Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo admits it is vital his team take points from Saturday’s crucial clash with Luton.

Forest, who have lost their last three in the Premier League and won just once in 2024, are anxiously looking over their shoulders in the relegation battle.

Their trip to Kenilworth Road to face fellow strugglers Luton, who are without a win in seven games, carries huge significance for both clubs.

Nuno said at a press conference: “We are in a bad moment but we stick together and react, bounce back, find solutions to get out of there.

“It doesn’t matter what you’re playing for. Football is always like that. You have to react from the bad moments. Don’t ignore it. It’s never done in football.

“Every week we have issues – players that go down in their performance, knocks, all these situations.

“But it’s all about working and facing the situation day by day. We are experienced enough to realise that now it’s important. Points, points, we need points.

“It’s a very important game due to the circumstances, due to the situation of both teams.”

Forest have lost their last two games 1-0, to Liverpool and Brighton, in controversial circumstances.

Liverpool claimed a last-gasp winner at the City Ground after wrongly being given possession following a stoppage in play while the Seagulls’ Jakub Moder was fortunate not to be sent off at the Amex Stadium.

While being frustrated with these situations, Nuno hopes his side can take such issues out of the equation this weekend by making the most of their chances.

“In the previous cycle, we were scoring and conceding,” Nuno said. “Now we’re not conceding but we’re still losing in the last minutes of the game.

“So we have to find the balance and this is what we are doing, trying always to improve. We create a lot of chances but we must be more clinical.”

Nuno is calling for his team to take the game to Luton.

“We have to play,” the Portuguese said. “We play football and try to give answers to the questions they’re going to make and, at the same time, create problems they have to react to.

“Our idea is never to just wait. Let’s be dominant, play with courage.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk believes the history with arch-rivals Manchester United means Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final meeting carries additional expectations.

A week after playing out a Premier League classic in a top-of-the-table 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp’s side head to Old Trafford on the next leg of their quest for an unprecedented quadruple.

United are starting to gain some form – eight wins and just two defeats in the last 11 games – after an indifferent first half of the season and that makes the weekend’s quarter-final clash more intriguing.

Asked about the rivalry, Van Dijk said: “Intense. Not only the actual game but the whole build-up is a game on its own but I like to be involved in these type of games.

“We always have a difficult games against them and I expect a difficult one on Sunday as well.

“They are finding ways to win but I focus on what we have to do against them. It’s always difficult, it’s always intense.

“The history of the games with the two biggest clubs in England brings extra expectation and pressure but why not just go out there and enjoy it, play our game and hopefully go to the next round?”

Liverpool head into the game on the back of a 6-1 Europa League thrashing of Sparta Prague – a tie which finished 11-2 on aggregate – with their forwards all in form.

Mohamed Salah became the first player in the club’s history to score 20 goals in seven successive seasons, Darwin Nunez has 17 and six in as many games, and Cody Gakpo’s two against the Czech champions took him to 13 for the campaign. Luis Diaz, an unused substitute, is expected to start on Sunday looking to add to his tally of 13, six of which have come in the last 14 games.

United are the only team in the last 55 matches to prevent Liverpool from scoring after an ultra-defensive display in a goalless draw at Anfield in December.

Van Dijk is not sure they can adopt the same approach on Sunday, especially with 9,000 visiting fans inside Old Trafford.

“I think the game here was, I wouldn’t say one-sided but we had a lot of the ball,” he added.

“They created a couple of dangerous moments on the break and we have to be aware of that but if they would do it exactly the same when they play at home, I have no idea.

“We have to focus on our game and make it as difficult as possible, press them as high as we want and play our football and hopefully we can get through.”

Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has not been surprised by the way Conor Bradley has handled the spotlight after breaking into the Liverpool side with a string of impressive performances.

Northern Ireland fans have long been aware of the 20-year-old’s exciting talent as Bradley has earned 13 caps since making his senior debut in May 2021, a figure that would be much higher had he not missed the bulk of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign through injury last year.

