IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Brentford edged a young and much-changed Manchester United side 4-3 in a thrilling Premier League encounter on Sunday to boost their hopes of qualifying for European competition for the first time.
Two goals from Kevin Schade guided Thomas Frank's side up to ninth with 52 points, a potential Conference League spot within touching distance with three games left.
United remain 15th with 39 points.
"Yeah, I think we definitely have momentum... we've had a really good run of games, there's a flow of playing well," Frank told BBC.
"We need to keep that up. The next one is the most important game and that's Ipswich (Town) away. It's already a good season, let's see if it can be an incredible season."
With an eye on the Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao, Ruben Amorim named United's youngest starting lineup in Premier League history. Seventeen-year-old forward Chido Obi became their youngest starter.
Luke Shaw was the most senior player in United's lineup and the 29-year-old nearly gave Brentford the lead with an own goal when he tried to head a long ball back to keeper Altay Bayindir, who was off his line, but the ball crept wide of the post.
Brentford pegged United back but the visitors scored against the run of play when Alejandro Garnacho found space on the left wing and put in a low cross that found Mason Mount, who directed his shot past goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
Brentford equalised from a set-piece when United failed to clear a long throw-in from Michael Kayode, with Mikkel Damsgaard's shot deflecting off Shaw for an own goal.
Brentford took the lead six minutes later when Christian Norgaard put in a cross to the far post and Schade rose above the defence to power home a header.
United were livid, however, as defender Matthijs de Ligt had gone down on the edge of the box clutching his leg after a challenge but referee Anthony Taylor did not stop play, allowing Brentford to score.
De Ligt was unable to continue and Amorim was forced to bring Harry Maguire on while the Portuguese manager made two halftime substitutions to introduce Amad Diallo and Leny Yoro.
United had a couple of chances to equalise but they were smothered by the Brentford defence and Flekken before the home side came alive and made it 3-1 in the 70th minute.
Bryan Mbeumo delivered another cross to the far post where Schade leapt into the air to score his second header.
"Very happy, that is what we wanted. We want to win every game in the end to push for Europe," Schade said.
Less than four minutes later, Brentford carved United's defence apart with a free-flowing move where Damsgaard and Kayode combined to give Yoane Wissa a simple tap-in into an empty net.
United then flickered into life when Argentine winger Garnacho pulled the trigger from outside the box to find the net in the 82nd minute.
With seven minutes added on, Brentford fans were biting their nails when Diallo's shot took a deflection and went through Flekken's legs to make it 4-3.
But United ran out of time as they fell to a club record 16th league defeat in a season in the Premier League era.
"There were changes but it's Manchester United so any team that goes out there that puts on the shirt we need to perform and win games," Mount said.
"I know there's a big game on Thursday but first and foremost was today. We needed to win the game but we didn't."
Chelsea boost Champions League chances with victory over Liverpool
Chelsea moved a step closer to Champions League qualification on Sunday by beating under-strength champions Liverpool 3-1 with a first-half strike from Enzo Fernandez, a ricocheted own-goal by Jarell Quansah and a Cole Palmer penalty.
Liverpool came to London, fresh from securing the title against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, but there was a demob-happy air about them and, despite a party atmosphere amongst the travelling support, they lacked their usual cutting edge.Arne Slot made six changes to the starting line-up that faced Spurs.
The game was only two minutes old when Palmer found Pedro Neto whose cut-back cross fell to the unmarked Fernandez and the Argentine whipped the ball low into the net.The lively Palmer was also instrumental in the second goal after he clipped the ball into the area and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk's attempted clearance bounced off teammate Quansah and into the goal.
Palmer, who has suffered a goal drought since mid-January, scored from the spot after Quansah brought down Moises Caicedo six minutes into time added on.
"Today I felt confident, I was trying things, first time passes, playing forward," Palmer told Sky Sports. "I went three months without scoring but it just gives me more fight and motivation to do more for myself and for the team."Van Dijk had pulled one back in the 84th minute from a corner for Liverpool to the delight of the fans, who decked out the away corner of the Shed End with balloons and inflatable trophies.
