Everton 0-1 Sheffield United (xG 1.77 - 1.25)
Sheffield United teenager Daniel Jebbison scored just seven minutes into his first Premier League start to put a huge dent in Everton’s hopes of European football.
The Canadian-born forward, aged 17 years and 309 days, became the competition’s youngest scorer on his full debut and it is doubtful whether he will find the net with an easier chance against a static home defence in the 1-0 victory.
Earlier this season Jebbison was on loan at Vanarama National League North side Chorley and only got his first taste of first-team football with the Blades as a 65th-minute substitute last weekend.
But his goal was enough to consign Carlo Ancelotti’s side to a ninth home defeat, equalling their worst record from 1912-13, 1937-38, 1950-51 and 1993-94, with one match still to come at Goodison against Wolves on Wednesday.
Defeat almost certainly ended their chances of European football as they remain eighth, three points behind Tottenham and West Ham with a vastly inferior goal difference.
Since Christmas Everton have lost at home to the likes of Newcastle, Fulham, Burnley but losing to an already-relegated Sheffield United, whose second away win of the campaign still left them 18 points behind 17th-placed Brighton, was a new low.
Securing just two wins from the last 10 league matches tells its own story for Everton as even the returning James Rodriguez, until he was replaced 12 minutes from time, failed to spark a response.
Jebbison did not take long to make his mark, although the ease in which he was allowed to score will have surprised him.
With Enda Stevens seemingly penned in on the visitors’ left, the ball was worked to Jack Robinson via Ben Osborn and the former Liverpool left-back casually skipped past Richarlison and Michael Keane before driving a low cross to the far post when the unmarked Jebbison slid in.
He is the youngest player to score a Premier League goal since Raheem Sterling for Liverpool against Reading in 2012.
With his confidence boosted the teenager, who joined the Blades academy in 2019 after his family relocated to England, attempted a cocky dink over Jordan Pickford after Mason Holgate’s woeful backpass but the England goalkeeper was savvy enough to stand up and saved.
Aaron Ramsdale enjoyed more gainful employment at the other end as, having saved Allan’s early outside-of-the-foot shot, he produced a brilliant close-range double save from Richarlison’s diving header and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s rebound.
In between those two attempts Seamus Coleman felt he should have had a penalty when his attempted flick hit Robinson’s hand.
Everton’s record the previous 32 times, dating back to 2015, they were losing 1-0 at half-time has seen 25 defeats and no victories and even a change of personnel and formation, forward Gylfi Sigurdsson replacing Holgate, one of the three central defenders, made little difference.
United’s David McGoldrick had the best chance of the half as the hosts continued to look devoid of ideas and drive.
Goodison hosts its final match of the season in three days and, despite the long wait to see live football again, on the evidence of this performance it could be an awkward evening in front of the 6,500 supporters who won tickets in a ballot.
West Brom 1-2 Liverpool (xG 1.15 - 2.05)
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker headed a dramatic stoppage-time winner at West Brom to keep Liverpool’s Champions League hopes alive.
Just as the Reds’ top-four chances looked virtually over the Brazil international glanced in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner to clinch a 2-1 win.
He was mobbed by his team-mates after his shock goal moved Liverpool to within a point of fourth-placed Chelsea with two Premier League games left.
Mohamed Salah had earlier cancelled out Hal Robson-Kanu’s first top-flight goal for almost four years.
Roberto Firmino hit the post and Sadio Mane had a goal disallowed for offside as relegated Albion gave as good as they got.
Kyle Bartley saw his goal ruled out as the Baggies nearly caused an upset before Alisson’s late heroics.
Alisson becomes the sixth goalkeeper to score in the Premier League, following in the footsteps of Peter Schmeichel, Brad Friedel, Paul Robinson, Tim Howard and Asmir Begovic.
West Brom initially matched their visitors and took the lead in the 15th minute after unpicking Liverpool too easily.
The Reds failed to break and Semi Ajayi’s clearance fell to Matheus Pereira who slipped in Robson-Kanu to find the bottom corner for his first top-flight goal since November 2017.
Liverpool’s soft centre had been exposed again but Mane should have levelled eight minutes later rather than shoot wide from 12 yards after Thiago and Fabinho found a way through.
Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick deflected over before the right-back fired over but Liverpool did not have to wait much longer for a leveller.
They caught Albion out in the 33rd minute with a quick free-kick after referee Mike Dean ordered a restart having obstructed Fabinho.
Mane raced away to find Firmino only for Grady Diangana’s tackle to see the ball roll free. Mane then nipped in ahead of the dawdling Bartley to poke to Salah who curled into the bottom corner from 18 yards.
It was the striker’s 22nd goal of the season and drew him level with Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot.
Two minutes later Firmino hit the post following Mane’s backheel as Liverpool pinned the Baggies back.
Jurgen Klopp’s men continued to press after the break and Mane’s celebrations were cut short by an offside flag after he converted Alexander-Arnold’s cross from close range.
Sam Johnstone saved from Salah after a quick Liverpool break and Firmino shot wide as the impressively resolute Baggies continued to frustrate.
The visitors were on top but needed an offside flag to stop Albion retaking the lead when Bartley headed in Conor Gallagher’s corner with 20 minutes left, with Matt Phillips adjudged to have been offside and interfering.
The near miss gave them encouragement and Alisson had to smother Robson-Kanu’s effort with 12 minutes left.
Liverpool, though, camped in the hosts’ half with time running out and Thiago curled wide with Alexander-Arnold shooting wastefully over after cutting in from the right.
Albion’s stubborn and impressive resistance looked like holding firm with Johnstone turning Thiago’s drive behind three minutes from the end.