Since returning to fitness, Bradley has broken into Jurgen Klopp’s side and turned in a series of eye-catching displays, helping Liverpool to lift the Carabao Cup last month.

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O’Neill welcomed back Bradley to international duty when he named his squad on Thursday for the upcoming friendlies against Romania and Scotland, and said Bradley has moved up a gear since recovering from a back injury.

“Conor was a big loss to us in the qualification campaign,” O’Neill told the PA news agency. “But physically he’s come back even stronger than he was prior to the injury.

“Athletically he’s demonstrated that in games – he’s played some extremely intense games, massive games for Liverpool and he’s excelled in those games. He’s not just held his own but in most of the those games people have come away talking about his level of performance.

“That’s something, going forward, we expect and hope he can bring to the international stage.”

Bradley spent last season on loan at League One Bolton, but has made the step up to Premier League and European football look seamless – something O’Neill said comes down to his character.

“The biggest thing for me is Conor’s mentality, to be able to play in those games at such a crucial stage of the season,” he said.

“He’s a very humble lad, he’s not one to get carried away. He takes it in his stride. He’s experienced already some of the ups and downs of football and it’s great to see him play at this level. He’s going to be a very important player for us going forward…

“If you know Conor and his background and his upbringing, how he’s handled it is exactly how I would expect. He’s not one that courts the spotlight, he’s not one I imagine does very much on social media.

“His focus is on his football and his performances. Away from the pitch he prefers a quiet life so he’s got all the traits you need to be a top player in the modern era.”

While Bradley is back in O’Neill’s squad, a number of senior players remain absent, with Jonny Evans sitting out this international window nursing a calf injury.

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As expected, it is still too soon for either Stuart Dallas or Corry Evans, long-term absentees, although O’Neill expects to see both players during next week’s training camp in Manchester.

Dallas, 32, has been out since suffering a broken femur in April 2022, having been frustrated by a number of setbacks in his recovery, while Corry Evans, 33, suffered a serious knee injury in January 2023.

“Both lads are coming to see us in Manchester so we’ll probably get a clearer picture then,” O’Neill said when asked about possible return dates.

“Their focus is to get back playing, to get back fit, and then they’ve both got contract situations to deal with as well, so international football is not at the forefront of their minds at this time.”

What the papers say

Liverpool midfielder Luis Diaz has become a summer transfer target for Paris St Germain, according to the Daily Mail, as the club looks to replace French star Kylian Mbappe, who will leave for Real Madrid. Diaz joined Liverpool from Forto and has excelled at Anfield, scoring six goals with three assists in 27 Premier League games.

Chelsea are interested in Lille defender Leny Yoro as they look to replace 39-year-old Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva, the Standard says.

The Telegraph says Newcastle are hoping to accelerate sporting manager Dan Ashworth’s exit to Manchester United. Monaco’s Paul Mitchell is apparently at the top of the pile to replace him.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Marcus Rashford: The Manchester United striker is not expected to move to Paris St Germain this summer despite being touted as the replacement for Mbappe, according to Sky Sports.

Douglas Luiz: Aston Vila are confident they will keep the 25-year-old despite Arsenal setting their sights on the Brazilian midfielder, 90min reports.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said Ollie Watkins’ knee injury sustained in the 4-0 Europa Conference League last-16 win over 10-man Ajax was “not more than a cut”.

Watkins, named in England boss Gareth Southgate’s latest squad earlier on Thursday, headed Villa in front in the 25th minute, having already sustained the injury in a challenge with Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj.

But the former Brentford striker limped off eight minutes later and had to watch his team-mates run riot in the second half with Leon Bailey, John Duran and Moussa Diaby goals killing off the tie after last week’s goalless draw in Amsterdam.

It sent Villa through to their first European quarter-final since 1998 and their mood will be heightened even more by the good news on Watkins’ injury.

“The injury is not more than a cut on the knee,” boss Unai Emery said. “Maybe he is available for Sunday, I think maybe we have to wait for tomorrow and Saturday, but it is a cut.”

