Burnley and Queens Park Rangers’ Premier League survival hopes were left hanging by a thread after defeats and unfavourable results elsewhere left them rooted to the foot of the table yesterday.
At the top end of the table, Manchester United suffered a 1-0 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion, their third successive loss, and missed the opportunity to move into second place.
Robin van Persie had a second-half penalty saved by West Brom keeper Boaz Myhill who proved inspirational all evening.
West Brom scored in the 63rd minute when a free-kick from Chris Brunt took a big deflection off team-mate Jonas Olsson.
Runaway leaders Chelsea can clinch the title by beating Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge today.
Mark Noble’s first-half spot-kick was enough to condemn Burnley, who had Michael Duff sent off following the award of the penalty, to a 19th league defeat this season as they went down 1-0 at West Ham United.
Sean Dyche’s rock bottom side, who are eight points adrift of safety, need to win their remaining three games to have any chance of avoiding the drop.
Second from bottom QPR, one point ahead of Burnley, also face an almost impossible task to preserve their top-flight status after losing 2-1 at Liverpool through goals by Philippe Coutinho and Steven Gerrard.
Resurgent Leicester City recorded their fifth win in six league matches thanks to Leonardo Ulloa’s double in a 3-0 victory against free-falling Newcastle United.
Sunderland, third from bottom and with a game in hand, are one point behind Leicester after a much-needed 2-1 win over Southampton that arrived courtesy of two penalties from Jordi Gomez.
In-form Christian Benteke netted twice and Tom Cleverley also struck as Aston Villa beat Everton 3-2 while Swansea City continued their fine season with a 2-0 victory over fellow mid-table side Stoke.
Burnley have won many plaudits with their effort and application this season but a measly return of 26 goals, the lowest in the top flight, has underlined their campaign.
The visitors laid siege to West Ham’s goal in the closing stages and were found wanting in attack.
QPR were desperately close to claiming a credible point but Gerrard, playing his penultimate game at Anfield, headed the winner past keeper Rob Green in the 87th minute after Leroy Fer had equalised Coutinho’s early goal.
Earlier, Gerrard had seen his penalty stopped by Green.
With Burnley and QPR all but relegated the battle to avoid the last remaining relegation spot intensified as Villa, Newcastle, Hull, Leicester and Sunderland are now separated by just two points.
Leicester’s victory over Newcastle, who have lost eight successive matches, showed they were full of confidence.
Ulloa headed home inside the first minute and, after Wes Morgan doubled the lead in the 17th, the striker fired home emphatically from the penalty spot following Emmanuel Riviere’s foul on Marcin Wasilewski in the 48th.
Newcastle finished with nine men after Mike Williamson was sent off just after the hour and fellow defender Daryl Janmaat was dismissed in added time.
Sunderland’s victory over stuttering Southampton was only their second since Dutch coach Dick Advocaat took over in March.
Results and standings
Premier League
Aston Villa 3
Benteke 11, 45; Cleverley 65;
Everton 2
Lukaku 60 pen; Jagielka 90;
HT: 2-0. Att: 37,859.
Leicester City 3
Ulloa 1, 49 pen; Morgan 17;
Newcastle 0
HT: 2-0. Att: 31,576.
Red cards: Williamson (N) 62; Janmaat (N) 90.
Liverpool 2
Coutinho 20; Gerrard 87;
QPR 1
Fer 73;
HT: 1-0. Att: 44,707.
Missed penalty: Gerrard (L) 79.
Red card: Onouha (QPR) 82.
Man. United 0
West Brom 1
Olsson 63;
HT: 0-0. Att: 75,454.
Missed penalty: Van Persie (MU) 74.
Sunderland 2
Gomez 21p, 55p;
Southampton 1
Mane 23;
HT: 1-1. Att: 39,613.
Red card: Ward-Prowse (STH) 54.
Swansea City 2
Montero 77; Ki 90;
Stoke City 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 20,661.
Red card: Wilson (STK) 86.
West Ham 1
Noble 24 pen;
Burnley 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 34,946.
