Nottingham Forest ended their six-match winless streak in style as they beat Aston Villa 2-0 in the Premier League at the City Ground.
Forest had not won since beating Chelsea way back on September 2 and the pressure had begun to grow on boss Steve Cooper as they slipped down the table.
But goals from Ola Aina and Orel Mangala lifted the gloom and the performance was a reminder that they are a different proposition to the side that narrowly avoided relegation last season.
They showed in the first 50 minutes in particular how good they can be as Cooper won the tactical battle with Unai Emery.
Villa’s high line was repeatedly exposed and, after also misfiring in attack, they lost for the first time in six games, which will temper expectations that a top-four challenge is possible.
Forest were quick out of the blocks and the fast start was rewarded with a fifth-minute lead.
Anthony Elanga was set free down the left and he teed it up for Harry Toffolo to pull it back across goal, straight into the path of Aina, who met it with a delicious side-footed effort that fizzed into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
That provided Forest with a platform and they were denied the opportunity to score a second after Nicolas Dominguez robbed Boubacar Kamara and Taiwo Awoniyi went in on goal, but referee Jarred Gillett generously blew up for a foul.
Villa looked vulnerable to Forest’s pace but the hosts’ execution when picking through balls let them down.
The visitors briefly came into the game and tested debutant goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos for the first time in 36th minute as Moussa Diaby picked out Nicolo Zaniolo at the far post, but the Italian’s drilled effort hit the legs of Vlachodimos.
Soon after Forest had a fine chance to double their lead as Aina raced clear down the right and pulled it back for Gonzalez, but the Argentinian blazed over from 12 yards.
But Forest did strengthen their advantage just 69 seconds after the restart, though Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez will not want to watch it again.
The hosts broke down the left, with the ball ending up with Mangala 20 yards out and the Belgian produced a swerving shot which Martinez got a hand to, but he could only palm it upwards and the spin carried the ball over the line.
The Argentina World Cup winner won the Yashin Trophy, effectively making him the best goalkeeper in the world, at last week’s Ballon D’Or, but this effort will not be winning him any awards.
It was perfect timing as the goal was immediately followed by a minute’s applause for Nottingham Panthers ice hockey player Adam Johnson, who tragically died after a horror accident while playing against the Sheffield Steelers last week.
Dominguez had an excellent chance to make it three shortly after but he shot straight at Martinez, who made a better fist of this save.
They could have done with that going in as, with memories of their last home game against Luton fresh in their mind, they saw Villa up the ante.
For the first time in the match Emery’s side began to look threatening, with Ollie Watkins not getting enough contact on a header from close range, Diaby being denied by Vlachadimos and Leon Bailey heading over.
Guirassy matches Kiessling, Muller record with another opener
Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy matched a Bundesliga record previously shared by Stefan Kiessling, Ailton and Gert Muller with his opener against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Guirassy put high-flying Stuttgart ahead in the 23rd minute on Saturday, in their final game of the season.
That goal marked the 12th time the striker has scored the opener in a Bundesliga match this season, which equalled the record set by the great Muller in 1969-70, then matched by Ailton in 2003-04 and Kiessling in 2012-13.
It also brought up Guirassy's 27th goal of a stellar campaign.
Brighton confirm surprise departure of De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi will leave Brighton after the Seagulls' final game of the season against Manchester United on Sunday.
Brighton confirmed the surprising news on Saturday, revealing that the club and the Italian coach had mutually agreed to part company.
De Zerbi enjoyed great success in his first season with Brighton, guiding the club to Europe for the first time in their history after he took over from Graham Potter, who had left to join Chelsea.
Brighton had a strong start to 2023-24, but a series of injuries to key players left them depleted and, though they made it through their Europa League group, which also included heavyweights Ajax and Marseille, they were subsequently knocked out by Roma.
Their form in the Premier League has also dropped off, with Brighton managing just four wins since the turn of the year, and ahead of Sunday's meeting with United, the highest they can finish is 10th.
In fact, across their first 19 Premier League matches this season, Brighton were the fifth-highest scorers in the Premier League (38 goals) and had a conversion rate of 13.3 per cent.