Watkins’ goal put Villa on course for a win which became much easier in the second half when Ajax were reduced to 10 men.

Villa were 2-0 up by that point through Bailey’s strike, with Duran and Diaby booking their spot in the next round.

“We were very respectful of them. We were how we needed to face them here with our supporters at Villa Park, trying to perform better than the opposition with our quality on the pitch,” the Spaniard added.

“The second half was easier for us after the red card. We’re happy because we are motivated in this competition.”

Ajax defender Devyne Rensch was frank in his assessment of his side’s exit.

He said: “Yeah, it’s s**t. It’s painful we are used to winning for cups and competing and that is not going to happen.

“It’s a real let down, it’s a disappointment, it shouldn’t be happening, but we have to move on.

“Being Ajax we are always in the running for the top prizes and this season it is just not the case and it is very difficult to accept that.”

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi is targeting qualifying for Europe via the Premier League after his side were knocked out of the Europa League by Roma.

The damage was done for Brighton in last week’s 4-0 defeat in Rome and Danny Welbeck’s stunning solo strike on Thursday night – to hand them a 1-0 second-leg win – was not enough to extend their maiden European campaign as they suffered a 4-1 aggregate defeat.

De Zerbi said: “Today we saw the real Brighton and saw our team play with pride. I am proud because I saw 11 Roberto’s on the pitch.

“I knew my players were capable of responding this way because they are special people and they were hurting like me after losing 4-0 away.

“I believe in my players and I know we can fight to reach another historical target. We have 10 games left in the league and we will fight to qualify for another European competition.”

Brighton were in need of a miracle as no team in Europa League history had ever come back from losing a first leg by four goals away from home to qualify.

Despite the hosts dominating the first half, it was Roma who had the ball in the net after 23 minutes through a spectacular overhead kick from Sardar Azmoun.

Their celebrations were cut short when the goal was harshly chalked off for a high boot, handing Brighton a lifeline.

Welbeck fired the Seagulls in front after 37 minutes, picking up the ball midway inside the Roma half before exchanging passes with Pervis Estupinan and curling the ball into the top corner from 20 yards.

Roma came closing to levelling on the night early in the second half when Italy international Leonardo Spinazzola saw his shot rebound off the angle of post and crossbar.

Ansu Fati had two second-half efforts saved, while defender Jan-Paul Van Hecke also missed the target with two headers as the hosts failed to add to Welbeck’s goal and set up a nervy finish for their visitors.

Roma boss Daniele De Rossi said: “Brighton fought and they tried hard.

“We knew they would start very strongly because they always do and especially tonight, given the scoreline from the first leg.

“We must always be ready to fight, but with a clear mind. We were a bit sloppy at times and suffered a little bit but overall it was a good performance.

“It was more or less the kind of game I was expecting. We should have exploited more situations on the counter.

“We scored a goal that apparently was a legal one that was disallowed so we should have killed off the tie a lot earlier.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes Mohamed Salah’s relentless drive to score goals will never end.

The Egypt international scored in the 6-1 Europa League demolition of Sparta Prague to bring up his 20th goal of the season, becoming the first player in the club’s history to reach that mark in seven successive campaigns.

“In seven years together with him, the one problem we never had was consistency,” said Klopp after the Egypt international’s first start since New Year’s Day after a hamstring injury.

“Mo is just delivering and delivering and delivering, his desire doesn’t stop, his quality is there and his desire to score doesn’t stop.

“He has improved in so many aspects since he started here. That’s how it is, he will not stop.

“I’m less surprised than maybe some others, I thought it had already happened to be honest, but he was injured for a while, otherwise he would have done it in January or February.

“But great, very good, and great to have him back.”

Salah also provided two assists for Bobby Clark and Cody Gakpo, who scored twice, with Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai also on target.

He completed his first 90 minutes in two months but Klopp admitted he had wanted to rest him earlier.

