<p> Theo Walcott scored the quickest Premier League goal of the season after 20 seconds on Saturday to give Arsenal a 1-0 win at relegated Queens Park Rangers and keep them a step ahead of rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the Champions League.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Walcott pounced in the late kickoff at Loftus Road in west London just moments after Gareth Bale, newly crowned English player of the year, had celebrated a spectacular winner as Spurs beat Southampton 1-0 in north London.<br /><br />Bale cut inside from the right and held off a defender before firing home from 25 yards in the 86th minute against his former club.<br /><br />At the bottom of the table, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa also celebrated late victories to improve their chances of avoiding relegation to the Championship.<br /><br />Callum McManaman scored in the 80th minute at the Hawthorns to give Wigan a 3-2 win over West Bromwich Albion after Roberto Martinez's team had twice fallen behind.<br />Villa left Carrow Road with a 2-1 triumph over Norwich City courtesy of Gabriel Agbonlahor's double, including the 89th-minute winner.<br /><br />Arsenal reclaimed third place on 67 points, two ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea, who visit champions Manchester United on Sunday. Spurs are fifth, also on 65 points, but have a game in hand on Arsene Wenger's side.<br /><br />Second-placed Manchester City drew 0-0 at Swansea City On Saturday.<br />With Newcastle United drawing 0-0 at West Ham United, and Sunderland not playing - against Stoke City - until Monday, the relegation picture is also tight and unpredictable.<br /><br />Just five points separate eight clubs between Wigan, in 18th place and the third relegation spot, and the Potters, who are 11th.<br />QPR and Reading, who beat Fulham 4-2 at Craven Cottage on Saturday, are already down.<br /><br />Hull promoted<br /><br />Hull City won automatic promotion to the English Premier League after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Cardiff City on an extraordinary final day of the Championship season on Saturday.<br /><br />A point proved enough for Steve Bruce’s side, but they had to endure an agonising wait as Watford -- their only rivals for the second and final automatic promotion place -- succumbed to a late 2-1 home defeat by Leeds United in a match delayed by around 15 minutes.<br /><br />Cardiff, who had already earned promotion to the Premier League as champions, finished the (second tier) Championship season on 87 points with Hull second on 79.<br />Watford ended in third on 77 and go into the playoffs, where they will be joined by Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Leicester City.</p>
<p> Theo Walcott scored the quickest Premier League goal of the season after 20 seconds on Saturday to give Arsenal a 1-0 win at relegated Queens Park Rangers and keep them a step ahead of rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the Champions League.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Walcott pounced in the late kickoff at Loftus Road in west London just moments after Gareth Bale, newly crowned English player of the year, had celebrated a spectacular winner as Spurs beat Southampton 1-0 in north London.<br /><br />Bale cut inside from the right and held off a defender before firing home from 25 yards in the 86th minute against his former club.<br /><br />At the bottom of the table, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa also celebrated late victories to improve their chances of avoiding relegation to the Championship.<br /><br />Callum McManaman scored in the 80th minute at the Hawthorns to give Wigan a 3-2 win over West Bromwich Albion after Roberto Martinez's team had twice fallen behind.<br />Villa left Carrow Road with a 2-1 triumph over Norwich City courtesy of Gabriel Agbonlahor's double, including the 89th-minute winner.<br /><br />Arsenal reclaimed third place on 67 points, two ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea, who visit champions Manchester United on Sunday. Spurs are fifth, also on 65 points, but have a game in hand on Arsene Wenger's side.<br /><br />Second-placed Manchester City drew 0-0 at Swansea City On Saturday.<br />With Newcastle United drawing 0-0 at West Ham United, and Sunderland not playing - against Stoke City - until Monday, the relegation picture is also tight and unpredictable.<br /><br />Just five points separate eight clubs between Wigan, in 18th place and the third relegation spot, and the Potters, who are 11th.<br />QPR and Reading, who beat Fulham 4-2 at Craven Cottage on Saturday, are already down.<br /><br />Hull promoted<br /><br />Hull City won automatic promotion to the English Premier League after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Cardiff City on an extraordinary final day of the Championship season on Saturday.<br /><br />A point proved enough for Steve Bruce’s side, but they had to endure an agonising wait as Watford -- their only rivals for the second and final automatic promotion place -- succumbed to a late 2-1 home defeat by Leeds United in a match delayed by around 15 minutes.<br /><br />Cardiff, who had already earned promotion to the Premier League as champions, finished the (second tier) Championship season on 87 points with Hull second on 79.<br />Watford ended in third on 77 and go into the playoffs, where they will be joined by Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Leicester City.</p>