Football writer Ben Bloom analyses the Matchweek 33 action in the Premier League so far, including important victories for Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
With Arsenal’s win at Ipswich Town delaying Liverpool’s march to the Premier League title for at least a few days, the battle for UEFA Champions League places behind the top two is becoming increasingly tight.
Defeat for Newcastle United, combined with wins for Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa, mean just two points separate the five teams between third and seventh place ahead of Nottingham Forest’s match against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.
Wolverhampton Wanderers secured their Premier League safety by stretching their winning run to five games with victory over Manchester United, while bottom club Southampton secured a rare point to draw level with the all-time record Premier League lowest points tally.
Here is everything you need to know about the weekend’s games…
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After a run of eight home games without a win, Brentford finally sampled success at the Gtech Community Stadium to keep their slim hopes of European qualification alive.
Thomas Frank’s side had not triumphed at home since December, but a double from Bryan Mbeumo, coupled with goals from Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard, continued Brighton & Hove Albion’s worrying late-season slump.
The visitors have not won in their last five league games, slipping down the table to 10th.
Mbeumo’s 18 goals put him behind only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak this season, while his 24 goal involvements (18 goals, six assists) is the joint-most by a Brentford player in a Premier League season alongside Ivan Toney in 2022/23.
It was no surprise to also see Wissa’s name on the scoresheet. Wissa and Mbeumo have scored in the same Premier League game seven times this season – more than any other duo.
Goals from Danny Welbeck and Kaoru Mitoma counted for little for Brighton, who had Joao Pedro sent off for lashing out at Nathan Collins.
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A day that saw AFC Bournemouth surpass their record Premier League points tally was overshadowed by their frustration at failing to beat a Crystal Palace side who played half the game with 10 men.
Chris Richards was shown a second yellow in first-half stoppage time for a tug on Justin Kluivert.
It was Palace’s third red card in four Premier League games and took their tally to four for the season – more than any side other than Arsenal (five), and their joint-most in a single season in the competition.
Despite dominating possession after the break, Bournemouth rarely looked like scoring and any hopes Andoni Iraola’s side had of finishing in the top seven look to have gone. They sit eighth, seven points adrift of Aston Villa, and are hoping that they might snatch a UEFA Conference League spot.
Palace, who unsurprisingly went into defensive mode after half-time, failed to have a shot on target for the first time in the Premier League since March 2023.
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Man City did their bit in a thrilling battle to secure UEFA Champions League football next season, extending their unbeaten run against Everton to 16 Premier League games to remain fourth in the table.
After a largely uninspiring contest, Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic scored late goals as Pep Guardiola’s side stretched their current run to five games since their last defeat. Everton have won just two of their last 10 in the league.
O’Reilly has been involved in six goals across his last six appearances in all competitions (four goals, two assists), while Kovacic scored in consecutive Premier League games for the first time in his career. He has now scored more goals in 2024/25 (six) than in all six of his previous seasons in the competition combined (five).
Everton’s best chance came from James Tarkowski, who headed against the post, but he then departed early with a suspected hamstring injury.
The centre-back has started 111 consecutive games for Everton, three short of the outfield record held by Wayne Bridge.
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Lesley Ugochukwu’s injury-time equaliser earned Southampton a well-deserved point and delighted their fans after drawing level with Derby County’s Premier League record low of 11 points (from the 2007/08 season). They now have five games to surpass that tally.
Ugochukwu’s goal was his first in the Premier League, extending West Ham’s winless run to six matches in the competition.
The hosts were ponderous throughout, frustrating their supporters on a weekend that saw them slip to 17th.
They had gone ahead just after half-time through Jarrod Bowen. The West Ham captain’s last seven Premier League goals have given them the lead in a match – the joint-longest run by a Hammers player in the competition.
However, this was the first time they have opened the scoring at home in the Premier League this season and not gone on to win.
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Aston Villa’s excellent end to the season continued with a fifth successive Premier League win that extended their triumphant run at home to six games in all competitions, scoring at least twice in all of them.
It took less than a minute to go ahead when Ollie Watkins scored his 74th Premier League goal to draw alongside Gabriel Agbonlahor’s club record in the competition.
