Wolves celebrate after scoring against Crystal Palace
Wolves celebrate after scoring against Crystal Palace

Premier League review: Wolves win, Everton beat Sheffield United; Brighton confirm survival


Wolves beat Crystal Palace as Sheffield United's European hopes were hurt in a defeat to Everton, while Brighton secured survival thanks to a 0-0 draw with Newcastle. It's all in our Premier League review.

Monday's Premier League results

  • Sheffield United 0-1 Everton
  • Brighton 0-0 Newcastle
  • Wolves 2-0 Crystal Palace

Wolves end Wilder's European dream

Wolves took control of their European destiny and added to Crystal Palace's misery with a routine 2-0 win at Molineux.

Daniel Podence's first goal for the club and Jonny's low strike clinched victory ahead of the Premier League's delayed finale on Sunday.

Three points at Chelsea would seal sixth place and Europa League football next season.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side remain in this year's competition and host Olympiacos on August 6 having drawn 1-1 in Greece in March, with the victors facing a one-off quarter-final against Roma or Sevilla in Germany next month.

But aside from a moment of magic from Joao Moutinho which helped set up Podence, Wolves failed to reach their fluid best against Palace.

The Eagles, with Jeff Schlupp missing their best chance, wilted after going behind and Roy Hodgson's side slipped to a seventh straight defeat.

They will equal a club-record losing streak if they are beaten at home by Tottenham on Sunday, with Spurs ready to threaten Wolves' grip on sixth.

Blades cut down by Everton

Defeat to Everton in their final home game of the season dealt what was in effect a terminal blow to Sheffield United's dreams of European football.

A seventh-placed finish in the Premier League will be enough for a Europa League spot should Chelsea win the FA Cup on August 1, but all hopes of European football at Bramall Lane for the first time in the club's history were extinguished when Wolves won against Crystal Palace later on Monday night after Richarlison struck in a 1-0 victory for Everton here.

The Blades, who remain eighth in the standings, were the team with the incentive and the team with something still to play for prior to kick-off with Everton, dire since the restart, unable to even finish in the top half of the table.

Everton players celebrate
Everton players celebrate

However, Chris Wilder's team, unchanged despite the below-par defeat at Leicester on Thursday, began the game untidily as both sides gave the ball away with frustrating regularity at the beginning of a largely forgettable first half.

The hosts then started to pin Everton inside their own half, although without working Jordan Pickford.

Carlo Ancelotti's team got a foothold in the match and settled as the midway-point of the first half approached. A better touch by former Blade Dominic Calvert-Lewin would have seen him through on goal with just Dean Henderson to beat but he was unable to control Andre Gomes' long pass and the goalkeeper collected the loose ball.

Chris Basham's cross had to be slapped away by Pickford as the ball threatened to loop in at the far post.

Everton almost went in front just before half-time when Theo Walcott clipped a cross to the far post and Calvert-Lewin got above his marker but headed the ball against the post from four yards.

It turned out to be a warning sign for the Blades as right at the start of the second half Everton opened the scoring.

There were less than 60 seconds on the clock following the restart when Gylfi Sigurdsson swung in a flat cross from a free-kick on the right. Richarlison got in front of his man 12 yards out and glanced his header beyond the diving Henderson.

A fine block by 18-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite, making his first Premier League start for Everton, denied David McGoldrick the chance of an immediate reply at the other end.

Everton suddenly had more bite and urgency about their play, clearly lifted by the goal. Henderson did well to repel a deflected effort by Calvert-Lewin to keep the Blades' deficit at just one.

Wilder's side were trying to up the ante but, as has been the story for much of what has been a campaign of over-achievement, they lacked a cutting edge.

Everton were largely keeping their opponents at arm's length, although Pickford almost gifted them an equaliser in the 71st minute after making a mess of John Fleck's inswinging corner and having to slap away the ball.

Disappointingly for the hosts, it was the last time the England goalkeeper was really worked. McGoldrick scooped an effort over the crossbar with the last kick of the match and Everton held on to win for the first time in five games.

Brighton home and dry

Brighton banished any lingering Premier League relegation fears by grinding out a goalless draw at home to Newcastle to guarantee safety.

Albion controlled possession against the Magpies but neither side seriously threatened to break the deadlock during a dour encounter which had a distinctly end-of-season feel.

The Seagulls have been well placed to extend their top-flight adventure to a fourth campaign for a number of weeks, although manager Graham Potter had steadfastly refused to celebrate survival until it was mathematically certain.

Monday evening's stalemate moved Potter's men seven points clear of 18th-placed Aston Villa - who have two fixtures remaining - to end a run of three successive home losses.

Leandro Trossard and Adam Webster went closest to a breakthrough for the hosts, while Dwight Gayle and substitute Andy Carroll wasted Newcastle's best opportunities by each heading off target from corners.

For the 13th-placed Magpies, the battling point prevented them suffering four consecutive losses for the first time since May 2018.

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