However, in their last 18 games since the turn of the year, only Everton (15) have scored fewer goals than the Seagulls (17), with their conversion rate of 6.6 per cent the worst of any side in this time.
De Zerbi was linked with taking over at Liverpool following Jurgen Klopp's departure, but the Reds have instead turned to Feyenoord's Arne Slot.
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom said: "Roberto has given us two excellent seasons of service in which he has led the club to new heights, not least our first ever European campaign which will live long in the memory of Albion fans.
"We have mutually agreed to end Roberto’s contract at a time that suits both parties allowing us the earliest opportunity to plan for next season, and Roberto plenty of time to consider his next move and his future.
"I am sure our fans will give Roberto and his staff a wonderful and fully deserved send-off. In the meantime, I'd like to thank Roberto and his staff for all their hard work in the past two seasons. They all leave our club on good terms and with our very best wishes for the future."
De Zerbi said: "I am very sad to be leaving Brighton, but I am very proud of what my players and staff have achieved with the support of everyone at the club and our amazing fans in the past two historical seasons.
"We have agreed to end my time at Brighton so that the club and I can continue to work in the way that suits each of us best, following our own ideas and visions, as well as our work and human values.
"I have really enjoyed an intense and challenging two years working in the Premier League, not least competing in four major competitions this season. Leaving now provides me with time to take a break before deciding on my future plans."
Edwards urges Luton to 'reward' supporters on final day
Rob Edwards wants Luton Town’s players to "reward" the fans for their support throughout the season when they welcome Fulham on the final day.
The 18th-place Hatters' survival hopes are still mathematically alive, but they require an ambitious 12-goal swing to leapfrog Nottingham Forest, who are away at already relegated Burnley, in 17th.
Despite their immediate return to the Championship being all but confirmed, Luton have earned many admirers this season, scoring 50 goals along the way.
In a 20-team Premier League season, only Blackpool (55, 2010-11), Middlesbrough (51, 1996-97) and Leicester City (51, 2022-23) have netted more times during a campaign in which they were relegated.
Edwards has urged his players to give the supporters plenty to cheer about and, regardless of the end result on Sunday, is optimistic about the club's future.
"We want to reward them with a good performance and want to win the game," he said. "I think it will be really good atmosphere.
"Everything I have had from fans has been really positive. Everyone has been proud of players and club and what they have shown. We want to make it a really positive day with the performance as well.
"We have given everything and given a really good account of ourselves. We have shown Luton to the world in a really good light.
"I'm really proud of what we have done the past 18 months. The club is in a really healthy position. We have been saying since we arrived, this club is only going one way."
With Fulham safe in 14th and looking forward to a third successive season back in the Premier League, Cottagers boss Marco Silva also paid tribute to the spirit shown by the Hatters during their maiden campaign.
"It will be a really tough game for us," he said. “Even if they don't achieve [safety], they are going to fight to the maximum – and this reflects Rob and his staff.
"For them to fight until the end to stay up, shows how much they have improved. Their fans are proud of their team and you can see it every time they play."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Luton Town - Alfie Doughty
With 42, Doughty has created the most chances from set-plays in the Premier League this season.
Meanwhile, only West Ham's James Ward-Prowse has registered more such assists (six) than the Luton full-back (five).
Fulham - Andreas Pereira
Pereira has created 84 chances in the Premier League this season, the most by a Fulham player in a single campaign (since 2003-04).
Meanwhile, his tally of seven assists is the highest by a Cottagers player in a single term since Simon Davies in 2007-08 (eight).
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Both sides are on winless streaks; Luton failing to win any of their last five matches, and Fulham without victory in four attempts.
The Hatters have failed to win any of their last six league games against the Cottagers (drawn two, lost four), though both those draws have come in the two most recent meetings at Kenilworth Road.
Luton have only kept two clean sheets this season and conceded 81 goals – only letting more in during a top-flight campaign in 1982-83 (84).
While Fulham have kept two successive away clean sheets – after 12 straight games without one – they have not registered three in a row since a run of four in late 2008.
The Cottagers have not won their final league game in any of the last six seasons (drawing one, losing five), with a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in 2016-17 representing their most recent such success.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Luton Town: 33.9%
Fulham: 37.7%
Draw: 28.4%
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