Yerry Mina’s last-gasp leveller at Wolves earned Everton a priceless point in their fight for Premier League survival.

The defender struck with seconds left to grab a 1-1 draw to give the Toffees hope after Hwang Hee-chan had given Wolves a first-half lead.

Their 69-year stay in the top flight remains in doubt and Sean Dyche’s side could still find themselves in the drop zone before next week’s finale.

Leeds go to West Ham on Sunday before Leicester’s trip to Newcastle on Monday and victory for both would lift them above Everton.

As it is, they sit two points above the Premier League’s bottom three ahead of the visit of Bournemouth next Sunday.

Dyche had told his players to ignore the noise but they struggled for long spells and again lost Dominic Calvert-Lewin to injury.

It will spawn a nervous Goodison Park, which saw its last relegation from the top flight in 1951.

Wolves’ own season of struggle – they were bottom at Christmas – will ultimately end in mid-table comfort, mainly thanks to what stands as seven home wins from 10 games since the turn of the year.

Julen Lopetegui had stressed the importance of the Premier League’s integrity, insisting his team would not roll over with matters at the bottom to be settled.

It was, though, understandable that Everton made the better start as Calvert-Lewin brushed the side-netting before nodding Alex Iwobi’s cross over.

The Toffees needed that urgency and, against a Wolves side containing six changes, they were the aggressors, although they lost Nathan Patterson to injury after 29 minutes.

Mina headed over after Daniel Bentley missed a corner and Everton were on top only to be caught on the break for the opener after 34 minutes.

The visitors were pressing on the edge of Wolves’ box but Abdoulaye Doucoure’s loose pass fell to Adama Traore who turned on the afterburners.

The forward launched into an unstoppable 70-yard dash, brushing off Amadou Onana, and when his shot was saved by Jordan Pickford, Hwang stroked in the rebound.

It was harsh on Everton but it got worse in first-half stoppage time when Calvert-Lewin, who came off in last week’s defeat to Manchester City with a groin problem, limped off.

Demarai Gray replaced him but there was no focal point and any second-half response was limited. Gray highlighted their lack of presence up front when his wicked cross through the six-yard box was missed by everyone.

Wolves had slowly gained control and Pablo Sarabia curled wide before Daniel Podence volleyed off target.

A wayward Iwobi strike was all Everton could muster until Bentley pushed Gray’s drive behind with 21 minutes left but, as time began to run out, there were few signs of a recovery.

Iwobi’s shot deflected wide and the Toffees needed Pickford to deny Matheus Nunes late on.

But they snatched an unlikely point in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Mina bundled in from close range following Michael Keane’s knockback.

Captain Callum McGregor rescued Celtic with a late leveller as the Hoops twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with St Mirren in a pulsating encounter at Parkhead.

Buddies boss Stephen Robinson had promised to have a go at the cinch Premiership champions and striker Curtis Main gave the visitors a shock lead after four minutes.

Hoops attacker Kyogo Furuhashi levelled with a powerful drive in the 15th minute only for Main to restore the visitors’ lead five minutes from the interval.

Main should have added to his tally on three occasions after the break and the Buddies were made to pay when McGregor equalised with nine minutes remaining to avoid a successive league defeat after losing 3-0 to Old Firm rivals Rangers last week.

St Mirren beat Celtic 2-0 last September but had suffered three heavy defeats by the Hoops subsequently, although they were well worth their point on this occasion.

It was Celtic’s first home game since they clinched the title against Hearts at Tynecastle two weeks ago and Greg Taylor, Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda came back in, along with Tomoki Iwata who was playing in a more unfamiliar centre-back role in place of Yuki Kobayashi.

Midfielder Keanu Baccus and defender Thierry Small started for the visitors, who got off to a stunning start.

Following a long clearance from Buddies goalkeeper Trevor Carson, a mix-up between Iwata and right-back Anthony Ralston allowed the ball to drop to Main inside the box and he turned inside the latter before shooting low past keeper Joe Hart.

However, the lead evaporated when midfielder Reo Hatate took a pass from Iwata and slipped in Furuhashi to slam the ball high past Carson from 12 yards for his 31st goal of the season.

Hatate soon thundered a shot just over the bar and midfielder Matt O’Riley’s drive deflected off Baccus and almost sneaked in at the near post before Carson turned it behind for a corner which came to nothing.

Saints passed up a great chance when Hart parried Greg Kiltie’s cross straight to Ryan Strain and he knocked it past a post from just a few yards out.

However, there was even more drama moments later when Main headed into the net from eight yards out after latching on to a Mark O’Hara header as Celtic struggled to clear their lines.

