*Liverpool beat spirited Newcastle
Norwich were relegated from the Premier League with defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The tame loss, coupled with Burnley’s dramatic comeback win at Watford, leaves the Canaries bottom of the table and 13 points from safety with four games to play, reports the BBC.
Their fans continued to support as a relegation that has looked on the cards for some time was confirmed.
Ollie Watkins put Villa ahead in the first half, capitalising on a slip from Brandon Williams before lashing high into the net.
Williams’ error summed up Norwich’s season, as did their lack of potency in front of goal. They created limited openings, while Villa hit the woodwork in either half.
Danny Ings added a late goal in stoppage time to add to Norwich’s misery.
The low-key win for Villa ends a five-match winless run, lifts them to 13th in the table and takes them to the 40-point mark.
And Burnley scored twice in the final seven minutes to complete a dramatic comeback that pulled them five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and left hosts Watford on the brink of relegation.
At Molineux, Alexis Mac Allister missed a penalty before scoring from the spot as Brighton produced an excellent away performance to beat a sluggish Wolves.
The Argentine forward saw his a first-half penalty – awarded when Roman Saiss handballed a Solly March cross – strike the foot of the post but then whipped home from the spot nine minutes later after Willy Boly had brought down Danny Welbeck.
Graham Potter’s side showed pockets of their vibrant style throughout to create a flow of chances, with Leandro Trossard applying a composed and classy finish to seal the points on 70 minutes.
Wolves’ only effort on target too 84 minutes to arrive on a day where they were out-thought and out-played, as Brighton continued a gritty run of form which has seen them only losing one of their last six – to title-chasing Manchester City – picking up 11 points in the process.
Yves Bissouma added a third from 20 yards, finding the bottom corner after a break that epitomised the visitors’ display. Brighton move up to ninth, five points behind eighth-placed Wolves who have now lost three in a row without scoring.
In the first game of the day, Liverpool kept themselves firmly in the fight for the quadruple as they overcame a spirited Newcastle to move back to the top of the Premier League – for a few hours at least.
Jurgen Klopp made five changes at St James’ Park, including leaving top scorer Mohamed Salah on the bench, after the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
It was a move that looked like it would backfire as in-form Newcastle started strongly, pressing Liverpool high and forcing them into a couple of early mistakes.
But Liverpool grew into the game and were dominating possession when Naby Keita struck in the 19th minute.
The midfielder showed great composure as he dribbled across the box and past Martin Dubravka before slotting into the net.
Sadio Mane should have made it 2-0 before the break when his shot on the counter was too close to Dubravka, who also made a fine save from a Diogo Jota header.
The Newcastle fans, who were aggrieved that play continued in the lead-up to Liverpool’s goal because Fabian Schar was down injured, thought Miguel Almiron had equalised after rounding Alisson, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
The hosts also made a lively start to the second half, but Liverpool went closest to adding a second with Mane shooting wide from close range before Jota’s shot was pushed over.
It was not a vintage Liverpool display, but they got the job done to go two points clear at the top and put the pressure back on Manchester City, who face Leeds at Elland Road at 17:30 BST on Saturday.
RESULTS
• Newcastle 0 – 1 Liverpool
• Aston Villa 2 – 0 Norwich
• Southampton 1 – 2 Crystal Palace
• Watford 1 – 2 Burnley
• Wolves 0 – 3 Brighton
