Substitute Emmanuel Adebayor scored three times and Arsenal won 6-2 at last-place Derby on Monday to guarantee itself of at least a third-place finish in the English Premier League. Nicklas Bendtner, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott also scored at Pride Park against an already relegated team which has won only once in 36 games and has conceded 82 goals. The Rams also lost 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium in a game in which Adebayor also scored three. The Gunners improved to 77 points, behind league-leading Manchester United and Chelsea with two games remaining and seven more than fourth-place Liverpool. Derby, which won promotion through the playoffs last season, has only 11 points and looks certain to be relegated with the fewest points in top-flight history. Arsenal led in the 25th minute when Derby defender Darren Moore lost possession and Bentdner exchanged passes with Van Persie before scoring James McEveley equalized in the 31st minute when he redirected an inswinging free kick by Robbie Savage. But the Gunners regained the lead nine minutes later when Van Persie chested down a floated pass from Kolo Toure and volleyed for the goal. Second-half substitute Adebayor made it 3-1 in the 59th, but Robert Earnshaw pulled the Rams within one in the 77th only for Theo Walcott to make it 4-2 in the 78th. Adebayor added two more in the 81st and final minutes to complete his night and increase his league and cup tally for the season to 30. In Monday's other game, West Bromwich Albion made virtually sure of returning to the Premier League with a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Southampton. Although Adam Lallana gave the Saints a 78th-minute lead at the Hawthorns with his first goal for the club, Chris Brunt equalized in the 84th for the Baggies to put them atop the League Championship standings level on points with Stoke. Albion is now three points ahead of third place Hull but with a goal difference of plus-31 compared to the Tigers' plus-19.Ronaldo wins award Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted as England's Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year for the second straight year. The 23-year-old Portuguese star, who has scored 38 goals in all competitions this season, beat Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and David James in the annual poll. Arsenal midfielder Fabregas was named Young Player of the Year.
