Nuno Espírito Santo warned Nottingham Forest there is a long way to go after a 4-2 win at Ipswich Town opened up a six-point gap to Manchester City in the race for Champions League qualification.
Third-placed Forest had boosted their unexpected top-four charge with a late victory over City last Saturday and followed it up with a comprehensive display in Suffolk where three goals in six first-half minutes settled the contest.
After Nikola Milenkovic broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, Anthony Elanga twice punished slack Town defending before Jota Silva added a fourth late on as Forest moved further clear of fifth-placed City with nine matches left.
“You know what I think about the table,” Nuno said. “What we have is to focus on ourselves. Work as much as we can because there is a lot of football to be played yet.”
Wolves take giant step to safety thanks to Strand Larsen double
Wolverhampton Wanderers took a giant step towards Premier League survival thanks to Jorgen Strand Larsen’s clinical double at Southampton.
The nervy 2-1 victory – Southampton pulled a goal back in the 75th minute through Paul Onuachu – moved Wolves nine points clear of 18th-placed Ipswich Town while the hosts, with only nine points after 29 games, look destined for the drop after being booed off following a ninth straight defeat at home.
“It was very important for us in this moment in the season,” said Wolves manager Vitor Pereira. “In this league we can’t sleep, we can’t go into games thinking that we can wait for results, we must fight, we must deserve the victory.
“This club doesn’t deserve relegation, the people of this club don’t deserve it. I’m feeling this with my heart and it’s a project I want to take with both hands.”
Norgaard’s winner dents Bournemouth’s European dream
Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard scored a second-half winner to move his side closer to the top half of the Premier League table as they came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2-1 away on Saturday.
Two set-pieces proved the undoing of Bournemouth, who had taken an 17th-minute lead from Vitaly Janelt’s own goal but saw the visitors fight back with Yoane Wissa and Norgaard scoring to ensure a fifth successive away victory for Brentford.
Wissa headed home from a corner in the 30th minute to equalise before Norgaard snapped up a long throw-in in the 71st that was allowed to bounce invitingly in the home penalty box.
Brentford moved up one place to 11th in the table while the defeat is a blow to Bournemouth’s hopes of qualifying for European competition for the first time.
In the 3pm kick-offs, Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Brighton and Hove Albion, while Everton scored an injury-time equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to West Ham United.
07:24 PM GMT
Full time: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
And that is it. The referee blows the full-time whistle.
Brentford secure their fifth away win in a row as Bournemouth’s European aspirations take another hit.
07:21 PM GMT
90+4 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
Bournemouth pushing for an equaliser as they look to progress the ball up the field but Brentford are holding out as Wissa wins a free-kick in a good position.
Mbeumo fires the free-kick over the bar!
07:18 PM GMT
90 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
Five added minutes to be played as we enter the 90-minute mark.
07:16 PM GMT
88 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
Hill picks up a yellow card after bringing down Lewis-Potter.
07:15 PM GMT
85 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
Double substitutions for both sides.
Schade is replaced by Yunus Konak and Ben Mee comes on for Damsgaard.
Sinisterra is off for Bournemouth with an injury and is replaced by Dango Ouattara. Daniel Jebbison replaces Zabarnyi.
07:09 PM GMT
80 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
Brooks nearly makes an immediate impact as he sees his volley from close range saved by Flekken.
07:06 PM GMT
79 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
More substitutions for Bournemouth as James Hill replaces Adams and David Brooks replaces Kluivert.
07:04 PM GMT
75 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
Semenyo is booked after striking Lewis-Potter in the face as tempers begin to flair.
07:03 PM GMT
72 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 2
Substitutions for Brentford as Sepp van den Berg and Yehor Yarmoliuk come on for Ajer and Janelt respectively.
06:59 PM GMT
Norgaard gives Brentford the lead!!!
Schade delivers a long throw into the box that takes a bounce before Norgaard volleys in from close range!
06:55 PM GMT
68 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Tavernier receives the first yellow card of the game after bringing down Wissa.
06:54 PM GMT
67 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
That is the end of Christie’s evening as he is replaced by Luis Sinisterra.
06:53 PM GMT
64 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Schade takes on Huijsen down the left flank. The German finds himself in the box and goes down after a challenge by the defender but the referee says play on.