After a long VAR check for offside, referee David Munro confirmed the goal put an unusual sheen on Ange Postecoglou’s half-time team talk.

Three minutes after the restart Strain stood a cross up to the back post and Main leapt highest only to head past a post.

Celtic were rattled again but came back and, in the 54th minute, from Jota’s cross, Maeda lifted the ball over the bar from six yards before Main, again, headed a Strain cross wide at the other end.

Maeda prodded the ball wide from close range before O’Reilly, Hatate and Maeda were replaced by Sead Haksabanovic, Liel Abada and Oh Hyeon-gyu as Postecoglou re-energised his side.

The Paisley side were having to hold on, desperately at times but in a breakaway, Main beat Hart with a drive only to see the ball rebound off a post, with Oh striking the goalframe at the other end seconds later.

With time running out for the home side it was McGregor who came to the rescue when he curled the ball past Carson from the edge of the box to cheers of relief, and the Buddies had to withstand late pressure to emerge with a point.

Manchester United moved a step closer to playing in the Champions League next season as Casemiro’s brilliant overhead kick earned a 1-0 win away at Bournemouth.

Victory on the south coast, together with Liverpool’s failure to beat Aston Villa, strengthened United’s grip on a top-four spot with two games to play and meant Erik ten Hag is close to achieving his primary objective in his first season in charge.

This was not Ten Hag’s side at their best, but once they were in front they limited a spirited and organised Bournemouth to a handful of chances, with David de Gea in form to deny Gary O’Neil’s side whenever they threatened.

A point against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Thursday will ensure the team go into the final day with the top-four job complete.

United took the lead after nine minutes, partly through good fortune, but the goal owed much to the quick thinking and improvisational brilliance of Casemiro.

Christian Eriksen’s floated ball into the box was flicked on inadvertently by the boot of Marcos Senesi. The defender’s intervention played Casemiro onside and in one movement he swivelled acrobatically and whacked an effort on the turn past Neto to give United the perfect start.

The game settled down, United largely controlling the ball and probing for gaps in behind Bournemouth, most of which were plugged well by O’Neil’s side.

The next real chance fell to Dominic Solanke. A long, reaching pass arrived invitingly at his feet, though the opportunity looked to have gone when Aaron Wan-Bissaka hustled him off the ball. But Solanke would not be deterred and, winning it back, he cut inside United and made space for a low drive which De Gea turned aside brilliantly.

Casemiro tried once again to execute the spectacular when he hit a thumping drive first time from 35 yards which Neto got down well to and held.

On the whole, though, the first half ended with Bournemouth in the ascendency, Solanke reminding United once again of his and his team’s threat by planting a header fractionally over with the last action before the break.

David Brooks, making his first start since being diagnosed with cancer in 2021, tested the reflexes of De Gea minutes after the restart, the goalkeeper throwing up an arm to turn a fizzing drive over the bar.

Brooks was substituted shortly afterwards and left to a standing ovation from the Vitality Stadium.

United were without top scorer Marcus Rashford, out with an unspecified illness after also missing the previous victory against Wolves, and their attack lacked a focal point in his absence.

A goalscorer of Rashford’s instincts might have brought Bournemouth an equaliser when Solanke ran the ball to the byline and sent over a cross that rolled inches in front of the goal. No one in red and black had kept pace with the forward and the ball drifted to safety.

Illya Zabarnyi was in the right spot at the right time to turn Bruno Fernandes’ first-time effort over the bar from Wan-Bissaka’s cut-back as United probed for a second.

Fernandes stung the palms of Neto with a volley from outside the box, the keeper requiring two strong palms to beat it away.

Dango Ouattara came off the bench and caused problems down United’s left, bursting past Luke Shaw and crossing one moment, linking up well with Solanke the next. If Bournemouth were going to find a way back, it looked likely that it would be via the substitute.

Instead it was another of O’Neil’s replacements, Kieffer Moore, that spurned the hosts’ best chance.

Moore’s movement was clever to run in behind, but, with only De Gea to beat, his shot was straight at the keeper, who saved with his leg.

United hearts were in mouths when Senesi volleyed on to the roof of the goal in added time.

But the visitors saw the job out and one more point will ensure Ten Hag can turn attentions to an FA Cup final meeting with Manchester City at Wembley.

Ryan Mason played down fears about the future of Tottenham vice-captain Harry Kane after a disappointing 3-1 home loss to Brentford.

Kane’s 30th goal in all competitions put Spurs ahead after eight minutes, but the visitors turned the game around after the break through Bryan Mbeumo’s double and Yoane Wissa’s late goal.