“It was not the plan he plays 90 minutes, the plan was to take him off when we brought on Mateusz (Musialowski) but Bobby Clark said (he felt something) and Mo is experienced enough that he recovers during the game.

“I told him not to defend any more – I never told a player that before.”

Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals 11-2 on aggregate after an early blitz ruled out any remote hopes of a comeback from the Czech champions.

“The boys started the game incredibly well and 4-0 up in 14 minutes is really strange. From then on it became a strange game because how can you now stay greedy?” said Klopp.

Sparta boss Brian Priske accepted his side had been totally outclassed.

“Big respect to Liverpool how they played these two legs, the level from Sparta to Liverpool is massive. It is a completely different level,” he said.

“We never faced something like this. Liverpool is a Champions League team and they should be playing in the Champions League.”

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland has promised to “keep knocking on the door” after his hopes of an England comeback later this month were quashed.

Butland, who has nine caps to his name but was last called up in 2019, had been tipped for Gareth Southgate’s squad to face Brazil and Belgium.

Established number one Jordan Pickford will be supported by Aaron Ramsdale and Sam Johnstone for those games but Butland has not given up all hope of a late bid for this summer’s European Championship.

The 31-year-old, who acted as Pickford’s deputy at the 2018 World Cup, reacted to his omission after the Gers’ narrow Europa League defeat to Benfica.

Asked if he had been contacted about a possible call-up, Butland told TNT Sport: “No, no discussions. But if your name’s being chucked in it’s because you’re doing something right.

“When I found out I wasn’t in the squad, it was back to normal, continue trying to do what I do here. That’s the only reason I’ve been in those discussions in the first place, because I’ve been playing and playing well.

“Could I? Should I? It doesn’t really matter. I’ve worked hard enough, I’ve done enough. Whatever the decision will be, there’s three fantastic goalkeepers going. I’ll just keep knocking on the door and see what happens.”

Gareth Southgate is aware Ben White could face a backlash after he made himself unavailable for England duty but felt it was “impossible” to conceal the reason behind Thursday’s omission.

White has starred for Premier League leaders Arsenal this season and was set to be part of this month’s 25-man squad for the friendlies with Brazil and Belgium.

However, Arsenal sporting director Edu informed John McDermott, technical director at the Football Association, last week that White does not want to be currently considered for England squads, having not been called-up since he was sent home early from the 2022 World Cup.

White left Qatar for what the Football Association called “personal reasons” but reports later emerged of an alleged bust-up with England assistant Steve Holland.

Southgate denied any such fall-out on Thursday, although White’s absence from a squad ravaged by injuries has already sparked debate over the future international prospects of the versatile defender.

“John McDermott had a call from Edu last week to say that Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time. For me, that’s a great shame,” Southgate reflected.

“For me, England was the pinnacle. Did I enjoy every moment with England? No. Were there moments where you thought ‘here we go, into the lions’ den’ if you like, literally? Yes, but I always wanted to challenge myself and test myself.

“And the things I regret in my life are the things that I’ve not had a go at, not the things that I’ve failed at. For me, it was always the ultimate, but, I wasn’t at a club going for the league title, or in the last couple of rounds of the Champions League. I can’t speculate what’s behind it.

“We have to respect that. There’s clearly a reason, but I don’t know the full reason.

“As I’ve said, in these situations I’ve tried to protect players. Clearly that is impossible at this point because the timing of asking to come off the long-list, and the fact that I don’t have huge credibility if I didn’t pick him on form!

“I don’t think it would be right not to state the situation we’re in. We’ve explained to Arsenal we were going to do that and if you make a decision like that, you do have to stand by it.

“But like I say, I want to keep the door open. I don’t want there to be a backlash. I understand that we’re in a situation where that could happen, but I believe he’s announced he’s signing a new contract, so there’s no question he’s got the love of the Arsenal fans.

“For me, the shame is that he’s a player I like. I can see his ability is obvious. I would have liked to have picked him, but it’s not an option that’s open to me.