06:43 PM GMT
54 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Wissa earns Brentford a free-kick tight to the touchline on Brentford’s left.
Mbeumo whips the ball into the Bournemouth box but the ball is cleared.
06:40 PM GMT
51 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Christie wins a free-kick for Bournemouth that comes to nothing after Brentford deal with the ball delivered into Flekken’s box.
06:34 PM GMT
47 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Back under way for the second half. Both sides unchanged after the break.
As Semenyo sees his header crash off the crossbar.
06:22 PM GMT
Half time: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
It has been an enjoyable first half as both sides have created chances and looked to play on the front foot.
Bournemouth have edged it on possession – 57 per cent to Brentford’s 43 – and the hosts have also attempted more shots on goal (10 to Brentford’s five) but nothing else separates the sides at the break.
06:16 PM GMT
45 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Assistant signals for one added minute of stoppage time as the first half nears its conclusion.
06:15 PM GMT
The Wissa goal
06:14 PM GMT
41 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Schade puts in a good-looking low cross in the Bournemouth area but nobody in a Brentford shirt is there to meet it.
06:12 PM GMT
39 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Kluivert wins a the ball back for Bournemouth in his own half with a firm but fair challenge on Mbeumo.
The Dutchman plays the ball forward to Christie but the Scot is tackled by Collins.
06:08 PM GMT
35 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Bournemouth look to retake control of proceedings as Evanilson’s header is saved by Flekken.
The move came after a lovely Huijsen cross from the right wing.
06:05 PM GMT
31 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 1
Brentford have another corner as Mbeumo readies to take.
This time Kepa punches away as Schade puts a shot wide of the post.
06:01 PM GMT
Wissa draws Brentford level
Wissa leaps above everybody in the box to meet a lovely Mbeumo corner.
05:59 PM GMT
25 mins: Bournemouth 1 Brentford 0
Wissa hits a shot into the stands behind the Bournemouth goal as the linesman flags for offside.
05:49 PM GMT
Bournemouth take the lead!
Hosts take the lead thanks to a Vitaly Janelt own goal!
Kerkez sees his cross from the left flank take a deflection off Janelt’s arm, which goes past Flekken in the Brentford goal.
05:45 PM GMT
13 mins: Bournemouth 0 Brentford 0
Evanilson drives forward for Bournemouth, finds himself in the Brentford box and then attempts what looked like a cross (but could have been a shot) that ends up going over Flekken’s crossbar.
05:43 PM GMT
11 mins: Bournemouth 0 Brentford 0
Brentford, seeing a lot of the ball, play some nice stuff down their left-hand side before eventually finding themselves in the Bournemouth box.
Bournemouth’s defenders are quick to snuff out the danger.
05:40 PM GMT
7 mins: Bournemouth 0 Brentford 0
Semenyo goes down in the box under pressure from Janelt as the crowd raw for a penalty. Referee Craig Pawson rightly waves it away though.
05:35 PM GMT
4 mins: Bournemouth 0 Brentford 0
We are under way at Vitality Stadium with Brenford, in their pink away shirts, kicking from left to right.
Thomas Frank’s side seeing a lot of the ball in the early exchanges.
05:25 PM GMT
Brentford manager Thomas Frank speaking to Sky Sports
“I think it will be an extremely good game to watch for the neutral. I expect an open game and both teams attacking to create opportunity.”
05:24 PM GMT
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola speaking to Sky Sports
“We want to be there [European qualification] at the end of the season. We need wins. Teams like Nottingham Forest will be saying the same things about getting into a position ahead of the final games. Playing at home is important, we have six to play here.”
05:21 PM GMT
Bournemouth-Brentford teams in black and white
Bournemouth XI Kepa, Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Christie, Adams, Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson.
Subs Dennis, Brooks, Scott, Dango, Sinisterra, Soler, Jebbison, Hill, Winterburn.
Brentford XI Flekken, Ajer, Pinnock, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Janelt, Wissa, Schade, Mbeumo.
Subs Valdimarsson, Van den Berg, Mee, Yarmoliuk, Konak, Maghoma, Ji-Soo, Morgan, Fredrick.
Illia Zabarnyi returns to Bournemouth’s starting 11 following his suspension.
Brentford remain unchanged following their defeat to Aston Villa last weekend.
