Jack Grealish feels like Kevin De Bruyne was made for the Champions League after the Belgian’s vital semi-final strike for Manchester City at Real Madrid.

De Bruyne netted a stunning equaliser as the Premier League leaders claimed a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their last-four tie against the holders at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

Despite dominating a lot of the early play, City were trailing to an equally brilliant Vinicius Junior goal when De Bruyne rifled home from distance after 67 minutes.

His screamer left the tie delicately poised ahead of next Wednesday’s return leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Grealish said: “We all know what a guy Kevin is and what a brilliant player he has been for this football club. Nights like this are just made for him and sum him up really.

“City fans can’t count how many times he’s scored important goals, got important assists.

“It must have meant a lot to him and obviously I’m buzzing for him.”

City outplayed Real, who are bidding to win the European Cup for a record-extending 15th time, as they dominated possession in the opening half-hour but they were caught out by Vinicius’ wonder strike after 36 minutes.

The Brazilian let fly from from 25 yards after good work by Eduardo Camavinga and City needed to retain their composure in a difficult atmosphere to get back into the game.

They were rewarded when De Bruyne replicated Vinicius’ heroics but Real also had their moments of dominance in a hard-fought second half.

With both goalkeepers making good saves, the outcome remains very much in the balance.

“Everyone knows what the Champions League is like,” Grealish said. “It’s a brilliant competition – brilliant players, brilliant stadiums and brilliant teams.

“That was their first attempt, when they scored the goal. It was a great strike, there probably wasn’t much we could do about it, but we hung in there.

“It was great mental strength from everyone to carry on playing, carry on trying and in the end Kev came up with an absolute worldie.

“We came here to win the game, that’s what we wanted to do, but in the end I think the draw was probably was a fair result.”

Treble-chasing City can ill-afford to ease up ahead of the return encounter, with a testing trip to relegation-threatened Everton at the weekend.

With the Toffees fighting for survival, it is likely to be a different type of encounter and the Premier League leaders will be determined to pick up points to hold off Arsenal in the title race.

It is a challenge Grealish is relishing.

“I feel unstoppable at the moment,” the 27-year-old said: “You’re looking around, playing with these guys that are unbelievable.

“And the fans are brilliant, every home and away game. I’m sure we’ll need them at Goodison Park at the weekend and, of course, the Etihad next Wednesday, which we’re all buzzing for already.”

Manchester City’s Champions League draw with Real Madrid took their unbeaten run to 21 games.

Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten since early February, with 17 wins and four draws, as they peak in familiar fashion for the end of the season and a potential trophy treble.

Here, the PA news agency looks at their seemingly unstoppable form.

Treble chase

City are chasing glory on three fronts, looking to emulate the feat of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season achieved by local rivals Manchester United in 1998-99.

Thirty-seven points from the last 39 available have helped them haul in long-time league leaders Arsenal, leading by a point and with four games remaining to the Gunners’ three.

They have beaten their title rivals twice in that time, 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium and 4-1 back home a fortnight ago.

Improbably, relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest are the only side to take a point off them in that time after Chris Wood’s late equaliser.

Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester, Fulham, West Ham and Leeds are their other victims, with 36 goals scored in those 13 games and 10 conceded.

Their other draws have come in the away legs of their three Champions League ties, all 1-1 against RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real.

The home legs against the two Bundesliga sides saw Leipzig beaten 7-0 and Bayern 3-0, while in the FA Cup they beat former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley 6-0 and two other Championship sides, Bristol City and Sheffield United, 3-0 to set up a Manchester derby in the final.

Such form in the run-in is nothing new to City, who won last season’s league title by a point after finishing with a 12-game unbeaten run including nine wins and also won their last 14 in succession to pip Liverpool to the 2018-19 title – as part of a domestic treble.

Hot-shot Haaland leads the way

Erling Haaland is unsurprisingly City’s top scorer in the current run with 20 of City’s 61 goals.

That includes back-to-back hat-tricks against Leipzig – with an astonishing five goals – and Burnley, helping him past a half century for the season while he has a record 35 for a Premier League campaign.

Kevin De Bruyne’s stunner against Real was his seventh goal of the run while Haaland’s sometime deputy Julian Alvarez has six.

There have been five apiece for Riyad Mahrez, who scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup semi-final against the Blades, Phil Foden and Ilkay Gundogan. Twelve City players in all have scored, in addition to an own goal from Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham.