It ensured Tottenham suffered a 14th defeat of a poor campaign in their final home fixture, which ended with the players doing a lap of honour in front of largely empty seats.

Vice-captain Kane waved to the fans who had stayed and uncertainty remains over his future with only one more year left on his deal at Spurs.

But Mason insisted: “He waves at the crowd every season.

“I remember sitting here two years ago and you guys were convinced he was leaving, saying the same thing.

“It’s the last home game of the season so he wants to show his appreciation to the support he’s received and we’ve all received this season.”

Spurs had impressed during the opening 45 and Son Heung-min, Emerson Royal, Arnaut Danjuma and Dejan Kulusevski all went close before half-time.

No second goal occurred for the hosts and Mbeumo’s quickfire brace after the break proved crucial.

Mason added: “This is the Premier League. You have to be ready for the whole game.

“I thought the first half we played a very good match, had a few opportunities to score a couple more, but of course in the second half the intensity dropped and we were punished.”

Back-to-back defeats have damaged Tottenham’s hopes of securing European football next season and there were further chants for chairman Daniel Levy to leave during his latest loss.

Mason admitted it hurt to see so many fans depart before the lap of honour but urged the club to commit to a philosophy this summer in its search for a new head coach and managing director of football.

“Of course (it hurts). It is understandable because of how probably the second two-thirds of the season have gone on and off the pitch but ultimately we know the fans will be there next season,” Spurs’ acting head coach insisted.

“This club will keep moving forward and now is the time where we need to be stronger than ever and believe in what we’re going to do, commit to it and have people that are committed to it.

“And I always say in football things can change very quickly and the energy can change quickly.

“There are many different conversations that need to happen, but ultimately, I have said it quite a bit, we need to commit to something and be consistent with it.

“Then have people, staff and players here who are committed to it too and I think that transfers to everyone else. That is what we need.”

Brentford were able to toast a milestone victory that means they have now defeated each member of the ‘big six’ during their first two seasons in the Premier League.

This fine win also ensured the Bees’ finished a difficult week on a high note after 20-goal forward Ivan Toney was hit with an eight month ban from all football activity on Thursday for repeated betting breaches.

“I think it is unbelievable and remarkable,” Frank said of Brentford’s top-six feat.

“For a newly promoted team over two seasons to beat all of the top-six teams must be quite unique so yes, of course we’re proud of that.

“We’ve already talked about (Ivan). To replace 20 goals in the Premier League is not easy but we actually have good players in the squad that can score goals and every single time Wissa is playing instead of Ivan he scores goals.

“He did that today and Kevin, he will score goals because he is such a threat going in behind.

“Of course the big praise is to Bryan today. He is growing more and more to be a key player for us.”

Steven Naismith praised the attacking intent and the character of his Hearts side after they came from behind for the second weekend running to beat Aberdeen 2-1 and keep alive their hopes of finishing third in the cinch Premiership.

The Jambos trailed the Dons following a Mattie Pollock header, but Josh Ginnelly hit back with a stunning equaliser before Lawrence Shankland secured victory with his 27th goal of the season.

Naismith, whose side cut the gap on Aberdeen to just two points with two games to play, was delighted to see Hearts show their resolve again after they fought back with 10 men to dig out a 2-2 draw at St Mirren the previous weekend.   

“We pulled through and won after losing the first goal but overall I thought we played a really good game of football for 70 minutes,” said Naismith after an exhilarating showdown at Tynecastle.

“Again there is progression in terms of the way I want to play. I said from day one I want to have an attacking team who create more problems for the other team than they do for us and I think you will see that from the stats: how many shots we had on goal and how many really good chances we had.

“Then you have the pleasing aspect we come from behind. That is the last two games we have been in compromising situations. To get the red card in the last one and get a draw and here to win and play the way we want to play is very pleasing for me.

“If it was 3-1 after 70 minutes, people would not have been surprised.”

Naismith hailed the improvement in Ginnelly after the English forward took his tally for the season to 13 with a stunning 25-yard strike.

“He has been a big player for us,” said Naismith. “I played with him as a team-mate and he had loads of inconsistency and maybe lacked the drive to be really successful.

“But this season he has showed consistency, he has popped up for us and in the short time since I have taken over he has actually been a really good leader.”

Naismith apologised to his Aberdeen counterpart Barry Robson for not shaking his hand at full-time as he went straight on the pitch to celebrate victory.

“That’s my bad,” he said. “I’m naive in this situation in that the passion, the will to win overrides the thought process.