05:12 PM GMT
Bournemouth-Brentford up next
With the 3pm kick-offs concluded, next up we have live updates of Bournemouth versus Brentford at Vitality Stadium which gets under way at 5:30pm. Look out for team news shortly.
05:02 PM GMT
Full-time scores
Everton 1 West Ham 1
Ipswich 2 Nottingham Forest 4
Man City 2 Brighton 2
Southampton 1 Wolves 2
04:58 PM GMT
Hirst scores for Ipswich
George Hirst scores with a header to make it Ipswich 2 Nottingham Forest 4.
04:53 PM GMT
Goodison finds its voice
GOODISON finally finds its voice in the last minute as Jake O’Brien’s 90th minute header gives Everton the point their efforts just about deserve.
04:52 PM GMT
Everton equalise!
Jake O’Brien heads in an equaliser in stoppage time for Everton following a corner from Idrissa Gueye!
04:48 PM GMT
Jota Silva restores Forest’s three-goal advantage
Jota Silva makes it Nottingham Forest 4 Ipswich 1. Morgan Gibbs-White with his first assist of the afternoon.
04:42 PM GMT
Ipswich grab a goal against Forest
Jens Cajuste grabs a goal back for Ipswich eight minutes from time.
04:39 PM GMT
Bernardo lasts 18 minutes
Bernardo had only been on 18 minutes and now he’s off after succumbing to injury. He walks gingerly around the pitch back to the dug out.
04:38 PM GMT
Soucek with an impressive finish
Just as both managers were about to make those subs I was talking about, West Ham take the lead. Bowen, best attacker on the field so far, sets it up by finding Tomas Soucek in space and it’s an impressive finish. Not sure they deserve it, but any action is welcome, for neutrals, at least.
04:35 PM GMT
Southampton score against Wolves
Striker Paul Onuachu grabs a goal back for Southampton in the 75th minute.
04:33 PM GMT
A ridiculous decision at the Etihad
Dearie me Simon Hooper. Doku has jumped over the onrushing Van Hecke to avoid being cleaned out and is booked for “diving”. It’s a ridiculous decision. Doku cannot believe it and neither can his manager, Pep Guardiola, on the touchline. Suffice to say the City manager was not impressed by the decision.
04:30 PM GMT
West Ham take the lead at Goodison Park
Tomas Soucek puts the visitors in front with a right-footed effort. No surprise who assisted the goal, that man Jarrod Bowen.
04:19 PM GMT
Second half starts in similar fashion to first
Despite the late penalty drama offering a tantalising glimpse of some action – or, at least, getting the crowd going – the second half has started in similar fashion to the first.
West Ham just had a promising attack and Bowen met the ball with an audacious overhead kick … only to end up booting it against his own hand. Sums up the day so far.
Both managers chatting with their benches in a “what do we do to liven this up?” kind of way. The hour mark fast approaching and that may be time for changes.
04:16 PM GMT
Brighton start second half strongly
There is so much to like about this Brighton side, who have just gone agonisingly close to taking the lead. Every player is comfortable in position, their movement is excellent, they break at pace and with precision, there’s threat all over the pitch. They’ve started this second half very strongly.
04:12 PM GMT
Hinshelwood draws Brighton level again!
Jack Hinshelwood equalises for Brighton three minutes into the second half. Adam Webster with the assist following on from a corner.
04:09 PM GMT
Strand Larsen scores again for Wolves
Strand Larsen doubles his tally and and makes it 2-0 to Wolves three minutes after the restart.
03:56 PM GMT
Half-time scores
Everton 0 West Ham 0
Ipswich 0 Nottingham Forest 3
Manchester City 2 Brighton 1
Southampton 0 Wolves 1
03:54 PM GMT
Forest lead Ipswich 3-0
Elanga doubles his tally – first time he has scored two goals in a game. Milenkovic, who opened the scoring, this time with the assist.
03:51 PM GMT
Bond awards Everton a penalty than changes his mind
Took until the last minute of the half but finally a bit of drama as Beto goes down under a challenge from Max Kilman. Referee Darren Bond points to the spot but changes his mind on review … probably the right decision, looking at the replay.
03:49 PM GMT
Bowen volley saved by Pickford
Two players who DID make Tuchel’s squad have just contributed the one moment of unadulterated quality so far at Goodison as Jarrod Bowen juggled the ball to allow himself a volley from the edge of the area which Jordan Pickford tipped over, one-handed. Bit more going on now, and home fans finally had something to get excited about when Jake O’Brien unleashed a 25-yard shot, but it was straight at Alphonse Areola.