“We feel unstoppable”

Winger Jack Grealish spoke after the draw at the Bernabeu of his confidence of reaching the Champions League final, based on City’s formidable home record.

“Within ourselves at the Etihad, we feel unstoppable there,” the England international told BT Sport after playing his part in a feisty first-leg encounter.

His view is borne out by the statistics, City winning all 11 home games in their current run with 40 goals scored and just five conceded.

That sequence at the Etihad extends to 15 straight wins since their New Year’s Eve draw with Everton and 17 unbeaten since losing to Brentford in November.

Away from home, since the Tottenham defeat, City have won six games and drawn four, scoring 21 goals and conceding eight.

West Ham came from behind to beat Manchester United in the final game to be played at Upton Park on this day in 2016.

Headers from Michail Antonio and Winston Reid secured a 3-2 victory for the Hammers as they bade farewell to their home of 112 years ahead of their move to the London Stadium.

Diafra Sakho had given the hosts the lead until Anthony Martial put United ahead with a second-half brace.

The occasion was marred before kick-off when bottles were thrown at the Manchester United coach as it made its way into the ground.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a police officer and a member of the public were hurt, with the Football Association launching an investigation.

Kick-off was delayed by 45 minutes but West Ham were quickly out of the blocks and, although the Red Devils rallied after the break, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic ultimately saw his team win and severely dent United’s hopes of Champions League qualification.

“It’s a great night,” Bilic said. “It’s our history and it’s not just a game. It’s against them, (United) it’s fighting for Europe and everything, a late night game – it couldn’t be better.

“All the boxes you need to have a special kind of a game, it was tonight. All the boxes were there, Man United, late night, thriller, five goals, so brilliant.”

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal refused to blame the pre-match attack on the club coach as a reason for his side’s defeat.

“First of all you cannot prove that (it had an effect),” he said.

“It will have an influence but I don’t think we have to look for excuses because we chased the match in the second half and 20 minutes before full-time we are ahead so I don’t think you have to look for that excuse.”

Liverpool have asked for next season’s opening match to be played away from home to allow preparations to be completed on their new Anfield Road stand.

Work, which began in September 2021, is on course to be finished this summer on the £80million redevelopment and will add around 7,000 extra seats, taking the ground’s overall capacity to more than 61,000.

However, with test events and potential additional work required on the pitch as a result of the building work – which will see the roof of the existing stand removed at the end of the season – Liverpool are looking to buy themselves more time to ensure everything is ready to open on the second weekend of the new campaign.

The club made a similar request to the Premier League when they completed the new Main Stand in 2016, which followed the same process of erecting the new building behind the existing one so the ground’s capacity was not affected during the season.

“We are on track and on budget,” vice-president of stadium operations Paul Cuttill said. “The progress has gone really well and we’re due to complete by the end of July, with a view to being ready for the first home game of the 2023-24 season.

“It’s not been confirmed yet but we’ve asked for the first game to be away, which will mean the first home game is August 19 or 20.

“It just means we have the best possible chance to make sure the stadium is ready, that we have had test events which are licensed and good to go.

“There is an element of pitch work, to make sure it has recovered from the roof being removed and the work which takes place on the pitch during the close season.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva praised his captain Tom Cairney after watching him score two goals in the thumping win over Leicester on Monday.

Cairney has made only 23 starts in the Premier League this season but took full advantage of his inclusion against the relegation-threatened Foxes, registering his first league goals of the campaign and putting in a fine all-round performance.

The 32-year-old swept in his side’s third goal of a 5-3 rout of Dean Smith’s team on the stroke of half-time, before adding his second after the break with a deft first touch and finish from Kenny Tete’s cross.

It kept Fulham in the hunt to register their highest-ever points tally in the Premier League, with two wins needed from their final three matches to break the club record of 53 set by Roy Hodgson’s team in 2009.

Silva said he was pleased to see Cairney working in midfield to help the team out of possession while also instilling the calm in the first half that ultimately helped them to sweep away Leicester before the break.

“Tom is always a player that can give us the calmness to start the game, even some moments under pressure he can give us what we need,” said Silva.

“Of course he knows I am pushing him to arrive in certain areas, to be between the lines.

“In some moments, first and second phase, we need players like him to start well, but when the game goes forward and we are in our defensive half, we need him to arrive in certain areas as well.

“Two great finishes, two great goals from him. Top quality player. We know his quality on the ball, everything that he can do.