“I completely respect it. The door for me is completely open. Look, we have to say that’s unlikely now for the Euros because of the situation this month. But moving forward, I would hope that he feels differently about it.”

Southgate handed White his England debut against Austria in June 2021, then drafted him into the squad for that summer’s rearranged Euros as replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold. The defender did not make an appearance in the run to the final, nor did he play a minute at the World Cup in Qatar.

The bombshell news that White does not want to add to his four England caps came hours after the announcement that he had signed a new and improved contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, the PA news agency understands, having featured in every Premier League game this term.

England manager Gareth Southgate is comfortable with fully focusing on making sure there is a Trafalgar Square party in July after European Championship success rather than worrying about his contract situation.

Southgate has made the conscious decision to put talks over his future on hold despite his current terms with the Football Association being set to expire in December.

Euro 2024 will be the fourth major tournament Southgate has taken charge of as England boss and he is determined to minimise any potential distractions.

“I have to deliver in the job I’m in, so there’s no point in me thinking any further ahead than that,” Southgate insisted.

“My focus is delivering the best possible European Championship for England. Since I came to St George’s, our target has been being in the final four of things, with the ultimate aim of winning.

“If you look at the trajectory of a team, we’re at that point where we’ve done a lot of the climb and the enjoyable bit and we’re at that last bit, really, of winning and getting over the line.

“We’ve shown the consistency in the world ranking for the last five years, so there’s consistency of performances. We have to translate that with the next step now.

“That’s the challenge I have to accept as well and I’m really comfortable with that.

“There’s no point in speculating about what might happen after the summer.

“I think we would have to sit and think about that at the end of the tournament. I’m happy to talk about it briefly now, but I’m not going to talk about for the whole summer, what’s next.

“We’ve consciously shelved any discussions internally about what might be next, because I think if we had sat and signed a new contract and done that before the tournament, everybody would have said: ‘Well, you did this with (Fabio) Capello and you should be proving yourself before you sign.’

“So, look, I’m completely relaxed about that and I have no idea where we’ll be in the middle of July, other than I hope it’s Trafalgar Square and let’s get the party on!”

On being the one to decide conversations around his contract being put on the back-burner, Southgate added: “Yes, because I think that has the potential to negatively affect the reaction to the team.

“The team need the clearest run they can possibly have at this tournament, so my job is to remove pressure from the team where possible.

“We’ve got to accept some pressure because we’re one of the favourites, but, equally, I don’t want to put anything additional onto the team.”

A key figure in England’s hopes of securing a maiden European Championship title is Jude Bellingham, who has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign at Real Madrid.

Bellingham has scored 20 times since a summer switch from Borussia Dortmund, but recently made headlines after he was sent off after he remonstrated with referee Jesus Gil Manzano at the end of a 2-2 draw at Valencia.

Southgate said: “I think with some of the great players that play with a mentality he has, I’m thinking (Steven) Gerrard, (Patrick) Vieira and (Roy) Keane, they compete. They don’t like losing, they love winning.

“They haul the team up by its boots at those moments and they are often on that line. That is often where he is, so the thing that gives him his greatest strength is something he has to make sure he is on the right side of.

“He has normally been able to stay controlled in those moments if he’s had a yellow card. This is the first time with the sending-off the other day that I can remember him stepping over that. He is a bright boy, he will learn from that.

“He is super intelligent and really receptive to learning and taking things in. He’s had an incredible season at historically the biggest club in the world. Everyone can argue with if that is still the case but we’re very happy to have him.

“We love that edge that he has but clearly he has to get that right.”

Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has shrugged off speculation linking him with the vacant job at Aberdeen but said he could not rule out a return to club football in the future.

O’Neill, 54, is among the names mentioned as a possible replacement for Neil Warnock, who stepped down as Dons boss on Saturday less than an hour after guiding the club to the Scottish Cup semi-finals, becoming the fifth manager to leave Pittodrie in the last three years.

After naming his Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming friendlies away to Romania and Scotland, O’Neill was braced for questions on his future.

