After all the months of anguish and doubt, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier and Newcastle's Sir Bobby Robson both managed to end the season with a smile on their faces. Houllier, whose team had already won back a place in the Champions League, was happy to avoid closing the season in defeat, while Robson has the crumb of another tilt at the UEFA Cup after missing out on the big one.
If England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson had been here, he would have been another smiling manager after one final impressive performance by Liverpool's outstanding midfield star Steven Gerrard, which culminated in a devastating pass to make a goal for Michael Owen, his second in successive games.
It was Owen's 16th Premiership goal of the campaign, a decent return given all his injury problems. And he now goes off to the European Championship full of confidence.
Sunday Telegraph
Newcastle nerves hold out for Europe
Well, it has been the chant of the season. Those lovable Scousers on the Kop serenaded Newcastle at the outset with 'Champions League you're havin' a laugh', the very chant with which Liverpool have been mocked so often, but were unable to follow it up with 'Uefa Cup you're havin' a laugh', because Shola Ameobi put Newcastle into the lead after half an hour.
With the other fifth-place hopefuls Aston Villa shipping two early goals and going down against nine-man Manchester United, Europe must be trembling. Quality all the way down the Premiership? You cannot be serious.
Perhaps this end-of-term affair, with only the visitors anxious for points, was not the best opportunity to form any firm conclusions. Both clubs may make significant changes over summer in any case.
The Observer
Newcastle seize UEFA Cup place
They may love it in Thailand but the Anfield cognoscenti are more discerning and won’t put up with another year like this. The result, and the match, typified both Liverpool and Newcastle’s seasons — okay, but not enough to satisfy two frustrated sets of supporters.
Liverpool have qualified for the Champions League, Newcastle for the Uefa Cup, but both have done it by the tradesmen’s entrance and had hoped for rather more.
Sunday Times
Ameobi buys the ticket that lets Newcastle dream again
Newcastle United discovered their season, which had threatened to turn to lead, had a silver ending when they lurched wearily and unsteadily into the Uefa Cup. It is not the Champions' League, for which they had real aspirations until Wednesday, but at least it is Europe.
They got there by getting a better result against Liverpool at Anfield than Aston Villa did against Manchester United. But as they spent the last 10 minutes mostly under siege at Anfield it was a mighty close thing. So narrow the line between success and failure, they got there only on goal difference.
That difference proved to be an advantage of 12 compared to Villa's four, and their most important goal of the season proved to be Shola Ameobi's yesterday which ensured they got the draw that brought them fifth place and Uefa Cup qualification. Cue Newcastle relief all around and none more so than for manager Sir Bobby Robson, whose 71-year-old heart does not deserve such stress.
Liverpool equalised through Michael Owen and pressed hard for a winner but, in line with much of the season, disappointed by failing to deliver what they promised. Like Newcastle, they managed the bare minimum of their expectations by finishing fourth, but like yesterday's visitors they will know they need to do better next season.
Independent on Sunday