“I’m pleased to see him working hard off the ball, understanding the moments, understanding the moments to press higher with Vini (Carlos Vinicius), the moments that he should drop to help the other midfielders as well. It was a very good performance from him and I’m really pleased for him.

“He deserves it and he’s having a good season, even if he’s not playing every time from the start. All of the last season for him has been good.”

The victory ended a run of three straight losses that had effectively ended Fulham’s hopes of qualifying for Europe next season.

Despite the disappointment, Silva remained optimistic that they can still record the club’s best tally for a top-flight season.

They will have Aleksandar Mitrovic back for the trip to struggling Southampton on Saturday and will relegate Saints with a victory, before hosting Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage and finishing with a visit to Old Trafford to play Manchester United.

“It’s really important we don’t hide that it’s our clear goal to achieve the target points that we want, to make the season even to be more brilliant, if I can say,” said Silva.

“We want really to finish the season with a big stamp, and the stamp will be to get that certain amount of points. We are going to fight for it definitely.

“We don’t know if it’s going to happen. But we are going to work hard and fight really hard and to enjoy to embrace the challenge to achieve it.”

Arsenal are hoping to announce Bukayo Saka’s new contract before the end of the Premier League season.

The England forward has been in talks with the club since last year but is committed to signing a new deal, which could now be sewn up before the summer break.

Saka, 21, has played a pivotal role in the Gunners’ title challenge this season and is the only Premier League player to reach double figures for goals and assists.

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He has hit 13 goals and laid on 11 assists to help Mikel Arteta’s side to second place and remain in the title hunt heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

Saka has missed just an hour of league football this season and also hit three goals at the World Cup as England made it to the quarter-finals in Qatar.

Talks with Arsenal over fresh terms have stretched back to last summer, with Saka saying in August he “shared confidence” with Arteta that he would extend his deal at the Emirates Stadium.

The PA news agency understands an agreement has all-but been reached for a new contract for the academy graduate, whose last deal was signed in the summer of 2020 and expires next year.

It is believed promotional footage to be released alongside the announcement has already been completed and it is a matter or working through the finer details before the deal is finalised.

While Saka is close to committing his long-term future to Arsenal, Granit Xhaka could be on the move this summer.

It is understood the club would be willing to let the Switzerland captain, whose deal also expires in 2024, move on if they receive an offer they deem acceptable.

Jack Grealish is ready to be "the X factor" for Manchester City in their Champions League semi-final tie with Real Madrid, according to the club's former defender Kolo Toure.

Toure heralded the winger’s uniqueness and bravery with the ball ahead of what many have identified as treble-chasing City’s toughest challenge so far this season. 

Pep Guardiola’s men will be desperate to make it past Los Blancos after their opponents’ stunning comeback against his side in last year’s semi-finals.  

Pundits and fans have been identifying Erling Haaland as City’s key difference maker following a record-breaking first season in Manchester that has seen him score 51 goals in all competitions.  

But Toure feels it may well be Grealish who City end up relying on as they look to finally get their hands on the elusive Champions League trophy, with the first leg of their last-four tie taking place on Tuesday.

"He is such an effective player and for me it is unique players like that who win the Champions League because he has that X factor," Toure told Stats Perform about Grealish ahead of the match at Santiago Bernabeu.

"It is his personality. He's not scared, he likes getting the ball under big pressure, and they need him in the Champions League.

"I think he's going to be really big for them in the Champions League games coming up."

Grealish will not need reminding of last season’s disappointment in Madrid, where City led by two goals going into the final minute of the second leg before collapsing to a 6-5 aggregate defeat after extra time.

As City sought to put the tie beyond doubt, the Englishman was centre stage. He saw an effort cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy before the exceptional Thibaut Courtois saved from him as opportunities went begging.

Many questioned whether City had made the right move bringing Grealish to the club. A low output – just three Premier League goals and three assists – in his first season under Guardiola and a £100 million transfer fee did not help his case.  

He entered a squad stacked with attacking players who have technical ability in abundance and were already established as greats of the Guardiola era. The records of Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne speak for themselves.  

But Grealish’s development this season has been impressive, and this has not been lost on Toure. 

"I think when he came to City, he came to a different team," explained Toure.

"With Aston Villa, he used to play as a free man and he used to be the playmaker. He used to be the one who does everything when they have the ball. 

"They were working for him to make sure he just created chances on his own really by dribbling past one or two players and then passing the ball to his team-mates or scoring himself, and he had a habit of doing that from a young age.

