Race for Europe hots up as big guns stunned

Liverpool and Chelsea’s unexpected defeats on Saturday combined to condense the race to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Just three points separate Liverpool in fifth and Everton in eighth, with Chelsea and Brentford – who drew 0-0 against Leeds United – nestled in sixth and seventh respectively.

Saturday’s results put Manchester United’s draw against AFC Bournemouth the previous night in a new light, with the point helping them widen a seven-point gap to sixth place.

Aston Villa will also have the chance to separate themselves from the chasing pack when they host West Ham United on Sunday.

A brace from Danny Welbeck boosted Brighton & Hove Albion’s hopes of qualifying for European football next season, while hurting Liverpool’s chances of finishing in the top five.

Welbeck scored similar goals in both halves – point-blank finishes from left-sided crosses that were pushed back into his path – to take his Premier League goal tally to 12 for the season, his best return in a career campaign.

Watch Welbeck’s 12 goals in 2025/26

He is now two goals ahead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the highest-scoring Englishman in the Premier League this season.

Brighton have won four of their last five Premier League games – as many as in their previous 18 matches in the competition – and face a strong challenge to finish in the top seven, which should be enough to bring European football back to the Amex Stadium next season.

Liverpool, meanwhile, lost their 10th Premier League game of the season, the most by a reigning champion since Chelsea recorded the same number in 2017/18. The climax of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by beating Galatasaray on Wednesday is quickly over.

Five of Liverpool’s league defeats came directly after Champions League matches.

“It’s clear that we lost a lot of points after playing in Europe,” said coach Arne Slot. “I have tried to explain why many times before, but today we also have to pay tribute to Brighton.”

The absences of Mohamed Salah and Alisson didn’t help, and the Reds suffered another blow when Hugo Ekitike limped off with a dead leg after just eight minutes.

Liverpool have won just four of their last 13 Premier League matches, while their next league match, at home to Fulham on April 11, comes between two Champions League matches against Paris Saint-Germain.

“There is always pressure at Liverpool,” added Slot. “On me, on the players. It’s completely normal.

“We qualified for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League, but in the league we need to make sure that in the end we qualify for the Champions League.”

The victory temporarily moved Brighton into eighth place, but they were quickly overtaken by Fulham and then Everton after both winning.

Everton closed the gap on Chelsea to two points and placed themselves firmly in the top five with the shock result of the day, securing their biggest Premier League victory against the Blues.

Beto was their hero, scoring twice before helping Iliman Ndiaye score late in the match. The striker has returned to form and is Everton’s top scorer in the Premier League in 2026, with five goals.

The victory also marked Everton’s first consecutive league victory at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and arguably their most complete display at their new home.

James Garner, fresh from his first England call-up, set up Beto’s opener with a defense-splitting pass and praised the atmosphere, comparing it to Goodison Park, Everton’s former home.

“Yes, it’s the best I’ve seen, and to top it off with a win was incredible,” the midfielder said.

Chelsea suffered a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions and have also failed to score in their three successive games during this run for the first time since September 2023. They have been without a clean sheet for eight games, conceding 18 goals in that period and are now looking back at the bottom of the table rather than the top.

“As for the things we talked about, not giving away goals, making sure we are in the game, taking control of the game, that was not the case,” Chelsea head coach Leroy Rosenior said.

“It turned into a really difficult evening where the result and performance was far from what we expected or wanted.”

Fulham are now just four points behind Chelsea after two goals in six second-half minutes helped the Cottagers turn their match against Burnley around.

Zian Flemming’s seventh away goal of the season had given Scott Parker’s side the lead on the hour mark, but Fulham responded quickly to take control. Nineteen-year-old Joshua King leveled the hosts with his first Premier League goal, before turning passer to set up Harry Wilson, who scored with a superb finish from just inside the area.

Watch: Wilson brand finishes

Wilson’s shot map for Fulham 2025/26

Substitute Raul Jimenez then wrapped up the win from the penalty spot in added time, maintaining his perfect Premier League record with 14 from 14 attempts – the best 100 per cent record in the competition’s history.

It was an emotional moment for the Mexican after the final whistle, which marked the first time since the death of his father earlier this month.

A point may prove valuable to both Leeds and Brentford at the end of the season, but given the former’s proximity to the relegation zone and the latter’s struggle for European qualification, it is just as likely that both could view this match as a missed opportunity.

Two well-organized defenses conspired to generate a game with notably few chances – Leeds’ expected goals (xG) total was 0.54, and they failed to score in four consecutive top-flight matches for the first time in four years.

They are also winless in six league matches and will have a keen eye on proceedings on Sunday as Tottenham Hotspur host Nottingham Forest, with West Ham at Villa at the same time.