Mixed fortunes for Forest and Villa in Champions League race after City win

The race for the Champions League football is the main point of interest during the Premier League run-in, and challengers Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa experienced mixed fortunes on Saturday.

Manchester City started the day outside the top five, with a fifth-placed finish good enough for a spot at European football’s top table next season, but moved into it in style by thrashing Crystal Palace 5-2.

City had fallen 2-0 down through goals from Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards, however, after Eze had a third ruled out for offside, Kevin De Bruyne orchestrated a fine turnaround.

De Bruyne, who will leave City at the end of the season, halved the deficit with a 33rd-minute free-kick and then cushioned a header down for Omar Marmoush to level three minutes later. The Belgian teed up Mateo Kovacic to make it 3-2 two minutes after the restart, and further goals from James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly made sure of the points.

That result saw City move above Newcastle United and Chelsea, who each play on Sunday, and piled pressure on Forest in third.

The response from Nuno Espírito Santo’s men was not the one he desired.

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton

Forest have been the surprise package of the Premier League this season, but they suffered a setback with defeat at Villa last week and were far from their best again at the City Ground.

Everton, not mathematically safe but all but sure of survival after a resurgence under David Moyes, dominated the contest.

And they eventually got their reward in the 94th minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure slotted home the winner from Dwight McNeil’s lay-off.

Forest’s second successive defeat was magnified by events on the south coast.

Southampton 0-3 Aston Villa

Aaron Ramsdale saved two Marco Asensio penalties but could not prevent Villa boosting their aspirations of finishing in the top five with three second-half goals.

Ramsdale denied Asensio a first time in the 69th minute after Jan Bednarek had fouled Ollie Watkins.

Watkins shot in off the bar to give Villa the lead four minutes later, with their advantage then doubled by Donyell Malen.

Asensio failed to atone for his earlier spot-kick when he saw another kept out by Ramsdale in the 94th minute, but John McGinn tucked home the rebound to cap off a comfortable win over the already relegated Saints.

The win moves Villa into fifth, just three points behind Forest. They and City will both be leapfrogged by Chelsea and Newcastle on Sunday if they beat Ipswich Town and Manchester United respectively.

Brighton and Hove Albion 2-2 Leicester City

Brighton’s hopes of playing European football in 2025-26 suffered a blow as they failed to beat second-bottom Leicester despite a pair of Joao Pedro penalties.

Joao Pedro converted from 12 yards in the 31st minute and again in the 55th minute, those goals coming either side of Stephy Mavididi’s 38th-minute equaliser.

Mavididi’s goal marked Leicester’s first in the Premier League since their 2-1 win at Tottenham on January 26.

And the Foxes found the second they needed to claim a rare point in what looks likely to be a futile battle against the drop, Carlos Okoli’s diving header earning a share of the spoils.

Brighton are ninth, level on 48 points with Fulham in eighth having played a game more. Eighth will likely be enough secure a spot in the Conference League for next season with English teams still in all three European competitions this season and City, Forest and Villa all in the FA Cup semi-finals.