Tottenham’s Nacer Chadli keeps ahead of Morgan Schneiderlin, of Southampton, during a league match at St Mary’s Stadium.

Manchester United suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time this season after going down to Chelsea and Everton, giving Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur a ray of hope in the race for Champions League spots.

Tomorrow, Tottenham will be involved in a direct clash with third-placed Manchester City at White Hart Lane.

Spurs striker Harry Kane capped a great season after fending off stiff competition to win the 2015 Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year award.

Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, is not keen on playing in the Europa League next season and wants to focus on making the top four.

Pochettino hailed the fighting spirit of his side as they twice came from behind to draw at Southampton. He said that the club need a “big summer” if they are to challenge for the honours next season.

City may be limping towards the finish line but manager Manuel Pellegrini is still demonstrating the sort of resilience and fight that has been lacking in his players in so many key stages of a disappointing campaign.

Pablo Zabaleta claimed victory was all that mattered as Manchester City moved closer to securing a Champions League spot with a last-gasp 3-2 win over Aston Villa.

While City have twice beaten Tottenham 5-1 in their last three league matches at White Hart Lane, Spurs have won seven times against the Blues in the last decade.

2014: Spurs-Man. City - 1-5
2013: Spurs-Man. City - 3-1
2011: Spurs-Man. City - 1-5
2010: Spurs-Man. City - 0-0
2009: Spurs-Man. City - 3-0
2009: Spurs-Man. City - 2-1
2007: Spurs-Man. City - 2-1
2007: Spurs-Man. City - 2-1
2006: Spurs-Man. City - 2-1
2005: Spurs-Man. City - 2-1

After a goalless draw at Arsenal and the 3-1 win at Leicester in midweek, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea are within touching distance of claiming another Premiership title under the Portuguese manager.

Chelsea will be crowned champions tomorrow if they beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Eden Hazard, the Chelsea playmaker, was the toast of the English game after being named PFA Player of the Year on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Belgian has scored 18 goals in all competitions so far.

This week, Mourinho hit back at accusations that his Chelsea side are boring.

On Monday, Arsenal travel to Humberside to play at Hull City.

If Arsene Wenger is to close the gap, overhaul Chelsea and end his hoodoo against Mourinho next season, he must sign the right players in summer.

The Frenchman admitted that title race was already over before Arsenal’s stalemate with Chelsea last weekend.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United are expected to return to winning form against struggling West Brom.

United captain Wayne Rooney suffered a knee injury in the 3-0 defeat to Everton. At Goodison Park, United manager Louis van Gaal feared his complacent stars were beaten before they started as they crashed to their worst defeat under his management.

At Hull, earlier this week, dejected Liverpool called it a day for yet another campaign after going down 1-0.

Today, the Reds cross swords with QPR at Anfield. Brendan Rodgers insists Liverpool’s transfer ambitions will not be compromised by their inability to offer Champions League football – as they step up pursuit of PSV striker Memphis Depay.

At the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, who have slid to the bottom three, take on Southampton and FA Cup finalists Aston Villa, also troubled with relegation fears, clash with Everton.

Fixtures and forecast

Premier League
Aston Villa-Everton - X
Leicester-Newcastle (13:45) - 1
Liverpool-QPR - 1
Man. United-West Brom (18:30) - 1
Sunderland-Southampton - X
Swansea-Stoke City - X
West Ham-Burnley - 1

Tomorrow
Chelsea-Crystal Palace (14:30) - 1
Tottenham-Man. City (17:00) - 2

Monday
Hull City-Arsenal (21:00) - 2

Standings: Chelsea 80; Man. City, Arsenal 67; Man. United 65; Liverpool, Tottenham 58; Southampton 57; Swansea 50; Stoke 47; Everton, West Ham 44; C. Palace 42; West Brom 37; Newcastle 35; Hull 34; Aston Villa 32; Leicester 31; Sunderland 30; QPR 27; Burnley 26.

The Championship (kick-offs: all at 13:15)
Blackburn-Ipswich Town - 2
Blackpool-Huddersfield - 2
Bolton-Birmingham - 1
Brentford-Wigan - 1
Charlton-Bournemouth - 2
Derby-Reading - 1
Leeds-Rotherham - X
Middlesbrough-Brighton - 1
Norwich-Fulham - 1
Nottm Forest-Cardiff - 1
Watford-Sheffield Wed. - 1
Wolves-Millwall - 1

League One (tomorrow – all at 13:15)
Barnsley-Rochdale - X
Bristol City-Walsall - 1
Colchester-Preston NE - 2
Crawley-Coventry City - X
Crewe-Bradford City - 1
Doncaster-Scunthorpe - 1
Gillingham-Notts County - X
MK Dons-Yeovil - 1
Oldham-Peterborough - X
Port Vale-Fleetwood - X
Sheffield Utd-Chesterfield - 1
Swindon-Leyton Orient - X

League Two
Accrington-Mansfield - 1
AFC Wimbledon-Cheltenham - 1
Cambridge-Burton Albion - 2
Carlisle-Hartlepool - X
Exeter City-Dagenham - 1
Luton Town-Stevenage - 1
Morecambe-Southend - 2
Newport County-Oxford - X
Northampton-Wycombe - X
Portsmouth-York City - X
Shrewsbury-Plymouth - 1
Tranmere-Bury - 2
Scottish Premiership
Dundee-Aberdeen - 2
Kilmarnock-Hamilton - 1
Motherwell-Ross County - 1
Partick-St Mirren - 1
St Johnstone-Inverness CT - X

Scottish Championship (kick-offs: all at 13.15)
Alloa-Cowdenbeath - 2
Dumbarton-Raith Rovers - 1
Falkirk-Hibernian - X
Hearts-Rangers - X
Livingston-Queen of South - X

League One
Airdrieonians-Dunfermline - X
Brechin City-Stranraer - 2
Forfar-Ayr United - 1
G. Morton-Peterhead - 1
Stirling Albion-Stenhousemuir - 2

League Two
Annan-Montrose - 1
Arbroath-Berwick Rangers - 1
Clyde-Queen’s Park - 2
East Fife-Elgin City - 1
E. Stirlingshire-Albion Rovers - 2

Hot four
Leicester City, Liverpool, Man. United, West Ham United.