“I don’t really give it much thought,” O’Neill told the PA news agency.

“As I’ve said, I was at Aberdeen against St Mirren two or three weeks ago, I was there to see two Northern Ireland players who play for St Mirren.

“That’s a story that has been in the Scottish media. I’m not in control of anything like that. My focus is always here. I signed a five-and-a-half-year contact when I came back.

“I’m not in control of what people speculate or what people write and it’s not something I give a lot of attention to.”

O’Neill returned to the Northern Ireland job in December 2022. He had previously been in charge for eight years, guiding the team to Euro 2016, before leaving for Stoke in early 2020.

Asked if he wanted to manage in club football again, O’Neill added: “I would never close the door on that but when I came back here I came back knowing the job that was in hand.

“I felt I had a group of players who had possibly one last campaign in them. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case because a number of those senior players missed the whole campaign with injury or some retired.

“We’re now in a different phase, we’re having to go through a redevelopment, to build a team with very young players.

“If I do leave at some point and go to club football, the IFA did very well out of me going to Stoke and that’s a bridge we would cross if I ever came to it, but it’s not something I’m focused on at this time.”

That redevelopment project will continue in Bucharest and Glasgow with O’Neill again forced to name a young squad.

Jonny Evans is missing with a calf problem while Stuart Dallas and Corry Evans remain injured, with Steven Davis having announced his retirement in January after more than a year on the sidelines.

After a Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in which a hugely inexperienced Northern Ireland won only three games, O’Neill is hoping to see further growth from his young players.

“This is another opportunity to develop the team,” O’Neill said.

“We have as many as 12 players in the squad who are either uncapped or in single figures so there’s not a huge amount of experience.

“We have to expose them to a level and in these two games we’re playing two teams who are going to the Euro finals in the summer.

“Romania won their group and had a great campaign, unbeaten in 10 games, and Scotland finished second behind Spain.

“It shows the players if they’re going to have to qualify for a major tournament they’re going to have to finish above teams of the calibre of Scotland and Romania. These games are a benchmark for us going forward.”

Wales boss Rob Page has backed Tom Lockyer’s calls for people to learn CPR after his squad acquired lifesaving skills three months before their team-mate collapsed.

Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest during Luton’s Premier League game at Bournemouth in December and his heart stopped for two minutes and 40 seconds.

The 29-year-old was saved as medics rushed to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and provide early defibrillation.

Wales defender Lockyer has since supported the British Heart Foundation’s campaign for people to learn CPR skills, as well as raise funds for lifesaving research.

“The medical team came in and we did the class,” Page said of his squad undertaking a CPR and defibrillator training course in September that would take on special significance three months later.

“Tom is championing it at the minute, and rightly so.

“It just shows that there’s more to life than football.”

Lockyer returned to the scene of his on-pitch cardiac arrest on Wednesday for Luton’s re-arranged meeting with Bournemouth.

The 16-times capped central defender met medics who helped save his life and admitted that he “got a little bit emotional”, while describing them as “heroes”.

Lockyer has since been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and conceded it is “out of his hands” if he will ever play again.

But he will be part of Wales’ preparations next week as they bid to qualify for Euro 2024 and a third successive European Championship.

Wales host Finland in a play-off semi-final in Cardiff next Thursday, with the winners at home to Estonia or Poland five days later to decide a place in Germany this summer.

Page said: “I’ve had a good conversation with Locks and he’ll be a part of it. We don’t know what days or for how long yet.

“But he’s keen to come in and we’re keen to have him around the lads.

“I can only imagine how hard it was for Meps (Chris Mepham), Kieffer (Moore) and Brooksy (David Brooks) when they played that fixture and saw their mate on the floor like he was.

“I can only imagine how hard it would have been for them.

“They’ve had contact straight after and they’ve been in touch since, but it’ll be nice to have them all back in the group together.

“Forget football, just being together as good mates is powerful for them.”