As well as twice hitting the woodwork, Watkins – on his return to the starting XI – provided the assist for Ian Maatsen’s goal. Since the start of last season, Watkins has scored and assisted in eight Premier League games, with only Salah doing so on more occasions.
A Dan Burn own goal and a stunning Amadou Onana strike completed proceedings.
Newcastle named the same starting XI for a seventh successive match, but visibly tired as the game wore on.
They have now conceded 4+ goals in four Premier League games this season, with only the bottom three of Ipswich (nine), Leicester City (five), and Southampton (five) doing so more.
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Much to the delight of the previously discontented travelling fans, Chelsea staged a dramatic late comeback at their local rivals to win for the first time in nine Premier League away games.
Enzo Maresca’s side looked to be heading to defeat when Alex Iwobi fired the hosts into a first-half lead.
But Tyrique George struck late on and Pedro Neto added a winner in stoppage time to keep Chelsea’s Champions League hopes on track.
Aged 19 years and 75 days, George became Chelsea’s youngest Premier League goalscorer since Callum Hudson-Odoi netted against Burnley in January 2020 (19y 65d).
Fulham have now dropped 25 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, with only Ipswich (27) giving away more.
Having beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day, Fulham’s wait for a first league double over their neighbours continues after 40 seasons in the same division.
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Mikel Arteta could not have wished for a simpler Easter Sunday task than seeing off an all-but relegated Ipswich side who have now lost all seven of their Premier League home games this calendar year.
The hosts were blown away from the outset and lost Leif Davis to a straight red for a dangerous challenge on Bukayo Saka after just 32 minutes. From the ninth to the 56th minute, Ipswich did not even muster a shot.
The hosts have lost their last seven Premier League games against sides starting the day in the top two by an aggregate score of 29-2.
Leandro Trossard scored twice, and Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri once apiece, to prevent Liverpool from winning the Premier League title at least until midweek, when Arsenal play against Crystal Palace.
Trossard clearly enjoys playing against promoted opposition – he has been directly involved in 11 goals (five goals, six assists) in his last 13 Premier League games against sides who have come up from the Championship.
Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League away games – their longest run within a single season since 2008/09.
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A first league double over Man Utd in 45 years secured Wolves' Premier League safety and extended their winning streak to an astonishing five games for the first time since 1970/71 as Vitor Pereira continues to work wonders at the previously struggling club.
Since Pereira’s first game in charge just before Christmas, only Liverpool (43), Arsenal (33), Newcastle (33) and Man City (31) have won more Premier League points than Wolves’ 29. By contrast, United have claimed just 16 in that time.
Pablo Sarabia’s brilliant free-kick was the only goal of the game as United lost their eighth Premier League home fixture this season – their most defeats at Old Trafford in a league campaign since 1962/63.
While Pereira’s time at the helm has been joyful, his Portuguese compatriot Ruben Amorim has experienced the opposite, losing 11 of his 22 Premier League games at United – as many defeats as he suffered across his final 114 league matches with Sporting Lisbon.
United have failed to score in nine of those games. Only Leicester have drawn more blanks in that time.
An unexpected start for Tyler Fredricson means this is only the second season in which United have given four Premier League debuts to English players aged under 21 (Toby Collyer, Ayden Heaven, Harry Amass, Fredricson), having also done this in 1994/95 (Paul Scholes, Kevin Pilkington, Phil Neville, David Beckham).
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Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal ensured Leicester’s fifth relegation from the Premier League. Only Norwich City (six) have dropped out of the competition more times.
Few relegated sides have departed with such a whimper, with Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side becoming the first in top-flight history to go nine consecutive home league games without scoring. They did not have a single shot on target against Liverpool.
Conversely, this was the second time this season that Liverpool have had 10+ shots on target and not conceded in a Premier League match.
They could wrap up the title next weekend after Alexander-Arnold’s winner, which was the 23rd goal of his professional career but the first scored with his left foot.
If there was one slight concern it was Salah’s failure to score. Although he had seven shots and hit both posts with a shot in the opening seconds, his only two goals in Liverpool’s last eight games both came from the penalty spot against Southampton.
He has now gone 817 minutes without a goal from open play in all competitions.