The result kept Chelsea fifth in the table, separated from fourth-placed Newcastle United only by goals scored.
The top five in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea face Newcastle away next weekend.
Newcastle salvage draw at Brighton thanks to late Isak penalty
Newcastle United escaped the Amex Stadium with a point after Alexander Isak scored a last-gasp penalty in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday in a key result for their chase of Champions League qualification.
Brighton looked poised for victory after winger Yankuba Minteh struck in the first half, but Isak's 89th minute spot kick sent goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen the wrong way for his 23rd league goal of the season.
After seeing two second-half penalties denied by the Video Assistant Reference (VAR), it was third time lucky for Newcastle when the penalty was given after Yasin Ayari inexplicably stuck his arm out to stop Kieran Trippier's free-kick.
"That's what VAR is there for," Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told the BBC. "I'm happy for VAR to make those calls. I thought the third one was a stonewall but we got there in the end."
Newcastle are fourth in the table on 63 points with three games remaining, three points ahead of Chelsea and Nottingham Forest who both have a game in hand. Brighton are 10th.
"It's all to play for," Howe told Sky Sports. "We have three huge games, three very tough games in different ways. Two of them are at home and we hope that can make the difference."
Minteh scored against his former team with Brighton's first decent opportunity of the match in the 28th minute when he cut the ball inside to his left foot before unleashing a blistering shot through a crowd into the far corner.
Newcastle twice pleaded unsuccessfully for penalties in the second half, first when Anthony Gordon was fouled by Tariq Lamptey but VAR determined it was just outside the area, and then when Joe Willock went down in the box but VAR ruled that contact was minimal and Willock was booked for a dive.
Newcastle had 13 shots overall to Brighton's five but both sides squandered chances to go ahead in the dying minutes of an entertaining match.
Brighton substitute Diego Gomez got away from the defence to meet a free-kick into the box but headed just wide. And then Callum Wilson forced Verbruggen to make an excellent save for the visitors' final chance of the game.
"I have a mixture of feelings. I'm proud of the team for sticking together but it was not our perfect match in possession," Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler told Sky.
"We conceded a cheap penalty. We have to accept it and try to make the best out of it."
Hammers and Spurs play out disappointing draw
Matthew Childs/Action Images via Reuters
London rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur's disappointing Premier League form continued as they played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday that kept both stuck just above the relegation places.
A much-changed Spurs scored the opener after 15 minutes through Wilson Odobert but the lead lasted only 13 minutes before Jarrod Bowen equalised for the home team.
The draw left Spurs in 16th spot and facing their worst finish since 1977, a single point above the 17th-placed Hammers whose winless run in the league was extended to eight games since the end of February.
Both sides are safe from the threat of relegation, however, with the bottom three finishers already determined.
Tottenham made eight changes from last Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg win over Bodo/Glimt as they looked to keep key players fresh for the return in Norway this Thursday.
They took the lead after home defender Max Kilman gave away possession under pressure, allowing Mathys Tel to provide Odobert with an easy finish.
West Ham had a penalty claim in the 20th minute when Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross struck Spurs defender Ben Davies on the hand but it was turned away after a VAR check, although home fans did not have to wait long for the equaliser.
Eight minutes later, Wan-Bissaka’s perfectly weighted pass found Bowen ghosting through the visiting defence to find himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, albeit at a tight angle.
Bowen took his time as he dragged the ball across to his left before finishing it through Vicario’s legs for his 10th league goal of the season.
Spurs striker Richarlison was through in similar circumstances at the other end of the London Stadium before halftime but his effort went across the face of goal and away from danger.
Tel’s run down the right of the Spurs attack allowed him to get in a shot early in the second half but there was not enough power to test Alphonse Areola in the West Ham goal.
After that, West Ham looked the livelier of the two teams as Bowen and Emerson both missed with efforts on goal while Niclas Fuellkrug’s back-post header in the 71st minute was too high.
Vicario made a smart stop to deny Bowen in the last six minutes as he got a headed flick-on to an in-swinging free kick delivered by substitute James Ward-Prowse.
There was another free-kick chance for set piece specialist Ward-Prowse in the last minute of additional time but he sent it narrowly wide.
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