MANCHESTER, England -- Arsenal qualified for the Champions League for the 16th straight season after edging Tottenham to fourth place in the Premier League, as Alex Ferguson bowed out as Manchester United manager with a 5-5 draw against West Bromwich Albion. Laurent Koscielnys 52nd-minute volley sealed an unconvincing 1-0 for Arsenal at Newcastle, rendering Spurs 1-0 victory over Sunderland -- courtesy of a late screamer from Gareth Bale -- meaningless. "We celebrated a bit like we had won the championship, which was a bit weird considering the ambition at the start of the season," said Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, whose team won eight and drew two of its last 10 games of the campaign. Chelsea finished third -- and claimed the last automatic Champions League spot -- by beating Everton 2-1 thanks to Fernando Torres winner in Rafa Benitezs last game in charge of the Europa League champions. With the title fight decided a month ago and three relegation spots already settled, the remaining business was bidding farewell to several icons of English football. Ferguson was treated to a wild match at The Hawthorns in his 1,500th and last game at United, with his team surrendering a 5-2 lead in the final 10 minutes to draw. While United midfielder Paul Scholes, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher and Stoke striker Michael Owen all played their final games before retiring. "I have been here a long time and it has to come to an end sometime," said Carragher, who ended his 737-game career with a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over last-place Queens Park Rangers. There were 36 goals on the final day of the season. None better than Bales latest match-winner from 35 yards for Tottenham that guaranteed an extremely tense final few minutes in the race for fourth between two fierce north London rivals. It meant Arsenal needed to hold onto its lead at St. James Park, and when winger Theo Walcott slid a shot against the post in injury time there was still a chance for Newcastle to muster an equalizer. It wasnt to be for Spurs, though, who missed out on the Champions League on the final day for a second season running. "It was the most nervous I have ever been," Walcott said. "We had to dig deep. No one (outside Arsenal) believed we could do this." Tottenham was in third place and seven points clear of Arsenal after winning the north London derby in March. But not even Bales stream of match-winning goals in recent weeks could hold off Arsenals end-of-season resurgence, just like last season. "It is difficult to take. In the end we did what we had to, but Arsenal did their job well and go through," Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas said. "It is difficult at this moment." To make matters worse for Spurs, failing to reach the Champions League will undoubtedly increase the speculation surrounding the future of Bale, who has been linked with many of the worlds top teams after a brilliant season in which he won English footballs Player of the Year award. Spurs finished on 72 points -- its highest total in the Premier League -- but must again play in the Europa League next season. After the last game of his trophy-filled reign of almost 27 years, Ferguson went over to bow to the United fans who had backed him as he waited until 1990 to win the first of 38 trophies for the club. The Scot brought Scholes on as a 69th-minute substitute for his 718th match, but a second-half hat trick from Romelu Lukaku denied a farewell victory for Ferguson. "Were a little bit frustrated because we wanted to win it for (Ferguson) and Scholesy," said Javier Hernandez, one of five different scorers for United. "The gaffer is certainly going to remember his last match in charge." At Stamford Bridge, the jeers that had characterized Benitezs interim reign were absent when he took his place in the Chelsea dugout. Unsurprisingly so, considering the team won the Europa League title four days ago and has qualified for the group stage of the Champions League next season. "Its been a great experience and I will be sad to leave. It is a pity, as you can see the players are improving -- but I will not be here next season" said the unemotional Spaniard, who declined to join his players on a lap of honour. "I have received hundreds of message from Chelsea fans saying thank you." His rivalry as Liverpool manager with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho left Benitez a highly unpopular figure among Blues fans. But his success in also steering the team to FA and League Cup semifinals contributed to an air of appreciation in his final match at the London club. "Thank you Rafa, we forgive you" read a banner from one young supporter. Second-place Manchester City lost 3-2 at home to Norwich, while Philippe Coutinhos superb first-half strike earned Liverpool victory at Anfield. Carragher hit the post with a 40-yard shot after the break. Kevin Nolan scored a hat trick in West Hams 4-2 win over Reading, and Owen rounded off his illustrious career by playing the final 16 minutes for Stoke in a 1-1 draw at Southampton. "I had one chance and a couple of touches. I was pleased to get out there and say my farewell in one piece," said Owen, whose career is better known for spells with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Man United. "It has been a pleasure to play this game." Also, Fulham won 3-0 at Swansea and relegated Wigan drew 2-2 at home to Aston Villa.Cheap Babe Ruth Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Cheap Ronald Acuna Jr. Jersey . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. http://www.cheapbravesjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-john-smoltz-jersey . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. Winchester, who was not penalized for the hit, appeared to make contact with Kellys head early in the first period of Thursdays game in Boston. Cheap Dale Murphy Jersey . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. Cheap Julio Teheran Jersey . JOHNS, N.DENVER -- Todd Helton has conceded some things to age. He knows he still has a lot of baseball left in his near 40-year-old body. The Colorado Rockies first baseman takes more days off but when hes in the lineup he wants to contribute. He did just that Saturday, getting three hits and reaching base four times to help lead the Rockies past the Chicago Cubs 9-3. Carlos Gonzalez homered and Troy Tulowitzki, Dexter Fowler and Wilin Rosario had two hits each for a Colorado offence that had scored eight runs in its previous five games. Luis Valbuena homered and had two RBIs for the Cubs. The younger players are getting more attention now but Helton showed he can still hit. He held a .320 career average coming into the season but he was hitting 65 points below that entering Saturday. He is showing signs of his old self of late with 10 hits in his last 20 at-bats. The 2000 NL batting champion hopes his work in the cage will pay off in what is likely his last season. "It feels good. I feel good at the plate, I feel comfortable, I feel in control," said Helton, who turns 40 in a month. "It doesnt always translate into success. Ive tinkered and messed with it and hopefully it works. Hopefully I found something and I can ride it for a while." Heltons 191st career three-hit game helped the Rockies break out of their slump, at least for one night. They were held to a single run by Jeff Samardzija on Friday night but found their rhythm against Cubs starter Carlos Villanueva for the second time this season. "Its a team that has given me trouble throughout my career for some reason," Villanueva said. "I dont really look that much into it but today it was strange. I didnt really feel like myself out there." The Rockies offence woke up in the bottom of the fourth. Helton started it with a one-out single and scored on a groundout. Juan Nicasio walked to put runners on the corners and Fowler followed with a two-run triple to make it 3-1. "That was a big hit by Dex," manager Walt Weiss said. "I have a lot of confidence in our offence. I know weve struggled but its a good offensive club and I stick by that." Cubs manager Dale Sveum said the walk to Nicasio was the key to the Rockies fourth inning. "That kind of changed the game around, walking him on a 3-2 slider," he said. "Then throwing Fowler a 3-2 fastball. It wwas a little backwards.dddddddddddd" Colorado blew it open in the fifth. Gonzalez led off with his NL-leading 26th home run into the second deck above the Rockies bullpen, and three straight singles made it 5-1 and chased Villanueva. "That was a good swing," Gonzalez said of his 433-foot homer. "As soon as I hit the ball I knew it was out of the ballpark. I didnt know where it was going to land but I knew I hit it pretty far." Michael Bowden came on and surrendered an RBI single to Rosario. Charlie Blackmon walked and Fowler hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Helton to make it 7-1. Helton scored twice and is now needs 26 hits before the end of the season to reach 2,500 for his career. "When hes healthy hes going to give you good at-bats," Weiss said. Villanueva (2-6) allowed seven runs on nine hits in four-plus innings. He is winless in his last eight starts and his last victory came in relief against Seattle on June 29. Nicasio (6-4) allowed one run on three hits in five innings, striking out three and walking two to get his second straight win since being recalled from Triple-A on July 12. He beat Clayton Kershaw last week. A warm night turned blustery as wind speeds reached 35 mph in the fourth inning. A strong gust coming in from right field helped keep Nate Schierholtzs drive to the wall from going out in the top of the frame, and food wrappers and plastic bags from the stands littered the field in the bottom of the inning. "It seemed like it got caught in a little jet stream there, no doubt about it," Sveum said of Schierholtzs out. The wind wasnt strong enough to hold Valbuenas drive in the third. He crushed a 92 mph fastball into the Rockies bullpen to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. It was his ninth homer of the season. The Cubs got within 7-3 with single runs in the sixth and seventh, but Tulowitzki added to Colorados cushion with a two-run double in the eighth. NOTES: The Rockies placed RHP Rafael Betancourt (appendectomy) on the 15-day DL and recalled RHP Mitchell Boggs from Double-A Tulsa. ... Heltons double was the 578th of his career and ties him with Wade Boggs for 18th on the career list. ... Cubs rookie Junior Lake followed Fridays 3-for-4 debut with a single and a walk Saturday. ... The Rockies will send RHP Tyler Chatwood (5-3) against Chicagos Edwin Jackson (6-10) in Sundays series finale. ' ' '