“I have just apologised to him there. I know Barry will not be happy with me and he’ll have been raging after it, but that’s 100 per cent my fault.

“I’ve spoken to him and apologised because he’s someone I consider a friend.”

Robson was pleased with the “fight” in his team but disappointed with the result. 

“It was a proper game, a good scrap,” he said. “We knew coming down here we wouldn’t get it our own way, Hearts are trying to chase us down.

“We got a goal up and Mattie Pollock has a great opportunity to get another goal.

“We fought for the cause, there were chances – they had a few as well – and they go ahead, and we come back into the game, us trying to score. That was how the game panned out.”

Tottenham’s disappointing campaign took another turn for the worse after Bryan Mbeumo’s second-half brace earned Brentford a fine 3-1 win at their London rivals.

Harry Kane’s early opener gave Spurs the perfect start in their quest to stay in the hunt for Europa League football, but the visitors turned the tables with an impressive display after the break.

Mbeumo grabbed a quickfire brace to help fill the void of Ivan Toney, who on Thursday received an eight-month ban from all football activities from the FA for betting breaches.

Yoane Wissa then sealed the victory late on for Thomas Frank’s side with Spurs suffering a 14th defeat of the Premier League season and leaving the pitch to boos after another match with more chants for chairman Daniel Levy to leave the club.

Tottenham’s loss at Aston Villa last weekend had added to the glum mood around club, but the sun was shining for this final home fixture of the season and Ryan Mason rung the changes.

Attackers Arnaut Danjuma and Dejan Kulusevski earned recalls while the fit-again Yves Bissouma made his first start since January with Spurs’ acting head coach reverting to the 4-2-3-1 formation he used in 2021.

Chairman Levy used his programme notes to acknowledge the season struggles but promised to bring “on-pitch success” after a chaotic campaign.

One of Levy’s many key decisions this summer – alongside hiring a new head coach and managing director of football – is to try and convince Kane to commit his long-term future to Spurs.

After eight minutes Tottenham’s vice-captain provided yet another reminder of his importance.

Oliver Skipp, another academy graduate, won a free-kick around 25-yards out and Kulusevski teed up Kane to curl over the wall and beyond David Raya for his 30th goal in all competitions.

It was the perfect start for the hosts and Son Heung-min was the next to go close but Raya denied him after Kane’s pass.

The strong opening period by Tottenham was not enough to prevent the first round of ‘Levy out’ chants from the South Stand with 23 minutes played to mark his number of years at the club.

A second goal for the hosts should have followed immediately after but Emerson Royal’s header was brilliantly cleared off the line by Rico Henry after good work by Kulusevski and Son.

Mathias Jensen side-footed over for Brentford minutes later but Spurs remained in the ascendancy and Danjuma headed wide before Ben Mee thwarted Son with a vital block.

Kulusevski, impressive in the number 10 role, ended the half with a firm near-post effort that Raya pushed over to ensure it stayed 1-0 at the break.

Bees boss Frank had seen enough and introduced Mikkel Damsgaard for the second half, which paid dividends straight away.

It was Damsgaard who fed the ball into Yoane Wissa and he passed into the path of Mbeumo, who cut inside from the right and curled into the bottom corner to level in the 50th minute.

While Kane blazed over after another Kulusevski through ball minutes later, Brentford had their tales up now and grabbed a second with 62 on the clock.

Aaron Hickey played a superb ball down the right and Mbeumo raced away and dribbled into the area before side-footing into the bottom corner for his ninth goal of the campaign.

More chants for chairman Levy to leave the club followed but only after Lucas Moura had been introduced for his farewell appearance.

Mason turned to Pedro Porro and Richarlison next with the latter having half-hearted penalty appeals waved away before Wissa wrapped up the points.

Shandon Baptise robbed the ball off Skipp and Mbeumo teed up Wissa, who curled home for his seventh goal this season.

There was still time for nine minutes of stoppage-time and Raya to produce two outstanding saves to deny Richarlison before the full-time whistle was met with boos before chants urging Kane to stay amid uncertainty over his long-term future.

Lawrence Shankland scored a second-half winner as Hearts defeated Aberdeen 2-1 at Tynecastle to crank up the heat on their opponents in the battle for third place in the cinch Premiership.

The Dons arrived at Tynecastle boasting a five-point lead over the Jambos and they looked on course to kill off their hosts’ hopes of catching them when Mattie Pollock headed the opening goal just after the half hour.