03:45 PM GMT
City punish sloppy Brighton turnovers
Twice Brighton have given the ball away cheaply now, and twice City have punished them. Joao Pedro turned it over in the lead up to the first, then Georginio Rutter does it for the second trying to spin on the ball and is dispossessed by Gundogan. Both goals felt very avoidable.
03:43 PM GMT
City retake the lead!!!
Omar Marmoush sees his right-footed effort from outside the box sail past Verbruggen in the Brighton goal.
03:42 PM GMT
Elanga doubles Forest’s lead
Anthony Elanga makes it 2-0 with a left-footed finish two minutes after Milenkovic’s opener. Elliot Anderson with the assist.
03:38 PM GMT
Forest take the lead against Ipswich
Nikola Milenkovic puts Nottingham Forest ahead against Ipswich with an excellent half-volley from the middle of the box.
03:34 PM GMT
Pickford makes a superb reflex save
Flat opening quarter at Goodison summed up by the fact that the one moment of excitement was a superb reflex save from Jordan Pickford that kept out a set-piece header … from his own player, Jarrad Branthwaite.
The young Everton defender was one of a number of players who could feel aggrieved at being snubbed by his omission from Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad yesterday. Will be interesting how he responds, today and longer term.
03:27 PM GMT
Stunning Estupinan free-kick
Ortega took the slightest step to his left as Estupinan shot and from that moment the City goalkeeper had no chance of keeping out a quite stunning free-kick that hit the inside of the far post and in. Superb from the Brighton left-back.
03:25 PM GMT
Brighton equalise against City!
Visitors draw level at the Etihad thanks to an Pervis Estupinan free-kick!
03:23 PM GMT
Wolves lead Southampton
Jorgen Strand Larsen heads Wolves in front against Southampton! Jean-Ricner Bellegarde with the assist.
03:19 PM GMT
Haaland makes Premier League history
03:14 PM GMT
Subdued opening 10 minutes at Goodison
A very subdued opening 10 at Goodison, as befits a game involving West Ham who have scored five times in their last seven games. Potentially, a lot riding on it in terms of league positions though. The day started with the two of them among four teams – Man United and Spurs the others – who are separated by just one point in the table, covering 13th to 16th.
03:12 PM GMT
Haaland scores from the spot!!!
Erling Haaland converts from the penalty.
That is the Norwegian’s 100th goal involvement for City.
03:11 PM GMT
City win a penalty
Omar Marmoush is brought down in the Brighton penalty area.
03:06 PM GMT
Brighton make a bright start
The visitors, who are just one point behind City in the league, have made a positive start at the Etihad.
Kaoru Mitoma put the ball in the back of the net for Brighton but the goal has been disallowed due to a foul on City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
03:02 PM GMT
All four games have kicked off
We are under way in the four 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League.
02:58 PM GMT
The David Moyes ‘derby’ at Goodison
Goodison filling nicely ahead of the visit of West Ham … with just four more games left here after this before the summer move to new surroundings, they will all have that little bit of extra space. Plus, it’s the David Moyes “derby” against his old club.
Interestingly, current West Ham manager Graham Potter was also on Everton’s “long list” when they were looking for Sean Dyche’s successor earlier this season but Moyes was always their number one target.
02:56 PM GMT
Moyes and Potter have a pre-match chat
02:27 PM GMT
Southampton-Wolves teams in black and white
Southampton XI Ramsdale, Bella-Kotchap, Harwood-Bellis, Manning, Sugawara, Ugochukwu, Aribo, Walker-Peters, Dibling, Mateus Fernandes, Sulemana.
Subs McCarthy, Downes, Stephens, Lallana, Wood, Archer, Gronbaek, Onuachu, Welington.
Wolves XI Sa, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, Andre, Ait-Nouri, Munetsi, Bellegarde, Strand Larsen.
Subs Bentley, S Bueno, Hwang, R Gomes, Doyle, Sarabia, Forbs, Guedes, Djiga.
Southampton make three changes after last weekend’s defeat to Liverpool as Armel Bella-Kotchap, Yukinari Sugawara and Joe Aribo come in for Albert Gronbaek, Jan Bednarek and Will Smallbone.