"And then he came to Man City, which is a team with tactical discipline, which is a team with top players around him, which is a team that is not about one player but is about all the squad, it is about all the players on the pitch.

"And you find it difficult because he was learning the Man City way. 

"He was trying to be disciplined because when you have been a free man running everywhere and then your manager says ‘you just stay there and the ball will get to you’ [it is an adjustment]. When the ball doesn't come for 20 seconds, you just want to get it. 

"But Pep knew that this boy has big quality, and you just needed to be taught the tactical discipline and you can see how effective he is now.

"What happens when you have tactical discipline, you are not running everywhere on the pitch and you save a lot of energy and, when the ball gets there, you have plenty of energy to do even better than you used to. 

"And you can see as how defensively he is working harder because he is not wasting energy. He is just in the right position for the ball get to him and then to attack one, two or three players."

Toure’s observations certainly stack up when looking at Grealish’s numbers. The England man has improved his assist output (11 in all competitions) and receives more progressive passes per game than in his first season at City, pointing his better understanding of his manager’s demands in tandem with his team-mates.  

Guardiola is known to demand so much of his players and even Sergio Aguero once faced questions over his suitability. Many goals and many trophies later and that sentiment is one those who shared it will be hoping to forget. 

Throw in names like Mahrez and Raheem Sterling and the list of attackers who have taken time before growing into key roles at the club is now a who’s-who of City successes.  

Grealish will be hoping his critics will be quieter still as the season draws to a close following his breakout year at the top of English football.

But he along with his team-mates know Champions League glory will be the true marker of how they are viewed as City return to Madrid looking to show their growth and seeking redemption.

Everton winger Dwight McNeil cautioned against premature celebrations despite his side taking a significant step towards Premier League safety.

McNeil’s second-half brace helped the Toffees climb out of the relegation zone with an emphatic 5-1 away win at Brighton on Monday to move them one place and two points clear of 18th-placed Leicester.

While taking all three points from Roberto De Zerbi’s side provided a considerable boost, McNeil quickly diverted his attention to Everton’s remaining fixtures.

“Winning on the road is massive for our confidence within the camp, especially going forward into our final three games,” he told the club website.

“Now we are out of the relegation zone, we have a massive game coming up Sunday, then after that, the last two games are massive as well. We have to rest up now and get ready for that big game on Sunday.

“It’s massive to be out of the relegation zone, but we know nothing is done yet. We have got to go right to the end and get more points on the board and that’s what we want to do.”

Just three points separate 16th-placed Nottingham Forest and second-from-bottom Leeds.

Everton will look to dampen another club’s ambitions when they host Premier League leaders Manchester City on Sunday before encounters with Wolves and Bournemouth to close out the campaign.

Boss Sean Dyche was full of praise for former Burnley man McNeil, who picked up an assist for one of Abdoulaye Doucoure’s two goals against Brighton, while it was his cross that ultimately led to Jason Steele’s own goal.

Dyche said: “I’ve said keep going, keep driving forwards, because he does it so well. He can cross the ball and as you saw he can deliver calm finishes. His two finishes were terrific.

“It’s just another sign of what he’s got. I think he’s got a lot, to be honest, but I do about a lot of these players, when they’re on the edge and they’re all playing well and they’re full of confidence, but you have to build confidence and I think he’s been building his confidence levels and his performances.”

Brighton boss De Zerbi, meanwhile, encouraged his side to quickly move on from the defeat as they continue to target a place in Europe next season.

While it looks likely that seventh will be good enough for a Europa Conference League berth – a permutation thanks in part to the all-Manchester FA Cup final – De Zerbi wants his men to aim higher and refocus their mindset.

He said: “What you did in the past is not important, it doesn’t count, and we are Brighton. We have become Brighton. We won against Liverpool, against Manchester United, against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, against Chelsea.

“Not because there is a top coach, not because there are top players, [but] because we showed pride, we showed courage, energy, patience, and I’m sure we will show for a long time.”

Tottenham defender Ben Davies has talked up Ryan Mason’s positive influence on the squad.

Mason claimed his first victory during his second caretaker spell in charge of Spurs with Saturday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace.

It occurred after the 31-year-old had tweaked the tactics used by his old boss Antonio Conte, who repeatedly stuck with a 3-4-3 system.

Tottenham lined up in a 4-4-2 out of possession and it helped them keep a first clean sheet in the Premier League since February 26 with more confidence restored to a group who have experienced crushing defeats to Bournemouth, Newcastle and Liverpool in the past month.