Red card: Duff (B) 23.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Chelsea | 34 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 68 | 27 | 80 |
| Man. City | 34 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 70 | 36 | 67 |
| Arsenal | 33 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 63 | 32 | 67 |
| Man. United | 35 | 19 | 8 | 8 | 59 | 35 | 65 |
| Liverpool | 35 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 49 | 38 | 61 |
| Tottenham | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 55 | 49 | 58 |
| S’thampton | 35 | 17 | 6 | 12 | 48 | 28 | 57 |
| Swansea | 35 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 43 | 44 | 53 |
| West Ham | 35 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 43 | 42 | 47 |
| Stoke City | 35 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 39 | 44 | 47 |
| Everton | 35 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 46 | 46 | 44 |
| C. Palace | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 42 | 47 | 42 |
| West Brom | 35 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 33 | 46 | 40 |
| Aston Villa | 35 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 29 | 50 | 35 |
| Newcastle | 35 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 36 | 60 | 35 |
| Hull City | 34 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 32 | 45 | 34 |
| Leicester | 35 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 39 | 54 | 34 |
| Sunderland | 34 | 6 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 50 | 33 |
| QPR | 35 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 39 | 61 | 27 |
| Burnley | 35 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 53 | 26 |
Playing today
Chelsea vs C. Palace - 14:30
Tottenham vs Man. City - 17.00
Tomorrow
Hull City vs Arsenal - 21.00
Top scorers
21 goals: Aguero (Man. City).
20 goals: Kane (Tottenham).
19 goals: Costa (Chelsea).
17 goals: Austin (QPR).
14 goals: Giroud (Arsenal), Sanchez (Arsenal).
13 goals: Hazard (Chelsea).
Next fixtures
Saturday: 13.45 Everton vs Sunderland. 16.00 Aston Villa vs West Ham; Hull vs Burnley; Leicester vs Southampton; Newcastle vs West Brom; Stoke City vs Tottenham. 18.30 Crystal Palace vs Man. United.
Sunday: 14.30 Manchester City vs QPR; 17.00 Chelsea vs Liverpool.
Monday, May 11: 21.00 Arsenal vs Swansea City.
The Championship
Blackburn 3 - Ipswich Town 2
Blackpool 0 - Huddersfield 0 (abd – 48 mins, crowd trouble)
Bolton 0 - Birmingham 1
Brentford 3 - Wigan 0
Charlton 0 - Bournemouth 3
Derby County 0 - Reading 3
Leeds United 0 - Rotherham 0
M’Boro 0 - Brighton 0
Norwich City 4 - Fulham 2
Nottm Forest 1 - Cardiff 2
Watford 1 - Sheffield Wed.1
Wolves 4 - Millwall 2
Final standings: Bournemouth 90 (promoted); Watford 89 (promoted); Norwich City 86 (play-offs); Middlesbrough 85 (play-offs); Brentford 78 (play-offs)``; Ipswich Town 78 (play-offs); Wolves 78; Derby County 77; Blackburn Rovers 67; Birmingham 63; Cardiff City 62; Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday 60; Nottm Forest 59; Leeds United 56; Huddersfield 55; Fulham 52; Bolton 51; Reading 50; Brighton 47; Rotherham 46; Millwall 41 (relegated); Wigan 39 (relegated); Blackpool 26 (relegated).
League One (today – 13.15)
Barnsley vs Rochdale
Bristol City vs Walsall
Colchester vs Preston NE
Crawley vs Coventry City
Crewe vs Bradford City
Doncaster vs Scunthorpe
Gillingham vs Notts County
MK Dons vs Yeovil
Oldham vs Peterborough
Port Vale vs Fleetwood
Sheffield Utd vs Chesterfield
Swindon vs Leyton Orient
Current standings: Bristol City 96; Preston North End 89; Milton Keynes Dons 88; Swindon Town 78; Sheffield United 70; Chesterfield 68; Rochdale 63; Bradford City, Peterborough United 62; Fleetwood 60; Walsall, Gillingham, Barnsley 59; Doncaster Rovers 58; Scunthorpe United, Oldham Athletic 56; Port Vale 54; Coventry City, Crewe Alexandra 52; Notts Country, Crawley Town 50; Colchester United 49; Leyton Orient 48, Yeovil Town 40.
League Two
Accrington 2 - Mansfield 1
Wimbledon 1 - Cheltenham 1
Cambridge 2 - Burton Albion 3
Carlisle 3 - Hartlepool 3
Exeter City 2 - Dagenham 1
Luton Town 2 - Stevenage 0
Morecambe 3 - Southend 1
Newport 0 - Oxford 1
Northampton 2 - Wycombe 3
Portsmouth 1 - York City 1
Shrewsbury 0 - Plymouth 2
Tranmere 0 - Bury 1
Final standings: Burton 94 (promoted); Shrewsbury 89 (promoted); Bury 85 (promoted); Wycombe 84 (play-offs); Southend 84 (play-offs); Stevenage 72 (play-offs); Plymouth 71 (play-offs); Luton 68; Newport 65; Exeter 64; Morecambe 63; Northampton, Oxford 61; Dagenham 59; Wimbledon 58; Portsmouth 57; Accrington 56; York City 52; Cambridge 51; Carlisle 50; Mansfield 48; Hartlepool 45; Cheltenham 41 (relegated) Tranmere Rovers 39 (relegated).