Arsenal did what they do best, finish in the top four, at the expense of Tottenham, as Sir Alex Ferguson bid goodbye to Manchester United with an entertaining 5-5 draw at West Brom on the final day of the English Premier League season.
Ferguson, in his 1500th and final game as manager, saw his United side score goals for fun at one end, but also concede five - three of them in the final ten minutes.
The result was academic, though, as the Premier League saw the most successful manager in the British game walk into the sunset with a big smile on his face and that familiar feeling of going out on a high with a 13th Premier League title.
Chelsea won 2-1 against Everton with goals from Juan Mata and Fernando Torres, to finish third and seal a direct passage into the Champions League group stage, as David Moyes ended his Everton stint with a loss.
Arsenal and Tottenham won 1-0 against Newcastle and Sunderland respectively, which meant the former, again beat out their North London rivals to the fourth and final Champions League place.
At the Hawthorns, United got off to a rocking start and looked to be in cruise mode after the first half.
Shinji Kagawa opened the scoring for United in just the sixth minute, with the West Brom defense just allowing the little Japanese international miles of space to head home a cross from Javier Hernandez.
It was 2-0 three minutes later, as Anderson found Antonio Valencia on the right, who in turn played a low cross to the West Brom box, with Jonas Olsson scoring into his own net.
Alex Buttner made it 3-0 on 30 minutes, with the left-back slamming home from a tight angle after some good work from Tom Cleverley and Hernandez.
West Brom did get a goal back in the first half courtesy James Morrison who headed home a cross from the right.
Meanwhile, the fight for a top-four place remained the same after 45 minutes, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all staying level in their respective games.
Chelsea got off to a perfect start, with Juan Mata slotting home a rebound off a strike from Demba Ba, which Tim Howard could only parry onto the Spaniard's path.
Steven Naismith equalized for Everton, on David Moyes' final game before taking over at Old Trafford, with Everton unlucky not to go a goal up at halftime, as Darron Gibson saw his shot strike the post on two occasions.
Arsenal were having a nervous time of it at St. James' Park, with Newcastle taking the game to them and dominating the first 45 minutes.
There were not too many clear-cut chances, but Newcastle were clearly the better side, easily dominating possession while looking like the more likely team to score - Newcastle were clearly determined to make up for conceding nine goals in their last two home games.
Arsene Wenger surprisingly named Mikel Arteta in the starting lineup, after the vice-captain passed a couple of fitness tests, but it proved to be futile with the Spaniard pulling up in the 25th minute, before being substituted for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Arsenal, though, looked thoroughly disjointed and did not really look like scoring in the first half. The only shining light at halftime was the fact that Spurs were also goalless against Sunderland at White Hart Lane, with Gareth Bale seeing a decent penalty shout turned down, which could have changed the course of the game.
Onto the second half, and the goal glut continued at the Hawthorns, with United adding two more goals.
It was the home side that made it a one-goal game through Romelu Lukaku five minutes into the second half, before goals from Robin Van Persie - what a signing he has been for Ferguson - and Hernandez made it 5-2.
However, unbelievably West Brom struck three goals in the final ten minutes - with Lukaku scoring two of those to complete his hat-trick -- as the final game of the Fergie era ended 5-5.
However, it was just a minor aberration in an otherwise fantastic season for the Premier League champions as Ferguson bid goodbye to the game in thrilling fashion.
The fight for the top-four places was getting more exciting with both Chelsea and Arsenal keeping their places intact with goals in the second half.
Arsenal went 1-0 ahead at Newcastle courtesy defender Laurent Koscielny. Theo Walcott swung in a freekick from the right, which Per Mertesacker nodded on for Koscielny to brilliantly, and acrobatically smash in past Steve Harper, playing his last game for Newcastle.
Chelsea then pretty much ensured their third place courtesy a goal from the ever-improving Fernando Torres in the 76th minute as Moyes' 11-year spell as Everton manager ended on a losing note.
There was still drama for the fourth and final place, though, as Tottenham, who had a penalty appeal turned down, hit the crossbar and looked like they just would not score against Sunderland, did just that courtesy - no prizes for guessing - Gareth Bale, who fired home another highlight-worthy 25-yard effort.
With both sides winning 1-0, Arsenal had the chance to seal it once and for all in the first minute of stoppage time, but Theo Walcott could only manage to hit the post after doing well to cut in and find space for the shot.
Newcastle attempted to be the party poopers as the final whistle went off at White Hart Lane, but Arsenal saw the game through to celebrate yet another St. Totteringham's Day.
Results: Chelsea 2-1 Everton; Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal; Tottenham 1-0 Sunderland; West Brom 5-5 Manchester United; Manchester City 2-3 Norwich; Southampton 1-1 Stoke; Swansea 0-3 Fulham; Liverpool 1-0 QPR; West Ham 4-2 Reading; Wigan 2-2 Aston Villa.
