Everton 1 Newcastle 4
Newcastle are cantering towards a return to the Champions League after a 4-1 win at Goodison Park made a demoralised Everton’s task of escaping relegation all the more difficult.
Callum Wilson’s seventh and eighth goals in six matches against the Toffees either side of Joelinton’s fourth in his last five helped lift Eddie Howe’s side eight points clear of fifth place, while leaving their hosts two points from safety after one win in their last 10.
Even when Dwight McNeil pulled one back with 10 minutes to go Jacob Murphy immediately responded as Everton’s defensive nightmares down their right side continued for a second game.
Monday’s trip to Leicester, immediately above Everton in 18th, now becomes a must-win game as with Manchester City one of their two remaining home fixtures, Sean Dyche’s side cannot rely on the power of Goodison to get them over the line to extend a 69-year stay in the top flight.
But Newcastle, having experienced their own period in the doldrums of the Championship, have no such worries as an appearance in Europe’s elite competition proper for the first time since 2003 edges ever closer having scored 10 goals in their last two matches.
Southampton 0 Bournemouth 1
A goal from Marcus Tavernier secured Bournemouth a 1-0 win over Southampton and pile on more misery on interim boss Ruben Selles, whose side remain rock bottom in the Premier League.
Gary O’Neil’s squad leapfrogged West Ham United into 14th place with 36 points from 33 games, seven points clear of the drop zone.
Southampton, who have won just six times this season and played for most of the night like a team destined for relegation, are six points adrift of the safety zone with only five games remaining.
Bournemouth dominated possession and were finally rewarded for their hard work in the 50th minute when Tavernier worked around a pair of Saints defenders before threading the ball, which took a slight deflection, into the far corner.
Southampton thought they had levelled in the 90th minute but Che Adams’s goal was ruled out for being offside. Bournemouth had a goal from Matias Vina waved off in the 18th minute as offside.
The torrential downpour at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium meant the players had to contend with a slippery pitch and at times they struggled to stay on their feet.
