Burnley out of the relegation zone after draw at Aston Villa

Marco Alonso on target as Chelsea set to finish third after Leicester draw

Ashley Barnes scores from the penalty spot at Villa Park. Photograph: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Ashley Barnes scores from the penalty spot at Villa Park. Photograph: Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Burnley 1 Aston Villa 1

Burnley moved out of the relegation zone following a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Thursday, keeping their Premier League survival in their own hands heading into the final day of the season.

Striker Ashley Barnes put Burnley ahead just before halftime, sending keeper Emiliano Martinez the wrong way with a low penalty into the corner after Burnley were awarded a spot-kick for a foul on Maxwel Cornet.

The visitors, however, did not lead for long as Emiliano Buendia made up for conceding the penalty when he equalised in the 48th minute with an excellent first-time shot from inside the box.

Villa dominated the closing stages but Burnley keeper Nick Pope held firm to lift Mike Jackson's side out of the bottom three.

READ SOME MORE

They are 17th on 35 points, level with Leeds on points but with a vastly superior goal difference going into their final game at home to Newcastle United on Sunday. Villa remained 14th.

Chelsea 1 Leicester 1

Marco Alonso scored a glorious equaliser to earn Chelsea a 1-1 home draw with Leicester City and effectively seal third place in the Premier League ahead of the final round of fixtures.

Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso scores against Leicester City at Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Getty Images
Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso scores against Leicester City at Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Getty Images

The draw lifted Chelsea to 71 points, 19 behind leaders Manchester City and three ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth, but Chelsea's far superior goal difference means Spurs have no realistic chance of overtaking them.

Leicester took the lead in the seventh minute when Kasper Schmeichel sent a sweeping long ball to Timothy Castagne, and his deflected pass fell into the path of James Maddison who advanced before curling a perfect shot past Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea’s 34th-minute equaliser was exquisite, Reece James lofting a diagonal ball into the box for Alonso to volley home, and though they completely dominated the game the hosts could not find the net again and had to be content with a draw.