Brighton’s battling 1-0 win at home to Roma was not enough to stop Roberto De Zerbi’s side exiting the Europa League at the last-16 stage.

Danny Welbeck’s magnificent first-half strike saw the Seagulls to victory but they fell well short of completing the miracle comeback required to wipe away last week’s 4-0 first leg defeat in Rome, losing 4-1 on aggregate.

After playing ‘The Great Escape’ on the Amex Stadium PA system before kick-off, Brighton signalled their intent right from the start with left-back Pervis Estupinan sending a dangerous cross into the gloves of goalkeeper Mile Svilar after only 31 seconds.

Captain Lewis Dunk headed across the face of goal from Pascal Gross’ corner before later smashing a free-kick into the Roma wall.

Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour also sent a volley over the crossbar after the Italians had only half cleared a Gross free-kick.

Roma’s first chance to get on the scoresheet came in the 15th minute as Sardar Azmoun dragged his shot wide after latching onto a loose Simon Adingra pass across his own penalty area.

The visitors looked to have opened the scoring eight minutes later through Azmoun’s overhead kick only for referee Felix Zwayer to harshly disallow the goal for a high boot.

That decision prompted an angry reaction from Roma boss Daniele De Rossi, who was shown a yellow card for his protests.

Brighton took the lead eight minutes before half-time courtesy of Welbeck’s spectacular strike.

The experienced former Arsenal and Manchester United striker picked up the ball midway inside the Roma half before playing a one-two with Estupinan and curling an unstoppable right-foot shot into the far corner from 20 yards out.

A fiery first half ended with eight yellow cards, including De Zerbi joining counterpart De Rossi in the referee’s notebook.

Another Brighton goal soon after the re-start would have set Roma nerves jangling and Julio Enciso tried to find it with a long-range shot that ended up well wide of the target.

Substitute Ansu Fati forced Svilar into a save when his cross-shot from wide on the left bounced awkwardly in front of the keeper.

Leonardo Spinazzola came within inches of putting Roma level on the night when he fired against the angle of post and crossbar following a mazy run.

Adingra should have done better in the 64th minute when heading straight at Svilar from point-blank range from an inviting Gross cross.

Jan Paul Van Hecke put a header wide from Welbeck’s looping cross and, while the home side dominated possession, they could not find any more goals as their first ever European campaign ended.

Ollie Watkins helped fire Aston Villa to a first European quarter-final since 1998 but gave his side and England an injury scare after limping off.

Watkins, named in Gareth Southgate’s latest squad earlier on Thursday, headed Villa in front in the first half of a 4-0 Europa Conference League second-leg win over 10-man Ajax which sends them through to the last eight.

But the striker limped off eight minutes later with a knee problem and had to watch his team-mates run riot in the second half with Leon Bailey, John Duran and Moussa Diaby goals killing off the tie after last week’s goalless draw in Amsterdam.

Villa and England will now wait anxiously to discover the extent of the problem, with the striker crucial to Villa’s Premier League top-four ambitions, while he was also likely to be involved in next week’s international friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.

Unai Emery’s men will also have serious designs on winning Europe’s third-tier competition, having reached a first continental quarter-final since the 1997/98 UEFA Cup when they lost to Atletico Madrid.

The level of opposition remaining in the competition is not of that calibre and they will be favourites to lift the silverware in Athens in May.

It was a painful return to English soil for Ajax captain Jordan Henderson, who was given a frequent reminder of his ill-fated move to Saudi Arabia by taunting home fans as his side were outclassed.

Just how successful Villa are between now and the end of the season may depend on the severity of the 15th-minute injury which Watkins suffered as he jarred his left knee when tackling Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj.

He was able to carry on after lengthy treatment and initially appeared OK when he opened the scoring 10 minutes later.

The haphazard Ramaj had to produce a last-ditch tackle to deny Diaby after the keeper had fumbled a routine collection and from the resulting corner Watkins was left totally unmarked to head home Douglas Luiz’s corner.

Watkins’ night only lasted eight minutes longer as he succumbed to the pain and limped off in worrying scenes.