“It’s something we’re all well aware of and one that we needed for a long time. It’s a good start for us and hopefully we can kick on for the final games now,” Davies said of the shut-out against Palace.

“It’s not the easiest situation to come into (for Ryan). We’ve got limited amount of games so it’s hard for him to come in and completely change things and do it his own way.

“But there’s been a clear message that we need to be as good as we can with the ball and tighten up without it.

“It’s pretty basic but that’s the way we’ve been training and working. Ryan’s instilled that belief in us that we’re able to do that.”

Davies, who has largely played left of a back three this season, was used as a full-back last weekend before being asked to push higher up the pitch when Spurs attacked.

On the right wing was January recruit Pedro Porro and it was the Spain international who set up Harry Kane’s winner to help make up for some poor defensive showings at St James’ Park and Anfield recently.

Davies added: “Pedro is still a young player. We know the intensity and scrutiny of the Premier League, you make one little mistake and it’s highlighted for the world to see.

“Look, we all know how good a player he is. We’ve seen it on the training pitch. When you iron out those mistakes I think we’ve got a top player on our hands.

“Sometimes when you’re new to the club and the Premier League, you probably feel a lot of demand, especially when it comes to the transfer fee, to try to impress.

“Sometimes it’s about making sure you do the basics and do the simple things right first. I think he did that. He defended well and then when he got the opportunity (to attack) he was good.”

Tottenham’s win over Palace moved them up to sixth and kept them on course to qualify for a European competition.

“Our aspiration is to play European football and be involved in as many competitions as we can,” Davies insisted.

“We have the squad, we have the number of players, so it’s probably necessary that we are.

“Our aim is to go as far as we can in every competition. Any European competition is important for us.”

It is only a matter of time until Manchester City win the Champions League under Pep Guardiola, according to their former defender Kolo Toure.

As part of their treble bid, City face record 14-time European champions Real Madrid in the first leg of a mouth-watering semi-final tie that begins at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

No manager has lost more Champions League semi-final ties than Guardiola, who has suffered six defeats in nine appearances at this stage.

But Toure is convinced a City success in Europe's elite club competition will come sooner rather than later and believes this could be the year for Guardiola to win his third Champions League crown, and first with City.

"It is a matter of time, we all know that and you can see that," Toure, who played for City between 2009 and 2013, told Stats Perform.

"City has been dominant in the Premier League, of course. 

"And in Champions League, they haven't got as far, but they've been so unlucky a few times. In football, you need that luck element, it's maybe that one or two per cent. 

"At the moment it doesn't go to Man City, but you can feel it's coming. For Pep, he knows it is coming anyway. 

"He is breeding the team he wants. Of course, when you're not winning it and for a manager of his stature, everybody is just trying to put the pressure on, but there's no pressure because within the Champions League you play against unbelievable teams.

"Keep calm, keep the process, keep improving the team if it doesn't work. Sometimes they are teams who will press very well. You have to be able to value the game, you cannot be predictable. If they know you're going to pass short, they will go at you, and you can lose the ball and that can be damaging. 

"And there are moments you have to feel as a player that, 'we have to go over because this guy is pressing so well'. City have that and for me, it can help them to reach the Champions League [final].

"You just need to find that key element with which will help them to win that Champions League, which for me is coming." 

Madrid beat City 6-5 in a memorable semi-final tie last season, progressing after extra time in a painful collapse for Guardiola's men, who led by two goals going into the last minute of the second leg.

This season Carlo Ancelotti's side have already seen off Liverpool and Chelsea in the knockout stages, but Toure is confident City can progress after beating RB Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate and then ruthlessly dismissing Bayern Munich 4-1 over two legs.

Toure said: "For me, when I look at both teams, I see City going on further because I believe that they have the right team. Now, when I say the right team, I mean they are really well-balanced. 

"Defensively, they look really strong. In the middle they are strong, but at the same time, they are in form. They look really, really good this year.

"With [Manuel] Akanji signing, they look very good [in defence]. Going forward they have Erling Haaland which brings another dimension in the game because City always been a team that always want to play short ball all the time, but now Kevin De Bruyne can go over the top as well.

"One thing Pep has been doing really well this season, it's been managing the [minutes] really well, managing the energy.

"Every time they're winning 2-0 or 3-0, he just takes the key players out, to rest them to make sure they don't get fatigued to make sure they don't get injured. 

