Sergio Aguero provided a reminder of his goalscoring brilliance with the opener in Manchester City’s 2-0 win at Crystal Palace to put the Premier League leaders on the verge of another title.Pep Guardiola’s side clinched the Carabao Cup last weekend and took a big step towards the Champions League final on Wednesday, but still found the energy and quality to seal a 25th top-flight win of the campaign.

It means defeat for Manchester United on Sunday at home to Liverpool will crown City the best in England once again with stalwart Aguero making the most of a rare starting berth to edge his team towards more silverware.

After a frustrating first 45 minutes in south London, it was City’s record goalscorer who broke the deadlock with a superb finish and Ferran Torres wrapped up the points soon after following a fine curled effort.

Danny Welbeck netted a sublime goal as Brighton took a significant step towards Premier League survival by ending Leeds’ six-game unbeaten run with a deserved 2-0 win.

Former England forward Welbeck rifled home 11 minutes from time at the Amex Stadium after executing a perfect Cruyff turn on a dropping ball to secure a precious three points for the Seagulls.

Kai Havertz’s majestic brace tightened Chelsea’s grip on a top-four Premier League finish as the Blues deepened Fulham’s relegation worries with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

Germany forward Havertz doubled his Premier League tally for the campaign, in an exemplary exhibition of false nine play.

Fourth-placed Chelsea opened up a six-point gap on West Ham in fifth with their third win in four matches, with the Hammers travelling to Burnley on Monday night.

The Blues’ 18th clean sheet under boss Thomas Tuchel set the bedrock for another vital victory, with Real Madrid now pitching up at Stamford Bridge for the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

Havertz was cast as immediate King’s Road royalty the moment he arrived in west London last summer in a £70million switch from Bayer Leverkusen.

But this was the day the talented 21-year-old finally made his mark.

And while it only moved Villa one place up to ninth the real benefit was to the Euro 2020 hopefuls who were able to showcase their talents to the watching Gareth Southgate with Ollie Watkins and Jordan Pickford, in particular, impressing.

The Villa striker, who made a goalscoring international debut against San Marino in March, looked a handful throughout and was unlucky not to add to his 15th club goal of the season which opened the scoring.

That he did not build on that was partly down to Pickford, who kept Everton in the game to allow them to reach half-time level thanks to Calvert-Lewin’s 20th of the campaign.

But in terms of style they were outdone by Anwar El Ghazi’s 80th-minute winner which he curled into the top corner after sweeping crossfield move.

Watkins and Calvert-Lewin now have 28 Premier League goals between them and are looking like able deputies to Harry Kane at this summer’s tournament.

Gareth Bale scored a stunning hat-trick as Tottenham kept themselves in the Champions League qualification race with a 4-0 win over Sheffield United.

Bale claimed his first Spurs treble since 2012 with a trio of brilliant finishes to move his side into fifth, five points off Chelsea with four games left to play.

Son Heung-min also scored a fine goal as Ryan Mason’s men ran riot against a Blades side whose relegation fate has already been sealed.

Bale was unplayable and took his Premier League tally to eight goals in the last eight games, but with that must come a sense of what might have been this season.

Bale was alarmingly under-used by former boss Jose Mourinho, even when he had regained peak condition, and playing with freedom in a front four with Harry Kane, Son and Dele Alli, Spurs were a constant threat and a far cry from the pragmatic style that dogged Mourinho’s era.

It may have come too late to gatecrash the top four this season, but playing like this makes them a strong bet to finish in a Europa League spot.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang staked his claim for a role in Arsenal’s Europa League showdown with Villarreal as he struck in a routine 2-0 Premier League win at Newcastle.

The Gabon international, starting his first game after returning from a bout of malaria, struck after 66 minutes – the fifth successive game in which he has scored against the Magpies – to cement the Gunners’ 17th win in 18 outings against the Tyneside club.

It was no more than his side deserved from a dominant display which saw them go ahead through Mohamed Elneny’s first top-flight goal and never look like surrendering their advantage.

For their part, Newcastle, who had substitute Fabian Schar sent off late on, looked a shadow of the team which had eased itself away from the relegation zone with a four-game unbeaten run, and they still have work to do with Leicester and Manchester City still to play.
West Brom boss Sam Allardyce says the Baggies need a “magic miracle and fairy dust” to stay in the Premier League after drawing the Black Country derby with Wolves.

Allardyce’s proud record of never being relegated now requires his side to win all four of their remaining games, beginning with a trip to Arsenal on Sunday, and hope for a complete collapse from one of the five teams outside the drop zone that they can still catch.

That combination seems highly unlikely, even with the battling qualities West Brom showed during a game played in torrential rain to earn a point through Mbaye Diagne’s header after Fabio Silva’s fortunate first-half opener had put Wolves in front.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s depleted squad, who lost Wily Boly in the build-up to a positive coronavirus test, carried the greater threat for most of the contest, with Baggies keeper Sam Johnstone saving well from Nelson Semedo and Adama Traore either side of the interval.

However, while Silva ran away in jubilant celebration after sending the ball over Johnstone and into the net in stoppage time, replays showed the young Portuguese knew nothing about it as Kyle Bartley’s clearance cannoned off his standing foot.

Diagne levelled when he powered home Conor Townsend’s cross.

Allardyce will talk to the board about whether to stay next season.

West Ham forward Michail Antonio said they will not give up on their dream of securing Champions League football after he scored twice in a comeback victory over Burnley.

The Hammers moved up to fifth place in the table, just three points behind Chelsea in fourth, with four games of the season remaining.

Chris Wood scored from a penalty to give Burnley the lead before Antonio headed in Vladimir Coufal’s teasing cross and poked in Said Benrahma’s delivery eight minutes later.

Antonio, who returned after four weeks out with a hamstring injury, said: “It would be unbelievable. Everybody wants to play in the Champions League.

“I have been here a few years and there have been so many seasons we were fighting to stay in the league and now we have the opportunity for top four.

“We are not going to give up on it. We will keep fighting, keep pushing.”

West Ham boss David Moyes said: “We want to take it down to the final day and try to sneak in. It will probably need us to win all four games.

“Europe would be an incredible achievement. I think I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get there now.”

West Ham created numerous chances to extend their lead after Antonio’s double but Burnley could have made it 2-2 when Jay Rodriguez lashed a shot wide from close range.

Burnley remain nine points above the relegation zone in 16th place.

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