PREMIER LEAGUE action has returned for another thrilling Saturday with European ambitions on the line.
Man City are leading Everton after Nico O’Reilly’s late goal, while Bournemouth level with Crystal Palace in a stalemate.
And already-relegated Southampton are trailing to West Ham thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s strike.
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Aston Villa starting XI:
Ollie Watkins returns to lead the line for Unai Emery’s side in this important clash at Villa Park.
View from SunSport’s Gary Stonehouse at Goodison Park
They were late to the party but Man City got there in the end with two strikes in the final six minutes.
It was 20-year-old makeshift left-back Nico O’Reilly that broke the deadlock before Mateo Kovacic added a second.
Huge result for City in the chase for Champions League qualification as all eyes now turn on the battle between their rivals Aston Villa and Newcastle in half an hour.
FT: Crystal Palace 0-0 Bournemouth
It has ended all square at Selhurst Park.
Despite going down to ten men in the first-half, The Eagles manage to salvage a point.
Bournemouth dominated this game but could not find a goal to grab victory in the capital.
Two points dropped for Andoni Iraola’s side.
Brentford 4-2 Brighton
90+8. A corner is swung in by Damsgaard and The Seagulls go to sleep, leaving players unmarked.
Norgaard heads home from close range to put this match to bed.
Thomas Frank’s side have been the better side in West London today.
Goal – Christian Norgaard (Brentford)
FT: West Ham 1-1 Southampton
Heartbreak for The Hammers late on.
A superb volley from Ugochukwu earns a point for The Saints.
They are now level with Derby’s unwanted Premier League record as the lowest points return in a season.
FT: Everton 0-2 Man City
It is an eighth straight win at Goodison Park for Man City.
Not a great performance but at the business end of the season, sometimes you have to win ugly.
They make it back-to-back wins for the first time since January.
West Ham 1-1 Southampton
90+3. It has all gone pear-shaped for the hosts.
You cannot say that The Saints do not deserve a point from the game however.
Ugochukwu strikes a left-footed shot in the middle of the box and beats Areola to silence the London Stadium.
Goal – Lesley Ugochukwu (Southampton)
Everton 0-2 Man City
90+2. Kovacic doubles the lead for Guardiola’s side.
The ball breaks to him in the middle of the box and he drills a low shot into the far corner.
Flattering scoreline for Man City but an important three points none the less.
Goal – Mateo Kovacic (Man City)
Brentford 3-2 Brighton
81. It is game on again at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Hinshelwood finds Mitoma in the box and he slots his shot past Flekken to give his side a glimmer of hope.
It could be an entertaining end to this game in West London.
Goal – Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)
Everton 0-1 Man City
85. Bernardo Silva slides a pass out wide to Nunes.
He drills a cross in and Pickford opts to try and deal with it by sliding in with his feet.
Missing the ball completely, it leaves O’Reilly with a simple tap-in to give the visitors the lead.
Goal – Nico O’Reilly (Man City)
Everton 0-0 Man City
84. Big chance for Man City to win this game.
Keane fails to deal with a lofted ball forward, opting to let it bounce before his weak header sent Marmoush through.
The striker drilled his shot into the ground but Pickford saves to deny the visitors.
Crystal Palace 0-0 Bournemouth
81. This fast turning into a poor performance from The Cherries.
They have had 70% possession and thirteen shots in the game but still have not found the back of the net.
Considering they are down to ten men, Palace would take this.
View from SunSport’s Gary Stonehouse at Goodison Park
Everton suffered a big blow when James Tarkowski was forced off early in the second half after pulling something while stretching for the ball.
That could be him out for the rest of the season and potentially a disappointing final moment at Goodison.
City are starting to up the tempo a little as we reach the final 20 minutes but they are still struggling to find a way past the Toffees as it remains goalless with neither testing the keeper.
West Ham 1-0 Southampton
76. The Saints can feel hard done by in this game.
With so little between the teams, Bowen’s strike looks like it is going to be the difference.
The Hammers did have the ball in the net a second time but it was ruled out for offside.
Credit: Getty Everton 0-0 Man City
75. This has been a poor performance from Man City.
Marmoush tries to drive forward but cannot find a way through, opting to lay it off to Savinho.
The Brazilian gets a shot away but Pickford gets down well to make the save.
View from SunSport’s Matthew Dunn in West London
Is that game over for Brighton?
Joao Pedro is sent off for elbowing Nathan Collins, perhaps frustrated that moments earlier when he fizzed the ball across the face of goal, no Brighton player is there to convert it.
The contact was not much, but it looked like enough – certainly VAR was not about to argue with referee Tim Robinson.
Brentford have their tails up after second-half goals for both Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa – each of which deflected in off the unfortunately Brighton captain Lewis Dunk.
Brentford 3-1 Brighton
61. It looks like this game could be over as a contest.
Joao Pedro is sent off for violent conduct, reducing The Seagulls to ten men.
A moment of madness as he throws an elbow at Collins and is given his marching orders.
Credit: Reuters Red card – Joao Pedro (Brighton)
View from SunSport’s Ian Winrow at Selhurst Park
No surprise Alex Scott didn’t make it out for the second half.
The midfielder was already on a final warning following his early booking and Andoni Iraola clearly doesn’t want to risk his player seeing red.
Referee Sam Barrott has set a very low bar with his dismissal of Chris Richards.
No sign of Bournemouth making the extra man count though.
Brentford 3-1 Brighton
58. A quick break from The Bees stretches the visitors.
Mbuemo threads a pass into Wissa in the box, who drills the ball into the bottom corner.
It looks a long way back now for Brighton.
Credit: Getty
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