But a stunning equaliser from Josh Ginnelly and Shankland’s 27th goal of the season turned the game in the Edinburgh side’s favour as they closed the gap to just two points with two matches remaining in the battle for automatic European group-stage qualification next term.

Hearts made two changes to the team that started the 2-2 draw at St Mirren as full-backs James Hill and Andy Halliday dropped to the bench to make way for Nathaniel Atkinson and Alex Cochrane.

There were three alterations to the Aberdeen side that drew 0-0 at home to Hibernian as Jayden Richardson, Connor Barron and Marley Watkins replaced Ryan Duncan, Hayden Coulson and talismanic striker Luis Lopes.

After a relatively low-key start, things started to liven up after the Dons had Jonny Hayes booked for a robust challenge on Yutaro Oda in the 11th minute.

Hearts captain Shankland had the first notable attempt of the match in the 14th minute when he was denied from just inside the box by a save from Kelle Roos.

The Aberdeen keeper had to stand firm two minutes later to keep out a powerful angled strike from Oda after the Japanese attacker nicked the ball off Hayes and got himself clear in the box.

The Dons’ first opportunity came in the 17th minute when Watkins cut inside Kyle Rowles and saw a shot from the edge of the box blocked by Zander Clark.

The hosts continued to look the more threatening side, though, and Shankland fired over from 12 yards after Aberdeen failed to deal with a corner into the box.

The Dons seized the advantage in the 31st minute when Leighton Clarkson’s corner looped beyond Clark and on-loan Watford centre-back Pollock rose to nod home at the back post.

Hearts had a great chance to equalise two minutes later when Ginnelly back-heeled a pass from Barrie McKay into the path of Cochrane, who was bursting into the centre of the box, but the left-back saw his effort brilliantly blocked by Aberdeen defender Liam Scales.

Shankland hooked a shot over from just inside the box and Oda had another ferocious strike beaten away by Roos as Hearts cranked up the pressure.

The visitors were generally struggling to get into dangerous positions, although Pollock threatened again from another set-piece when he headed wide after connecting with Hayes’ free-kick in the 40th minute.

Hearts deservedly drew level in the most poignant and spectacular fashion when Ginnelly unleashed a stunning angled strike into the top corner from 25 yards out at a time when the home support were in the middle of an emotional minute’s applause for Hearts supporter David Stewart, who recently died aged 42. Fireworks were also going off outside the ground as a tribute to the late Jambo the moment the ball hit the net.

Cochrane then fizzed a shot agonisingly wide of the far post as Hearts finished the half on the front foot.

The home side remained in the ascendancy at the start of the second half and they got themselves in front when top scorer Shankland flicked home at the near post after Cochrane ran on to a pass from McKay and crossed from the left.

McKay then curled just past the post after being released on the left by Ginnelly and Shankland scuffed an effort wide as the hosts tried to turn the screw. Despite only holding a slender lead, Hearts were able to see out victory in relatively comfortable fashion.

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes says she does not intend to watch Sunday’s Manchester derby that could see her side crowned Women’s Super League champions.

With two rounds of games to go, champions Chelsea are two points clear of second-placed Manchester United heading into their lunchtime kick-off at Kingsmeadow against Arsenal.

If the Blues win, United then failing to in their early evening clash with Manchester City at Leigh Sports Village will mean a fourth successive WSL title – adding to last weekend’s FA Cup success – secured for Hayes’ team.

Asked if she would be watching the derby, Hayes told a press conference: “I said (to her son) I promise you Sunday afternoon we’ll take you out, new bike, and I’ll take him and his cousins for a roll around north London.

“He will come first Sunday afternoon. Of course, someone will tell me, but I’m pretty certain I won’t be sitting down and watching it at home. It’s nicer, light evenings – I definitely won’t be.”

Hayes, who saw Chelsea go top with Wednesday’s 4-0 win at West Ham and has described their efforts in a busy schedule as “unbelievable” given “the hardest part is the games accumulation”, added of Sunday: “We have to be really respectful.

“We haven’t won anything. We’ve got to play arguably one of the best teams in Europe this year on Sunday and that will be extremely challenging. I think Arsenal are a top team. So I’m not thinking about the outcome.”

Arsenal, Chelsea’s fellow Champions League semi-finalists this term, beat them 3-1 in the League Cup final in March, while there has also been a 2-0 FA Cup win for Hayes’ team and a 1-1 draw between the clubs since the turn of the year.

The Gunners are third in the table, three points behind United and three better off than fourth-placed City in the race for Champions League places – the top three positions.

Boss Jonas Eidevall said: “We play against a very strong Chelsea side and know we have to be at our best. Maybe the best performance of our season in order to get the result we want.”