That halted Villa’s progress and Ajax fired a warning that they were still in the tie in first-half stoppage-time when Brian Brobbey saw a shot cleared off the line by Matt Cash.

But the second half was one-way traffic and the second goal came just before the hour as Sivert Mannsverk’s pass played his side into danger, with Bailey slotting home after twisting and turning.

Ajax’s plight deteriorated quickly when Mannsverk was then sent off for picking up two yellow cards and Villa enjoyed themselves against the 10 men.

Watkins’ replacement Duran got on the scoresheet in the 75th minute after another defensive howler allowed him to fire home from the edge of the area, with goal-line technology ruling in his favour after the ball cannoned off the underside of the crossbar.

Diaby then rounded things off with a crisp finish in the final 10 minutes as Villa went into the hat for Friday’s last-eight draw.

Mohamed Salah warmed up for Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United with a record-breaking goal in Liverpool’s 6-1 Europa League demolition of Sparta Prague at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were already virtually guaranteed a quarter-final place after their 5-1 first-leg victory but four goals in the opening 13-and-a-half minutes started the rout.

They were only the second team in major UEFA competition history to score four inside the first 14 minutes, after Chelsea against Jeunesse Hautcharage in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971-72, but Salah is one for setting standards not matching them.

The Egypt international, playing his first 90 minutes since New Year’s Day – due to the African Nations Cup and the hamstring injury he sustained playing in the tournament – scored the third goal for his 20th of the campaign.

It was the seventh-successive season he has reached the milestone and the first time any Liverpool player in their 132-year history had achieved such a feat.

If he needed any tuning up before the trip to Old Trafford then the Czech champions provided it as he also claimed two assists in that early blitz, with 19-year-old Bobby Clark benefiting to score his first goal for the club and Cody Gakpo turning home his cross from close range.

Darwin Nunez opened the scoring with a clinical strike from 16 yards – just seven minutes earlier – with the best of the quartet but that was forgotten in the blur of goals which followed as Sparta’s players were left chasing shadows and questioning their own abilities.

When the fourth goal went in, captain Ladislav Krejci, whose mistake had led to the second, called a crisis meeting in the middle of the pitch.

It all seemed a bit futile as even though their task at kick-off was an improbable one, their defending was so naive it bordered on the embarrassing.

Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who added the fifth two minutes into the second half, crossed for Nunez to clip home a shot in the seventh minute for his 17th of the season and his sixth in as many games.

But instead of keeping it tight, the visitors continued to play out from the back and when Salah charged down Krejci, the rebound fell kindly for Clark to slot under goalkeeper Peter Vindahl.

The favour was returned when Clark muscled Jaroslav Zleny off the ball 25 yards out to tee up Salah to curl home his milestone goal, Gakpo then turning home the Egyptian’s cross from close range after more sloppy defending.

Nunez ballooned over Liverpool’s easiest chance from six yards from another Salah cross before Conor Bradley’s fierce drive was parried by the goalkeeper.

Veljko Birmancevic held off the backtracking Wataru Endo to poke a shot past Caoimhin Kelleher just before the break but it was a brief respite as, after Nunez, Endo and Joe Gomez were replaced during the interval, Szoboszlai’s near-post drive took a deflection on the way in.

When Vindahl’s punch at a corner only reached the edge of the area Harvey Elliott fired in a low shot which Gakpo touched in with a cheeky backheel.

The Netherlands international wasted a glorious chance for his hat-trick, blazing over with only the goalkeeper to beat and despite taking his tally to 13 for the season, he is unlikely to start at the weekend.

Klopp’s preferred front three of Salah, Nunez and Luis Diaz will have 48 goals between them and the team as a whole have 117 goals in 45 games.

They will fancy their chances against a United side who have kept just four clean sheets – three of which came against mid-tabled League One opponents Wigan and Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest and Everton – since they became the only club in the last 55 matches to prevent Liverpool scoring in a goalless draw in December.