Wolves go with the same starting 11 that drew with Everton last time out.
02:21 PM GMT
Man City-Brighton teams in black and white
Manchester City XI Ortega, Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, Gonzalez, Gundogan, Savinho, Marmoush, Doku, Haaland.
Subs Carson, Kovacic, Grealish, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Reis, Nunes, Foden, McAtee.
Brighton XI Verbruggen, Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan, Baleba, Gomez, Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma, Joao Pedro.
Subs Rushworth, Cashin, Gruda, Ayari, Adingra Knight, Slater, Welbeck, Wieffer.
City make four changes as Stefan Ortega replaces Ederson in goal. Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Mathues Nunes all drop to the bench as Omar Marmoush, Ilkay Gundogan and Rico Lewis come back in.
For Brighton, Diego Gomez in for Yasin Ayari is the only change from last weekend.
02:15 PM GMT
Ipswich-Forest teams in black and white
Ipswich Town XI Palmer, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Phillips, Cajuste, Philogene-Bidace, Enciso, Hutchinson, Delap.
Subs Walton, Morsy, Burgess, Jack Taylor, Burgess, Johnson, Townsend, Hirst, Broadhead.
Nottingham Forest XI Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Subs Hennessey, Morato, Sangare, Awoniyi, Moreno, Jota Silva, Yates, Danilo, Boly.
Kieran McKenna makes one change to the side that started in the 1-0 defeat to Palace as Omari Hutchinson replaces Jack Clarke.
Forest, who beat Manchester City last weekend, are unchanged.
02:09 PM GMT
Everton-West Ham teams in black and white
Everton XI Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner, Harrison, Doucoure, Alcaraz, Beto.
Subs Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Chermiti, Young, Broja, Coleman, Lindstrom, Iroegbunam.
West Ham XI Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Mavropanos, Emerson, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Kudus, Bowen.
Subs Fabianski, Cresswell, Soler, Guilherme, Ings, Alvarez, Rodriguez, Ferguson, Scarles.
Just the one change for Everton from the team that drew at Wolves as Carlos Alcaraz comes in for Jesper Lindstrom.
For West Ham, Edson Alvarez, Aaron Cresswell and Ollie Scarles drop to the bench as Konstantinos Mavropanos, Emerson and Lucas Paqueta come in.
01:54 PM GMT
Wolves team
01:54 PM GMT
Southampton team
01:52 PM GMT
Brighton team
01:52 PM GMT
Man City team
01:51 PM GMT
Nottingham Forest team
01:50 PM GMT
Ipswich team
01:49 PM GMT
West Ham team
01:49 PM GMT
Everton team
01:30 PM GMT
Four 3pm kick-offs
Good afternoon and welcome to clockwatch coverage of this afternoon’s four 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League.
David Moyes’s Everton host West Ham at Goodison Park. Everton are currently enjoying an eight-match unbeaten streak – won four, drawn four. Only five sides across Europe’s big five leagues have also managed to avoid domestic defeat in the league during this period (Liverpool, Roma, Barcelona, Paris St-Germain and Augsburg). Graham Potter has never lost in seven Premier League meetings with Moyes – two wins and five draws.
Ipswich, still in search of their first win in the league this calendar year, welcome Nottingham Forest to Portman Road. Expect the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Omari Hutchinson and Julio Ensinco to be involved this afternoon for Kieran McKenna’s side following spells out injured. Meanwhile, this game marks 50 in the league for Nuno Espirito Santo and his in-form Forest who beat champions Manchester City last weekend.
City take on Brighton at the Etihad and it could be a day for an unwanted first for manager Pep Guardiola. City have lost nine league games this season; the Spaniard has never lost 10 league matches in the same season in his managerial career. In the other dugout, Fabian Hurzeler and Brighton are currently in the middle of the longest winning run in the league – four. Brighton have lost on their last 10 league visits to the Etihad but did beat City 2-1 in the reverse fixture in November.
And finally, Southampton face Wolves at St Mary’s and will look to avoid becoming the fourth side in top-flight history to lose nine home games in a row in the same campaign. Watford most recently suffered a record 11 successive home defeats in 2021-22. Wolves, searching for their first win in the league since beating Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality last month, are missing talisman Matheus Cunha who is suspended following his red card in the FA Cup defeat to Bournemouth.