Eidevall also said Switzerland international Lia Walti, who came off injured in Wednesday’s 4-1 win at Everton, will miss the remainder of the campaign but should be able to recover in time for the World Cup.

United boss Marc Skinner has described the match against City as “a heavyweight contest – one big punch and the other can be knocked out”.

Since their promotion in 2019, United are yet to have beaten City in five WSL meetings. Three of those have been draws, including the last encounter in December at the Etihad Stadium, which finished 1-1 with Gareth Taylor’s side equalising through Laura Coombs.

The Red Devils – who were making their Women’s FA Cup final debut when they were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea at Wembley last Sunday – have already achieved their record WSL points haul this term, after coming fourth in each of the last three seasons.

City are looking to avoid what would be a first finish outside the European places since 2014, their inaugural WSL campaign.

Also on Sunday, relegation battlers Leicester host West Ham and Brighton go to Everton, while Aston Villa entertain Liverpool.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has issued a promise to supporters that the summer months will be spent trying to bring “on-pitch success” to the club.

Spurs have endured a difficult campaign with boss Antonio Conte departing in March, before Fabio Paratici resigned from his managing director of football position last month following a worldwide ban for allegations of false accounting during his time at Juventus.

The club’s trophy drought has also extended into a 15th consecutive season and any hope of another top-four finish has long gone with unrest amongst the fanbase growing amid a perceived lack of direction or transparency from the board.

Ryan Mason is the third head coach this season, after Cristian Stellini was sacked following a disastrous four-game spell, and with the managerial search set to extend into a third month next week, Spurs fans’ have repeatedly chanted for Levy to leave the club in recent fixtures.

But in his programme notes for the final home match of the season against Brentford, Levy said: “This has been an immensely difficult season.

“We made footballing decisions over recent seasons based on ambition and a desire to bring success to our club and they have not delivered what we had hoped.

“Your frustration has been understandable and all of us at the club have shared it.

“We have undertaken a thorough and rigorous review of our footballing operations. Scott Munn joins us in the summer as our new chief football officer and we look forward to sharing further news with you post-season.

“We shall spend the period ahead of next season working relentlessly to position our club for on-pitch success and football you will love to come and watch.

“Every element of the club’s operations is geared toward delivering that.”

Levy did make similar promises in 2021 with talk of Spurs returning to their “DNA” amid the hunt for Jose Mourinho’s successor.

A lengthy managerial search ended with Nuno Espirito Santo being appointed in June, but he was sacked four months later.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has been installed as the new bookies’ favourite to replace Conte in the current head coach hunt.

Earlier this month Julian Nagelsmann was ruled to no longer be a contender while recent weeks have seen Xabi Alonso and Vincent Kompany commit to staying at Bayer Leverkusen and Burnley respectively.

Chairman Levy did pay tribute to Mason for stepping up for a second time in interim charge and women’s caretaker Vicky Jepson, who replaced Rehanne Skinner in March.

He added: “I should like to thank everyone at the club – all our staff, across all our locations, and our players – for their dedication and hard work during what has been a busy and often challenging season.”

Chris Cadden admits Hibernian must be “up for the challenge” of a formidable three-game run to finish the season if they are to qualify for Europe.

The fifth-placed Hibees conclude their cinch Premiership campaign with home games against the top two of Rangers and Celtic followed by an Edinburgh derby away to fourth-placed Hearts.

“It’s going to be tough but that’s what you’re in the top six for,” said 26-year-old Cadden. “These sort of games are what you want. We’ve got to be up for the challenge.

“If you want to do anything, you’ve got to play big games and have big performances and big moments. If you want to finish the season well, that’s what you’ve got to do.

“That’s Scottish football, that’s how the split works, we’ve just got to be up for the challenge.”

Hibs can still realistically finish anywhere between fourth and sixth in the cinch Premiership. Fourth guarantees a European place, fifth would be enough as long as Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final, and sixth would see them miss. Cadden is trying not to get embroiled in the different permutations just yet.

“I look at the league table after games but I try not to concentrate on it too much,” he said. “It’s hard, but you try and focus on yourself and don’t want to get caught up in what other teams are doing.

“There are so many different scenarios in terms of where we could finish but we just need to focus on controlling ourselves, controlling our performances and after that see where it puts us in the table. That’s the way I’ve been approaching it.”

Cadden is well aware that if Hibs can keep themselves within touching distance of Hearts over the next two games, next Saturday’s Edinburgh derby could become a straight shootout for fourth place.

