Premier League Round-Up: Everton grab lifeline against Lampard’s former club

“Leeds and Burnley are level on 34 points, two points above Everton in the final relegation position, but the Toffees can improve their fortunes if they can make the most of the game in hand they hold. Everton can be backed at 2.962/1 on the Betfair Exchange in the Relegation market after their victory over third-placed Chelsea.”

Everton grabbed a lifeline in their battle against relegation on Sunday afternoon thanks to a much-needed victory against the club at which their manager is still revered as a legend.

Frank Lampard’s side faced Chelsea at Goodison Park hopeful of a better result than last weekend’s Merseyside derby defeat at the hands of rivals Liverpool.

Like the Anfield encounter, Everton saw a great deal less of the ball than their opponents, with just a 22 per cent share of possession. But this time they were not out-gunned, with Richarlison picking Cesar Azpilicueta’s pocket on the edge of the Chelsea box before calmly slotting home the only goal of the game less than a minute into the second half.

Despite their timely win, Everton remain 18th in the table. Fellow survival scrappers Burnley also won this weekend, beating Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road on Saturday, with midfielder Josh Brownhill providing a late winner.

The Clarets have now moved up to 16th, leapfrogging Leeds United, who have been dragged right back into the relegation battle after losing 4-0 to reigning champions Manchester City at Elland Road in Saturday’s evening fixture.

Leeds and Burnley are level on 34 points, two points above Everton in the final relegation position, but the Toffees can improve their fortunes if they can make the most of the game in hand they hold.

Everton can be backed at 2.962/1 on the Betfair Exchange in the Relegation market after their victory over third-placed Chelsea. With the race to stave off a drop to the Championship tightening, Burnley can be backed at 2.0811/10 to be relegated, while Leeds are 2.265/4.

Slick City

Manchetser City’s thumping of Leeds keeps them on track to retain their title. The convincing win came in response to second-placed Liverpool having narrowly seen off Newcastle United at Anfield earlier in the day, with a Naby Keita strike all that separated the Reds and the Magpies.

Gabriel Jesus followed up on his four-goal haul last weekend by finding the net again for Pep Guardiola‘s side, with the Brazilian adding to goals from Rodri, Nathan Ake and Fernandinho.

City’s emphatic victory not only retains their one-point advantage over Liverpool at the top of the table with four games remaining, it has also served to narrow the goal-difference gap between the pair. Should this tightest of title races need to be decided that way, City’s plus-63 goal difference is just one goal shy of Liverpool’s league-best mark.

“It’s in our hands,” Guardiola said of the title race post-match. “Newcastle, Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa [City’s remaining fixtures]. We have known exactly what we have to do for a month and a half, two months. If we win, we will be champions. If we drop points, [Liverpool] will be champions.”

City are 1.454/9 on the Exchange in the Premier League Winner market, with Liverpool available to back at 3.1511/5.

Arsenal on track for Champions League return

Tottenham kept up the pressure on Arsenal in the race for the final top-four place by beating Leicester City 3-1 at home on Sunday afternoon.

Harry Kane opened the scoring for Spurs before Son Heung-min scored twice to take his Premier League tally for the season to 19 – the highest single-season league return of his career.

Spurs briefly occupied fourth spot after that win, but Arsenal moved back ahead of Antonio Conte’s men thanks to their 2-1 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium later the same afternoon.

The Gunners took a first-half lead through the most unlikely source: Rob Holding connected with Bukayo Saka‘s 38th-minute corner to head his first-ever Premier League goal.

Jarrod Bowen levelled the score on the stroke of half-time, but Mikel Arteta’s men restored their advantage in the second period when another centre-back, the Brazilian Gabriel, headed home.

Arsenal are available to back at 1.528/15 on the Exchange in the Top 4 Finish market. Spurs, three points behind their north-London rivals, can be backed at 2.0811/10.