"That management this season will help the players to be fresher because when you go to the end on the Champions League, it is right at the end of the season, and sometimes players are tired [physically] and they are mentally tired because they've been playing so many games. That will make you fatigued, that's where you lose the lucidity that you need. 

"A few years ago, you always saw them and at the end of the season not feeling that fresh because we've been over overworked really. But this season, I look at the Manchester City team and they look really fresh."

After the match in Spain, City will travel to Everton in the Premier League on Sunday before the return leg against Madrid in Manchester on May 17.

The Premier League relegation battle took several more twists on Monday where 21 goals were scored in just three incident-packed games as clubs scrapped for their top-flight futures.

Nottingham Forest and Everton won to drag themselves out of the bottom three, while Leicester’s loss at Fulham leaves them in further peril, along with Sam Allardyce’s Leeds.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the relegation run-in and the shape of things to come for those fighting for survival with only three games to go.

Nottingham Forest

Position: 16th; Points: 33; Goal Difference: -31

Steve Cooper’s side gave themselves a great chance of extending their top-flight return beyond just a single season as they beat bottom club Southampton 4-3 in Monday’s late kick-off.

A last-minute Brentford goal saw them miss out on a point in their previous game but Forest had beaten Brighton on April 26 to give their hopes a shot in the arm.

Next up is a trip to out-of-form Chelsea before hosting title-chasing Arsenal, with Cooper – who the club have kept faith with all season as others around them chopped and changed in the dugout – hopeful their three-point cushion to the relegation zone at least remains intact ahead of their visit to Crystal Palace on the final day.

Everton

Position: 17th; Points: 32; Goal Difference: -21

A fantastic display saw the Toffees thrash European hopefuls Brighton 5-1 on Monday, their first win since March 11.

Four draws in that time had kept them in touch with their rivals and they have now got their heads above water heading into the final stretch.

Sean Dyche has been in similar positions in the past and will urge his players to use the Brighton performance as a yardstick with the formidable challenge of Manchester City next up at Goodison Park, before fixtures away at Wolves and at home to Bournemouth.

Leicester

Position: 18th; Points: 30; Goal Difference: -15

The Foxes may have hit three goals at Fulham but they still slipped to a 5-3 loss which has seen Dean Smith’s side fall back into the relegation places.

They had taken five points from three games heading to Craven Cottage but have also missed penalties at vital times in their last two matches and confidence will have fallen again.

With Champions League contenders Liverpool and Newcastle to come before hosting West Ham on the final day, Smith needs to mastermind some unlikely results if he is to prove the club’s hierarchy were right to install him following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers last month.

Leeds

Position: 19th; Points: 30; Goal Difference: -25

Sam Allardyce was given four games to keep Leeds in the top flight and the first of those ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat at league leaders City on Saturday.

They have now taken just one point from their last six games, with the final four defeats of Javi Gracia’s reign coming with an aggregate score of 17-4.

Sorting out such a leaky defence was Allardyce’s main concern following his appointment and he faces two of his former clubs next up in the shape of Newcastle and West Ham, before Leeds host Tottenham on the last day.

Southampton

Position: 20th; Points: 24; Goal Difference: -33

A battling display at Forest ended in a narrow loss which all-but guarantees Southampton’s 11-year stay in the Premier League is at an end, the Saints now eight points from safety.

Ruben Selles is the third manager Saints have had this campaign but he has been unable to oversee the huge turnaround that was required when he took over in February, with a draw against high-flying Arsenal the club’s only point from their last seven games.

Their relegation will be confirmed if they fail to beat Fulham at St Mary’s on Saturday and even that may not be enough, with Brighton and Liverpool fixtures to come afterwards.

James Ward-Prowse knows how bleak Southampton’s plight is after a 4-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest left them staring Premier League relegation in the face.

Saints were on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller at the City Ground which means they will lose their top-flight status if they fail to beat Fulham on Saturday or results elsewhere go against them.

They were always in the game against Forest and looked dangerous in attack, but were let down by sloppy defending.

“It hurts everybody,” the captain told the club’s official website.

“It’s not just me, it’s everybody’s careers, it’s everybody’s opportunity to do something special for this club and it’s not just me, it hurts everybody, it hurts all the fans and everybody associated with the club.

“It’s clear we have to win all of our games and that’s the position we find ourselves in. Like I said, every game has increased importance and the challenge hasn’t changed, we have to win our games and obviously hope everything goes our way and we have to focus on the next one now.