“We’re not looking too far ahead, but, yes, we’ve got that possibility looking forward,” he said. “But we’ve got to put ourselves in a good position for that, and that’s what we’ll try and do.

“We’ve got Rangers and Celtic before that, so we need to concentrate on that.”

Sunday’s match against Rangers has extra spice as it falls on the seventh anniversary of Hibs’ famous 2016 Scottish Cup final triumph over the Ibrox side.

“Hibs v Rangers is, in general, always a big game, especially at Easter Road,” said Cadden. “You can tell the atmosphere and taste that it’s a wee bit different. It’s a big game in general but the anniversary will make it even bigger.”

Leeds boss Sam Allardyce said it is “do or die” for his relegation battlers in Sunday’s Premier League game at West Ham.

The Yorkshire club, third from bottom and one point from safety, have just two fixtures left in their bid to retain their top-flight status.

Allardyce, halfway through his salvage mission after replacing former boss Javi Gracia with four games remaining, agreed Sunday’s trip to the capital was effectively a ‘cup final’.

The former England manager said: “That’s it. Do or die lads. Fight. Fight to the end.

“But fight with the right temperament and have the right amount of control and don’t lose control. And certainly don’t lose the game-plan.”

Victories for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and Everton on Saturday, against Arsenal and at Wolves respectively, would leave Leeds under severe pressure to collect all three points at the London Stadium.

Allardyce said only time will tell if his players will cope with the pressure.

“I think that it is a difficult situation if you find that the teams down there on the Saturday have picked up three points and it’s almost a near certainty that you have to get three points to stay in the race,” he said.

“So when it comes around and whatever the situation is when we get to Sunday afternoon, we have to deal with it, we have to accept it and we have to make it spur us on to the best performance we can give.

“No matter what happens on Saturday we have to deliver a three-point scenario at West Ham to try and save our Premier League status and handling the pressure that comes with that is a big question of ‘can you?'”

Leeds sacked Gracia, who had only replaced Jesse Marsch in February, after a series of damaging, heavy defeats.

Performances have improved sufficiently in the two games under Allardyce – a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City and last week’s 2-2 home draw against Newcastle – to leave fans with some sense of hope.

Allardyce, who refused to be drawn on whether he will stay at Elland Road beyond the end of the season, said he could not fault his players for effort and has challenged them now to show more quality on the ball.

“I think confidence has grown, I think application has been applied. I think that possession could get better,” he added.

“I think we’ve been so up for it and so frantic to try and do well, and close the opposition down and make life difficult, that when we’ve actually won the ball back we’ve still been so hyper that we haven’t been able to calm down and control ourselves to play the right ball and the right pass more often.

“So the difference between those two is something we’ve talked about, about being calmer when we’re on the ball.”

Roberto De Zerbi insists Brighton deserve to qualify for European football next season as a result of their efforts over the current campaign.

The Seagulls will head into Sunday’s Premier League clash with relegated Southampton at the Amex Stadium knowing two wins from their final three games – they host champions elect Manchester City next Wednesday before bringing the curtain down with a testing final-day trip to Aston Villa – would secure a Europa League berth.

It would be a first qualification for continental football for the south coast outfit and De Zerbi wants his players to write themselves into the club’s history.

Asked if he would regard this season as a success whatever happens over the next week or so, the Italian said: “Good question, but I prefer to answer you at the end of the season.

“ I am really proud for this season, but we want to write our own history of our club for our fans, for ourselves.

“I think we deserve to qualify for the Europa League. We won against Chelsea two times, we won against Manchester United two times, we won at Arsenal’s stadium, beat Liverpool and I think we are deserving to qualify for Europe.

“It is very difficult. The games are not one per week, they are very close, but we have to adapt, to react with motivation, with energy, with the head.”

Brighton head into the weekend sixth in the table, a point clear of Tottenham and Aston Villa with a game in hand on both.

Their outside hopes of threatening the top four were dealt a blow on Thursday evening when they were beaten 4-1 at Newcastle, who cemented themselves in third place as a result.

It was a second defeat in three games – they were surprisingly trounced 5-1 at home by Everton in between victories over Manchester United and Arsenal – but with Levi Colwill expected to return to the squad after being rested on Tyneside and Alexis Mac Allister, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson having been used only as substitutes, De Zerbi is expecting a response.

He said: “I think it will another tough game, but the characteristics, the quality of Newcastle are different. We will play in our stadium with our fans and we are able to win.”

Ruben Selles says Southampton still have pride to play for as they see out the Premier League season as a relegated club.

