1–0 in the League Cup final replay at Hillsborough thanks to a Steve Claridge goal. 19 April 1997 – Manchester United take a huge step towards title glory with a 3–1 away win over their main rivals Liverpool, in which defender Gary Pallister scores twice. Newcastle keep their title challenge alive with a 3–1 home win over Derby County, but Arsenal do themselves no favours as they can only manage a 1–1 draw at home to Blackburn. Southampton and Coventry City draw 2–2 in a relegation crunch game at The Dell. 21 April 1997 – Chelsea agree a £2.25million fee with Anderlecht for 19-year-old Nigerian defender Celestine Babayaro. 22 April 1997 – Middlesbrough reach their first-ever FA Cup final thanks to a 2–0 win in the semi-final replay against Division Two side Chesterfield. 25 April 1997 – In the last ever game at Burnden Park, Division One champions Bolton Wanderers beat Charlton Athletic 4–1. 26 April 1997 - Barnsley are promoted to the Premier League for the first time after defeating Bradford City 2–0 at Oakwell. 30 April 1997 – Manchester United look assured of their fourth league title in five seasons, as they finish April top of the league by a five-point margin over Arsenal and Liverpool – and with a game in hand. Newcastle United's challenge is all but over, while Aston Villa's hopes are now completely dead, and the midlanders are now facing a threat of being pipped to even a UEFA Cup place – by Sheffield Wednesday. The relegation battle is still wide open, with West Ham United, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest occupying the bottom three, and several other teams also fighting to avoid the drop. In Division One, Bolton Wanderers are established as champions with 97 points and 98 goals – 17 points ahead of their nearest rivals Barnsley. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace will contest the playoffs. 3 May 1997 – Sunderland play their last game at Roker Park after 99 years and go out on a high by beating Everton 3–0, but are still in danger of Premier League relegation. Their local rivals Newcastle United remain in contention for the league title with a 1–0 win at Arsenal – a result which rules the North Londoners out of the title race. Liverpool remain in it with a 2–1 home win over Tottenham. Paul Kitson ensures West Ham's survival with