But Alisson had the sensational final word when he arrived to meet Alexander-Arnold’s corner and nod in past Johnstone in stoppage time.
Tottenham 2-0 Wolves (xG 3.72 - 1.03)
Tottenham strengthened their European qualification hopes with a 2-0 win over Wolves which moved them into the top six.
Harry Kane opened the scoring with a goal that advanced his chances of winning the Premier League Golden Boot and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg doubled the lead after the break.
It was Kane’s 22nd goal of the season, taking him back in front of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in the race for a prize he has won twice before, while he also hit the post twice.
Spurs can still mathematically make the top four, but Europa League qualification is looking much more likely and a sixth-placed finish is in their own hands with two games to go.
Wolves’ campaign is petering out and this loss condemned them to a bottom-half finish for the first time since their return to the top flight.
Surprisingly, Kane had yet to score since one of his best mates Ryan Mason had taken temporary charge but he was on a mission to put that right from the off.
In the fifth minute he was cursing his luck again as he struck the post with an effort from distance. It was the eighth time he had been denied by the woodwork in the Premier League this term – more than any other player.
Still with something to play for, Spurs were the better side and Wolves’ goal was under regular threat.
Gareth Bale tested Rui Patricio with a wobbling free-kick from distance while Son Heung-min stung the Portugal goalkeeper’s palms with an attempt at the far post.
Kane then had a header cleared off the line by Conor Coady, who seconds later produced another heroic block from Giovani Lo Celso.
But Kane can only be kept at bay for so long and he struck in the 45th minute.
Hojbjerg’s pass set him clear and there was little doubt about the outcome – bar a VAR check for offside – as he expertly delayed his finish to fox Coady and Patricio before rolling into an empty net.
With Gareth Southgate watching, Dele Alli seemed determined to remind the England manager of his talents and it was a good piece of play that almost saw Spurs double their advantage.
He won back possession and then fed in Kane, who hit the woodwork for the ninth time as Patricio superbly tipped onto the upright.
That gave Alli the chance to get on the scoresheet as the rebound fell perfectly for him, but his first-time shot struck the other post.
Tottenham deserved their second goal, and it arrived in the 62nd minute.
Left-back Sergio Reguilon’s determination saw him win the ball high up the pitch, Son teed up Bale, whose first-time shot was parried by Patricio but Hojbjerg made no mistake from the rebound.
Wolves should have reduced their deficit soon after but the disappointing Fabio Silva dragged a shot wide from an inviting position while Adama Traore also shot wide after dancing into the area.
Spurs saw the game out safely as they prepare to welcome their fans back into their game with Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Crystal Palace 3-2 Aston Villa (xG 1.94 - 1.38)
Tyrick Mitchell’s first goal for Crystal Palace helped edge out Aston Villa in a five-goal thriller at Selhurst Park.
Roy Hodgson’s side trailed twice through John McGinn and Anwar El Ghazi, but a spirited second-half rally saw the hosts recover to earn a 3-2 win.
Christian Benteke’s initial leveller was followed up by goals after the break from Wilfried Zaha and another academy graduate in Mitchell, who bundled in with six minutes left to earn all three points.
Both sides made changes with little to play for and Jack Butland was handed a surprise start in goal by the hosts for his first Premier League appearance in three years.
Jack Grealish remained on the bench for Villa, who were missing Tyrone Mings and Matty Cash, and it was the visitors who started the brighter in the capital.
Jacob Ramsey and Kortney Hause missed decent chances before Ollie Watkins was denied by Butland after quarter of an hour and eventually the opener arrived with 17 minutes played.
A weak clearance from stand-in Palace captain Gary Cahill presented the Villa skipper for the day McGinn with the ball and the Scottish international curled into the bottom corner with expert precision.
The Eagles responded well to going behind and recalled pair Jeffrey Schlupp and Andros Townsend tested Emi Martinez while other opportunities were squandered before a former Villa player came back to haunt his old club.
Palace left-back Mitchell produced a fine chipped cross into the area and Benteke needed no invitation to head back across goal and into the corner for a 32nd-minute leveller.
It was the Belgian’s ninth of the season and the third game in a row he had found the net, but parity would not last long.
Dean Smith watched Watkins again be a nuisance and his flick header was perfect for El Ghazi to drill in from close range two minutes later after defender Joel Ward had been attracted to the ball.
A heavy touch from Martinez almost gave Palace a chance 30 seconds into the second half, but Benteke failed to profit from it.
The duo were involved again before the hour mark when the goalscorer was denied a second by a fingertip save from the Villa custodian, with the crossbar also required.
Grealish was summoned by Smith with 26 minutes left and one of his first major contributions was to deflect a fierce effort from Ebere Eze wide.
Palace were pressing for a second leveller and while the arrival of centre-back James Tomkins on the pitch raised eyebrows, Hodgson also tweaked their formation following the substitution to a 4-4-2 and it paid dividends.
Zaha, who had been wide left, was now in the middle and drifted away from his marker to control a pass by Eze. After he worked a yard of space, the Ivory Coast international saw a shot deflect off Ahmed Elmohamady and beat Martinez.
It was the attacker’s 11th goal of the campaign – a new personal best – and ensured he remain two clear of nearest challenger Benteke as the club’s top scorer.
With the game wide open now, Eze came within inches of the winner in the 82nd minute when he smashed an effort against the crossbar, but the third goal for Palace did arrive two minutes later and via an unlikely source.
After Zaha got to the byline and saw his cut-back only partially cleared, Eze’s shot into the ground was bundled in by the shoulder of Mitchell, who opened his account in professional football and earned the hosts a comeback victory.