The Saints’ demotion to the Championship was confirmed last week, which means there is nothing riding on this Sunday’s visit to Brighton or next week’s final game against Liverpool.

But the Spaniard, who is insistent that he wants to be the man to try and lead the Saints back into the top flight, says his side still have to be professional.

“It doesn’t matter what sport you practise, the first thing is that you play for yourself and train for yourself and keep fit for yourself and you put yourself into the team, into a group of players that want to do things,” Selles said.

“The first meeting (after relegation) was very simple. It’s nothing new but the fact we can’t get anything from the table, it makes those things a little bit more important than ever because you need to play for yourself.

“When you think about that and playing for the club, the fans that will go and support us on Sunday and against Liverpool.”

The trip to the Amex represents a difficult one for the Saints, whose hosts are vying for European qualification.

They have excelled following Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment earlier this season and Selles says his Italian counterpart is breaking the mould.

“Brighton has a really good season, first with Graham Potter and now De Zerbi, they play attractive football and you can recognise what they do in every single game they play,” he said.

“They are performing really well in the Premier League and if you do that it’s because something has been building up for a long time. I am respectful of Roberto because he is a great coach and you can see it every time his team play.

“I know Roberto from the time in Sassuolo so I know what he can do and from Shakhtar Donetsk. He played amazing football so I am not surprised he can take his style and play it in the Premier League.

“The football in possession he practises is a really good one, it’s a little bit different, it’s usually the big teams that play with that kind of model but Roberto has shown you can do it in a different kind of environment.”

Pep Guardiola has played down the significance of his role in Manchester City’s outstanding season.

Guardiola’s exhilarating side could end the campaign by winning the treble after hitting a hot run of form throughout the spring.

There will be a celebratory feel in the air as the leaders host Chelsea in their final Premier League home game of the season on Sunday while they also have FA Cup and Champions League finals to come.

Guardiola has once again been a huge factor in their success, with little doubt after Wednesday’s ruthless demolition of Real Madrid that he has brought his team to the boil at just the right time.

Yet the inspirational Catalan has no interest in taking all the credit.

The City boss said: “As a manager, I feel part of something but, no confusion, I never think it belongs to me.

“I’m part of it, I don’t deny it, but not without the incredible work and decisions of the sporting director, the board and the players, who are the most important thing.

“I am a part of that and I am really proud but I’m not the only person to achieve the Premier Leagues or Champions League finals and so on. I don’t feel only I am responsible for that.”

Defender Nathan Ake is City’s only fitness doubt for the visit of Chelsea. The Netherlands international has missed the last three games after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury.

City are unbeaten in their last 23 games in all competitions since February and have won 19 of them.

They have won 11 Premier League games in a row and have not lost at home since November.

Michael Beale will dig deep into his Rangers squad for the trip to Hibernian on Sunday but he is determined to build on the recent upswing in form.

The Light Blues, guaranteed to finish runners-up to cinch Premiership champions Celtic for a second successive season, go into the game on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over their Old Firm rivals at Ibrox last weekend.

That first win of the season over the Hoops followed a 1-0 home win over Aberdeen, after losing to both of those teams in the previous two matches.

Defender Connor Goldson is a doubt for the Easter Road game and could be added to a lengthy injury list which includes Borna Barisic, Ben Davies, Ryan Kent, Antonio Colak, Kemar Roofe, Tom Lawrence, Steven Davis and Filip Helander while on-loan attacker Malik Tillman is now back at Bayern Munich with a hamstring problem which has ended his season.

The Gers boss said: “In terms of the young players, we’ve lost Bailey Rice and Zak Lovelace to international duty with Scotland and England Under-17s, at the Euros.

“So there will be one or two others get an opportunity.

“There’s players that have been injured for big parts of the season that need an opportunity as well and we are going to need everyone.

“We probably have 16 players to get us through the last three games next week: Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday.

“We want to end the season well. We know the teams we are playing this week are still in the hunt for European places, so they are not slowing down.

“It is important for us that after two home wins against Aberdeen and Celtic that we back that up this weekend.”

However, with changes for next season certain to be made, Beale stressed the need for the comprehensive win over Celtic not to be romanticised.

The former QPR boss said: “When the sun is shining on your face and you get a good result then everything feels better.

“Other times, when the wind is in your face and everything is rubbish – that’s the life of a football manager in this city.

“I’ve always said there’s a core of players that will move forward, you don’t change a whole squad,  you try to improve your squad in certain areas.

“Last week was a decent performance but it is important we don’t get romantic over one result.

“People have had all season to play and perform and to show everyone if they should be involved or not. It was a good day last week.”