“Games are won and lost at both ends of the pitch and when you give two goals away in the way that we did, and we scored three goals but it’s still not enough and I think that says a lot about where we are as a team at the minute.

“It’s been too easy. Right from the first game against Spurs until now we’ve not really learned anything, not really progressed, we’ve just taken these results as they are and that’s the most disappointing thing.

“When you keep doing the same thing and keep getting the same results, we’ve not learnt from it and that’s the frustrating thing.”

Forest’s picture is much brighter after a second win in three games lifted them out of the bottom three.

It was another impressive atmosphere at the City Ground, where Forest have now taken 27 of their 33 points this season.

And boss Steve Cooper hailed the fans’ support.

“We’re so lucky to play in front of these supporters as well,” Cooper said.

“They don’t half drag us over the line when we need them. I’m just so glad they leave happy with the three points.”

Forest looked scintillating in attack at times with Taiwo Awoniyi, Brennan Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Danilo all combining with effect.

Cooper added: “We showed great quality with the goals we scored. The first goal, in particular, was some of our technical, attacking, athletic players playing at their very best on that fast attack.

“I’m really pleased with some of the attacking play and the goals. We didn’t cover ourselves in glory with the goals we conceded.”

Southampton boss Ruben Selles does not know what the future holds after a 4-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest left them on the brink of Premier League relegation.

Saints were on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller at the City Ground and they will lose their top-tier status at the weekend if they fail to beat Fulham or results go against them elsewhere.

In contrast, Forest climbed out of the bottom three with a vital win which came courtesy of Taiwo Awoniyi’s brace, Morgan Gibbs-White’s penalty and Danilo’s brilliant team goal to give realistic hope that they can avoid the drop in their first season back in the top tier for 23 years.

Carlos Alcaraz, Lyanco and James Ward-Prowse goals ensured the Saints were always in the game, but they are now staring the drop to the Championship in the face.

Selles, who took over from Nathan Jones on a deal until the end of the season, would like to stay at the club, but says that is not for him to decide.

“I try to do my best and as I said before I expected to win more football matches,” he said.

“It’s a decision that the club needs to make. I would be happy to be here for the next 10 years as I have said many times.

“But it is not for me to make that decision. I can only work every day and of course, in the situation we are in right now, it’s so much uncertainty for everybody.

“We just need to handle it in the best way possible, whatever happens, and then continue facing forward whatever it is.

“And if it is facing forward – if it’s together then it’s better.

“The club will present an agenda for the coming days or weeks on how it is going to deal with that if it happens. That is for the club to respond.

“I can tell you what we are going to do for the next weeks, we are going to just keep working as much as we can and keep the situations for the future for the people that need to be responsible for that.”

Forest took full advantage of defeats for Leeds and Leicester to move up to 16th, three points above the drop zone with three games to play.

Boss Steve Cooper says the fight against the drop is not over, but that this could be a huge moment.

“We feel like we are playing OK and we have won two games in three,” he said. “You always want consecutive wins and where we are that is not easy to do, so to win two in three is a real positive thing.

“It just gives us a little bit more confidence and momentum to just go into the next one. For sure we are going to need more points and more positive results.

“It is a massive win tonight and an important one, but it will be even bigger if we build on it.

“That has to be the plan from now. We will start the cycle of putting one game to bed and preparing for the next one.

“No days off and the work ethic has to be at its maximum in giving the players everything they need to be ready for the next game.”

Nottingham Forest took a huge step towards Premier League safety with a dramatic 4-3 win over Southampton, whose impending relegation to the Championship could be confirmed at the weekend.

Forest climbed out of the bottom three thanks to Taiwo Awoniyi’s brace, Morgan Gibbs-White’s penalty and Danilo’s brilliant team goal to give realistic hope that they can avoid the drop on their first season back in the top tier for 23 years.

They took full advantage of defeats for Leeds and Leicester to move up to 16th, three points above the drop zone with three games to play.

Southampton’s situation is far bleaker and, despite goals from Carlos Alcaraz, Lyanco and James Ward-Prowse to keep them in the game, their 10-year stay in the top flight will end if they fail to beat Fulham on Saturday, while results elsewhere could also send them down even if they do win.

It was a thrilling end-to-end encounter at the City Ground that completed a bumper Bank Holiday goals bonanza as the 21 goals scored on Monday are a Premier League record for a three-game matchday.

This clash was always going to have a massive say on who goes down and the Forest fans received the memo, delivering a spine-tingling atmosphere before kick-off.

