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A round-up of Tuesday's action in the Premier League.
Chelsea beat hapless Southampton 4-0 on Tuesday to climb to a confidence-boosting fourth in the Premier League and keep the visitors firmly pinned to the floor of the table.
France forward Christopher Nkunku bundled the first in from a Tosin Adarabioyo header in the 24th minute, then turned provider 12 minutes later, slipping a neat pass to Pedro Neto who fired a powerful left-foot shot between goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and the near post.
Defender Levi Colwill made it three just before halftime, heading down a Neto free kick and Spain wing back Marc Cucurella converted a pinpoint pass from 19-year-old substitute Tyrique George in the 78th minute.
Ramsdale made sharp saves in the last 10 minutes, denying Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer but the result, Southampton's 22nd defeat of the season, leaves them 13 points from the safety zone while Chelsea hang on to hopes of Champions League football next season.
Birthday boy Sarr gifted double as Palace beat Villa
Ismaila Sarr scored twice on his 27th birthday to help Crystal Palace to a deserved 4-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, putting a dent in the visitors' hopes of Champions League football next season.
Villa dropped to 10th place in the table with 42 points from 28 games, while Palace climbed to 12th with 36 points from 27.
Palace dominated the chances as they secured just a third home win of the campaign, with in-form striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah also on target in a polished performance that was full of attacking threat.
Villa twice had the ball in the back of the net for goals that were ruled out for offside, but they did not create nearly enough in the final third and could only score what proved a consolation through Morgan Rogers.
Villa had two shots on target in the game and one resulted in their goal, but it was defensively where they struggled as they were cut open on numerous occasions by their hosts.
Palace took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez could only parry Chris Richards’s header from a free-kick and Sarr had a simple tap-in from the rebound.
Robin Olsen replaced Martinez in goal for Villa at half-time and they were level seven minutes into the second period.
It was route one football as Olsen launched the ball forward, Watkins flicked it on and Rogers spun in the penalty-box and fired the ball low into the bottom right corner.
Mateta restored the home side’s lead with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box for his eighth goal in as many Premier League games.
Ezri Konsa's looping header from a corner landed on top of the Palace crossbar, but it was the home side who extended their advantage.
Sarr’s volley from Daniel Munoz’s cross was expertly steered past Olsen, before substitute Nketiah got in on the act with his first goal for the club, and first in the Premier League since October 2023.
He could hardly miss with a close-range tap-in to add more gloss to a superb night for Palace.
Fulham boost European hopes with win at struggling Wolves
Fulham secured a 2-1 win at lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League to boost their hopes of European football, with Ryan Sessegnon giving them a first-minute lead before Rodrigo Muniz got the winner after the break.
Sessegnon put Fulham in front after 58 seconds, striking a low shot inside the far post after breaking down the left, before Joao Gomes blasted home an equaliser in the 18th minute.
However, Muniz restored Fulham's lead just after the restart with a chipped finish from the edge of the area.
Fulham, who have won three of their last four league games, rose to ninth on 42 points after 27 games, four points off the top four and two points behind fifth-placed Manchester City, who visit Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Wolves stay 17th and are five points above the drop zone, though that cushion could be cut when 18th-placed Ipswich Town visit struggling Manchester United on Wednesday, and Leicester City, in 19th, travel to West Ham United on Thursday.
Brighton boost European hopes after Welbeck winner
Brighton & Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck made an instant impact off the bench by scoring the winner in his side's 2-1 home victory over Bournemouth as both sides chase European football for next season.
Welbeck had only been on the field two minutes when he ran onto Georginio Rutter's through ball and placed his shot beyond goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and in off the post in the 75th.
Joao Pedro gave Brighton a 12th-minute lead with a penalty after being brought down by Arrizabalaga but Bournemouth, who could have gone into the top four with a win, levelled just past the hour with a superb curling effort from Justin Kluivert.
Brighton's fourth win in a row in all competitions lifted them to eighth with 43 points from 27 games and firmly in the hunt for a European place.
Bournemouth's third defeat in four league games left them in seventh place, above Brighton on goal difference.
In a congested upper half of the table, only five points separate Aston Villa in 10th from Nottingham Forest in third.
The 34-year-old Welbeck enjoyed a hot scoring streak in October but had not registered in his last 13 appearances for Brighton. But he chose the perfect time to end that drought.
Bournemouth had begun the game strongly with Ryan Christie forcing a fine save by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, although Christie went off injured in the first half.
But Kaoru Mitoma went close for the hosts before Arrizabalaga clipped the onrushing Joao Pedro, who got up and tucked away his penalty.
Mitoma volleyed against the post from another flowing Brighton move but Bournemouth responded well after the break.
Dangerman Kluivert produced a moment of brilliance to come in from the left and smash a right-footed shot past Verbruggen for his 12th league goal of the season.
Bournemouth sensed a win with substitute Alex Scott denied from close range by Verbruggen but it was Welbeck who stole the show with a calm and assured finish.
