The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
United and Foxes remain on course for showdown
PREMIER LEAGUE: Victories set up chance of winnertakes-all Champions League ‘play-off’ on final day of season
Manchester United kept the pressure on Leicester and Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification with a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace last night.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw Marcus Rashford open the scoring in first-half stoppage time before Anthony Martial wrapped up the win with 12 minutes left in south London.
The Red Devils are now back level on points with Leicester, who had earlier beaten Sheffield United 2-0, and a point behind Chelsea before facing the Blues in an FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.
Palace pushed the visitors hard and would have been left frustrated after Wilfried Zaha was denied a penalty by the video assistant referee, while Jordan Ayew also had a goal disallowed by VAR for a very tight offside call.
Bruno Fernandes and Martial combined to set up the opener when the former found Rashford, who coolly cut back to get away from Patrick Van Aanholt and calmly slotted past Vicente Guaita.
Rashford was the provider for the second goal, Martial’s 22nd of the season.
Ayoze Perez and Demarai Gray inched Leicester closer to a Champions League return after a deserved win over Sheffield United.
The pair clinched a victory to ensure the Foxes will remain fourth heading into the final two league games.
Jamie Vardy hit the post and Harvey Barnes wasted two glorious secondhalf chances but the Foxes were worthy winners.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are certain not to finish lower than sixth, meaning they have booked a Europa League spot next season at the very least.
It also continued to point to a potential winner-takes-all showdown with Manchester United at the King Power Stadium on the final day.
Leicester visit Tottenham on Sunday with United hosting West Ham next Wednesday.
Third-placed Chelsea must visit Anfield to take on champions Liverpool next midweek before a final-day home game with Wolves.
Danny Ings struck his 20th Premier League goal of the season as Southampton fought back to secure a 1-1 draw which almost certainly guarantees safety for Brighton.
In-form Ings calmly rolled home in the 66th minute to deservedly prevent Saints slipping to a club-record 11th home league defeat of the campaign.
South coast rivals Albion, who moved six points clear of the relegation zone with only two fixtures remaining, led at St Mary’s courtesy of Neal Maupay’s first-half strike.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s mid-table hosts had taken 11 points from 18 since football resumed ahead of kick-off but were guilty of a limp first-half display.
They improved considerably after the restart and were unfortunate not to win having struck the woodwork either side of the leveller through Ings and Jannik Vestergaard.
Aston Villa’s top flight future hangs by a thread after Theo Walcott’s 87th-minute header meant Dean Smith’s struggling side had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
The visitors looked like they had given themselves a lifeline through Ezri Konsa’s first top-flight goal 18 minutes from time but the centre-back’s desperate overhead kick failed to keep out the Toffees substitute’s late effort to dash their hopes.
As a result Villa, with an inferior goal difference, remain three points from safety which means they realistically have to get something out of next week’s visit of Arsenal if they are to take it to a potential last-day decider at West Ham, who are in action against Watford tonight.