wrapped up for Tottenham. There's no way Norwich are scoring three here. 


16:32
31 mins: ARSENAL GOAL! (Nketiah)

Another goal at the Emirates Stadium! The Gunners have doubled their lead as Bukayo Saka delivers a corner and Eddie Nketiah heads it home. Could this be his last game for the club? 


16:29
26 mins: ARSENAL GOAL! (Martinelli)

Martinelli scores the spot-kick! He sends Begovic the wrong way to put Arsenal 1-0 up. 

Of course at the moment, the Gunners can do no more. They need Norwich to mount an unlikely comeback against Spurs. 


16:26
26 mins: ARSENAL PENALTY!

Arsenal have a penalty!

After a VAR check, the referee decides that Gabriel Martinelli's shot struck former Gunner Alex Iwobi on the arm. 

16:25
22 mins: Norwich scare Spurs

Tottenham are comfortable, but they have just been given a warning by Norwich.

Dier is sloppy and sees his pass intercepted by Rashica, but the Canaries midfielder lacks composure and drags a shot wide when he had plenty of time. 

16:20
12 mins: Arsenal chance

A huge early chance for Arsenal as Gabriel Martinelli's close-range effort is superbly kept out by Asmir Begovic, who is in for Jordan Pickford this afternoon. 


16:18
16 mins: TOTTENHAM GOAL! (Kulusevski)

Spurs are in front! You can't say they don't deserve it either as they have absolutely dominated Norwich so far. 

A ball is played over the top to Bentancur, who gets into the box and squares it for Kulusevski who finishes off the move easily. Those two January signings have been excellent for Spurs since coming in. 

16:13
11 mins: Spurs keep the pressure on

Tottenham are getting closer to an opener at Carrow Road, with Harry Kane getting a sight of goal for the first time. His effort is pushed wide for a corner by Tim Krul. 

16:09
7 mins: Tottenham chance

A first real opportunity for Spurs at Norwich, as Kulusevski is played in by Kane and squares the ball for Hojbjerg, who smashes it over the bar. 

16:01
KICK-OFF!

We're under way in both games. 

A reminder of how this afternoon could pan out. A point for Spurs at Norwich confirms fourth place for them, while Arsenal need to beat Everton and hope their rivals lose at Carrow Road. 

15:53
The kids are alright

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta says that he will continue to put faith in Arsenal’s young players even if the club fail to finish in the top four. The likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have been superb for the Gunners this season.  

15:49
Norwich want to spoil the party

Norwich boss Dean Smith has said 'it would be nice to be party poopers' ahead of his team’s meeting with Spurs and has joked that he hopes Son Heung-min ends up with the 'bronze boot' as the South Korean battles to finish as the Premier League’s top scorer.

15:43
KEY ARSENAL STATS
  • Arsenal have lost their last three Premier League games against Everton, as many as they had in their previous 26. Only once have they lost four in a row against the Toffees in league competition, doing so between November 1922 and April 1924.
  • The Gunners are unbeaten in their final league game in each of the last 16 seasons (W14 D2), winning the last 10 in a row. When finishing a league season at home, the Gunners have won each of their last 12 games since a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham in 1993.
  • No team has won their final Premier League game more (20) or has a higher win rate in their final games of the season (69%) than Arsenal.
15:39
KEY SPURS STATS
  • Tottenham have lost their final league game in just one of the last 11 campaigns (W8 D2), going down 5-1 at already relegated Newcastle in 2015-16. Including that result, Spurs’ last six final league games have produced 35 goals (F20 A15), an average of 5.8 per game.
  • Spurs have lost just one of their last 10 away league games against Norwich (W6 D3), going down 1-0 in February 2014.
  • This is the sixth time Tottenham have faced a side already relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season, but they’ve lost more of those games (3) than they’ve won (2) – they beat Wolves in 2003- 04 and Hull in 2016-17, but lost against Leicester in 2001-02, Burnley in 2009-10 and Newcastle in 2015-16.

15:35
Old foes do battle again

Tottenham and Arsenal have often been side-by-side in the last decade. In five of the last 10 seasons, just one point has separated the two teams in the final Premier League table.

Spurs have finished above their rivals in each of the last five years, preventing any St. Totteringham's Day celebrations in the red half of North London.


15:27
At the other end of the table

The final relegation spot also needs to be decided today and after Everton secured their safety in midweek, it is a straight shoot-out between Burnley and Leeds. 

Who will join Watford and Norwich in the Championship next season? Follow our live coverage here. 


15:24
Elsewhere in the Premier League

Of course there is also the small matter of the Premier League title to be decided on the final day. 

Manchester City currently hold a one-point advantage over Liverpool, with Pep Guardiola's side hosting Wolves and the Reds facing Aston Villa. 

You can follow our live coverage of those games here. 


15:19
How did we get here?

10 days ago, it was Arsenal who were well in control of this top four race and had the chance to secure Champions League qualification in the North London derby on May 12. 

However, a Harry Kane brace and Heung-min Son's goal gave Spurs a 3-0 win in that fixture - their biggest ever Premier League victory over Arsenal. 

Nonetheless, and despite Tottenham winning again three days later against Burnley, it was still in the Gunners' hands up until Monday night. 

That was when Mikel Arteta's side slumped to a 2-0 defeat away at Newcastle and handed the advantage to their neighbours. 

Now Arsenal need a huge favour from Norwich to stand any chance in a battle that they appeared set to win less than two weeks ago. 


15:06
ARSENAL STARTING XI

Meanwhile, these are the lineups that Mikel Arteta and opposite number Frank Lampard have chosen at the Emirates Stadium. 

Three changes for the Gunners - Takehiro Tomiyasu (injured), Ben White and Emile Smith Rowe are out, Cedric Soares, Rob Holding and Gabriel Martinelli are in. 


15:04
TOTTENHAM STARTING XI

Here is how Tottenham and their opponents Norwich will begin the final day.

Antonio Conte makes one change from last weekend's win over Burnley as Dejan Kulusevski replaces Lucas Moura.


15:02
GOOD AFTERNOON!

Hello and welcome to Sportsmail’s coverage of the race for fourth place on the final day of the Premier League season.

It’s between north London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal for the final English spot in next season’s Champions League and the battle has gone down to the wire.

Spurs are currently fourth in the table, two points ahead of their neighbours. Thanks to their significantly better goal difference, Antonio Conte’s side will confirm fourth place if they avoid defeat away at already-relegated Norwich.

However, if the Canaries produce a surprise victory then the Gunners would leapfrog Tottenham if they were able to win at home against Everton, who secured their safety with a midweek win over Crystal Palace.

Got all of that? Good. Let’s start with some team news…