Brighton 3 vs Liverpool 0
ROBERTO de Zerbi says his Brighton side “have a dream” of qualifying for Europe as Solly March’s double and a late Danny Welbeck strike condemned Liverpool to a heavy defeat at Amex Stadium.
March converted Kaoru Mitoma’s low cross to give the home team a deserved lead, after the returning Alexis Mac Allister had intercepted Joel Matip’s loose pass.
The winger then doubled the hosts’ advantage with a fabulous left-footed strike from Evan Ferguson’s through-ball.
Second-half substitute Welbeck capped a magnificent Brighton display with a superb finish past Alisson after flicking the ball over Joe Gomez.
“I have a fantastic team of fantastic players,” said De Zerbi. “It is an honour to work with them.
“We have a target at the end of the season. Now we have to play another 20-21 games and we have to stay focused on those games.
Everton 1 vs Southampton 2
James Ward-Prowse scored a stunning free-kick as Southampton came from behind to win and increase the pressure on Frank Lampard and Everton.
A season of frustration has seen the Toffees once again struggling at the wrong end of the table, and the discontent among the fans was clear at Goodison Park with banners displayed in protest at the club’s owners.
Indeed, there was enough concern at the club for the safety of their board members that they were told to stay away from the ground.
The fans, though, were clearly behind their players, welcoming them to the ground with an incredible scene of blue flares and passionate chanting.
That support was rewarded just before half-time when, after a half low on quality from both sides, Everton took the lead when Amadou Onana headed home Demarai Gray’s superb cross.
But Southampton, who shocked Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, turned it around in the second half thanks to Ward-Prowse.
He slotted in the equaliser after great footwork inside the box and, after Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit the crossbar, Ward-Prowse secured a huge three points for the Saints with a free-kick late on that left Jordan Pickford stranded.
Southampton stay bottom of the table but are level with Everton and West Ham on 15 points and are just one point from safety.