And after an edgy start in the driving rain, where Southampton were the better team, two goals in three minutes from Awoniyi lifted the roof off the City Ground.

The first came in the 18th minute after a devastating attack at speed, where after a quick free-kick, Danilo’s long ball set Brennan Johnson free on the right and his first-time cross was perfect for Awoniyi to fire home from 10 yards out.

The Nigeria international soon doubled his tally, and in some style too, as he hit an instinctive volley on the turn after Danilo’s improvised pass in the area.

Southampton had folded and were in danger of being blown away but gave themselves a lifeline in the 25th minute as Gibbs-White’s loose ball allowed a quick break that saw Stuart Armstrong play in Alcaraz and the Argentinian converted from close range.

There were a few dicey moments as Saints pushed for a leveller, but Forest crucially restored their two-goal lead just before the break.

Johnson nipped in to take the ball away from Ainsley Maitland-Niles and was on the end of a kick, with referee Michael Oliver taking his time to deliberate before pointing to the spot.

Gibbs-White made no mistake from the penalty, sending his effort down the middle to give Forest a big half-time advantage.

Southampton knew they were in the last-chance saloon and came out firing, reducing the arrears in the 51st minute.

Lyanco climbed highest from Ward-Prowse’s corner to power a header that was too hot for Keylor Navas to handle.

That totally changed the complexion of the game and Forest were suddenly hanging on as Saints chased an unlikely equaliser.

Another Lyanco header from a corner caused chaos in the Forest six-yard box as Navas came under a barrage of dangerous set-pieces.

But the hosts eased their nerves in the 73rd minute with a brilliant team goal converted by Danilo.

Johnson surged down the right, centred for Gibbs-White, whose delightful deft flick teed the Brazilian up and he made no mistake for his third goal in three games.

Felipe had another goal chalked off in stoppage time and then Saints were given a lifeline as Sam Surridge fouled Romeo Lavia, with Ward-Prowse sending the late penalty straight down the middle.

But Forest held on to leave Southampton staring into the abyss of the second tier.

Everton boss Sean Dyche insisted his side never doubted themselves after a thumping 5-1 Premier League victory over Brighton lifted the Toffees two points clear of the relegation zone.

It was Everton’s first away league win in 14 attempts and could not have come at a more opportune time, with just three matches now remaining to secure their top-flight safety.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s strike after 33 seconds laid down what retrospectively ultimately felt like an emphatic opening statement as both he and Dwight McNeil went on to scores braces on either side of the half.

Dyche said: “People will be out there thinking right, OK, there’s life in that team but we’ve never lost sight of that.

“It just reminds the players that their work ethic, their commitment to the cause, their commitment to the group is really important because I know there’s quality.

“I’ve always believed there’s quality. I’ve said it many times, but talking about it doesn’t win you a game. It’s the collective mentality to go and deliver everything you’ve got.

“We were very frustrated not to come away with all three points (against Leicester) but we got a reward for carrying on that mentality in their performances tonight.”

Doucoure netted his second when he volleyed the ball home after 29 minutes before McNeil’s cross further buried Brighton, with it deflecting off Jordan Steele, who had stooped to save but instead felt the ball bounce off the back of his leg and in.

Alexis Mac Allister clawed one back before McNeil’s first but the Brighton burial was not complete until McNeil fired home the visitors’ fifth in the embers of second-half stoppage-time.

Victory meant Dyche’s side are safe for the time being, with league leaders Manchester City up next followed by encounters with Wolves and Bournemouth.

“They’re very high feeling the feel-good factor,” he added. “But it’s only another step. I said that after Arsenal, and sometimes people forget that. There’s three more big steps we’ve got to take.”

Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi, meanwhile, suggested his side’s performance revealed they were not yet ready to go toe-to-toe with the best in the business, though he was unspecific about whether he was looking at England’s top four or more broadly to the other side of the Channel.

It could still be possible for Brighton to secure European football with a seventh-place finish, but De Zerbi’s men would feel more satisfied with a higher position.

He said: “Of course we can lose the game. We can lose against Everton, but I’m disappointed for the first half because it was tough.

“We showed we are not ready yet to compete and to achieve the big target.

“But I am speaking about mentality, not other things, not other parts of football.

“It’s not easy because playing in the last period, three games in a week is difficult if you are not used to playing so many games.

“But if we want to improve, if we want to fix our target higher, we have to improve very fast.”