Eddie Howe has admitted Newcastle will need two XIs of equal quality to cope with the rigours of European football next season.

The Magpies secured a Europa League campaign at worst with Thursday night’s 4-1 Premier League victory over Brighton, and will play in the Champions League if they win one of their two remaining games of the current campaign, which continues with struggling Leicester’s trip to St James’ Park on Monday.

Asked what that would mean for the summer transfer window, Howe, who has been allowed to spend in excess of £250million to date, replied: “It’s a good question. We need to figure that out.

“If you have a strong squad, rotation will be important. Rotation is going to be important, utilising the whole squad is going to be important.

“We haven’t felt the necessity to necessarily do that on a consistent basis because we’ve been in one competition – of course, we had the cup run. We have rotated to a degree, but maybe not in the numbers that we might need to next year.

“If you’re going to do that, then the squad needs to be strong enough, so if you put out two XIs, they’re of equal strength.”

The strength of Howe’s current squad could be put to the test on Monday evening with his midfield resources stretched severely in the aftermath of an energy-sapping clash with the Seagulls.

Joe Willock was helped from the pitch in some discomfort with a hamstring injury which the Magpies fear will end his season with two games to go, while Bruno Guimaraes has been nursing a persistent ankle problem in recent months.

Howe said as he conducted his pre-match press conference: “Today I’ll be going straight to the physio room, to be honest, after this to see how everybody is. We’ve got a few concerns.

“The lads gave so much yesterday to the game, they’ve given a lot to the season physically and I just hope there’s no serious effects.

“It looks like Joe Willock may be in trouble with his hamstring – we might lose him for the season, but that’s unclear as I sit here now. Fingers crossed our team will still be strong.”

Even redoubtable Brazilian Joelinton is feeling the effects of a gruelling campaign after running himself into the ground in the club’s cause.

Howe, who is not anticipating having either Sean Longstaff or Jacob Murphy back available to face the Foxes, said: “He’s a machine. He’d literally – it’s a well-used phrase in football – run through a brick wall for the team, the club and I think he does every game.

“He succumbed to that brick wall last night, it seemed to hurt him, but we hope he’s okay. He’s just been incredible for us this year.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has told his players their resounding Premier League victory over Brighton will count for nothing if they do not beat Leicester to clinch a place in the Champions League.

The Magpies survived a test of their top-four credentials at St James’ Park on Thursday evening when they defended a 2-1 lead in the face of a determined Seagulls backlash before eventually killing off the game to win 4-1.

As a result, they climbed four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with both clubs having two games left, and will play in the Champions League next season if either the Reds lose at home to Aston Villa on Saturday or they beat the Foxes on Tyneside two days later.

Asked if he could put into words how big a win it was, Howe said: “It’s a huge win for us.

“I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but it won’t mean anything if we don’t back it up on Monday night and that’s an incredibly difficult game. After the high of today and what we’ve given in the match, we know we have to repeat it.

“Nothing is given to you in the Premier League. We know Leicester’s qualities, so we have to be very calm, recover well and we have to have the same focus and mentality that we had today.”

Newcastle looked to be cruising to victory when Deniz Undav’s own goal and a second from Dan Burn sent them in at the break 2-0 ahead, although Undav made amends within six minutes of the restart to spark something of a fightback before Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes struck at the death.

Howe’s side cannot now finish any lower than fifth and are assured of Europa League football at worst, but the 45-year-old is still not allowing himself to get excited.

He said: “Honestly I don’t [get excited]. I take great pride in the performance tonight. I’ll go back home, watch the game and I’ll be, I hope, really proud of what I see, really enthused by the players delivering a brilliant product to watch for our supporters.

“The excitement stuff doesn’t really exist in this job because you know there’s just another game and another challenge and it won’t stop even if we hit our goal. There’ll just be another challenge and it will hit us in the face next season.”

Liverpool’s seven-game winning run had piled the pressure on the Magpies, although it is Jurgen Klopp’s men who now have little or no margin for error.

However, Howe said: “We’re not looking at any other teams or trying to make any sort of statement, we just needed to win for us and that will be the same against Leicester.”

For Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, there was disappointment as he was forced to make changes to the side which beat Arsenal at the weekend, although they too have a prize within their grasp.

The Seagulls are currently sixth on 58 points, one clear of Tottenham and Aston Villa but with a game in hand.

De Zerbi, whose team host Southampton and Manchester City before finishing the campaign with a trip to Villa, said: “I think we will be able to qualify anyway for Europe. We have to win two games. We will play in our stadium and with our fans in our stadium, we play with 12 players.

“It is a difficult period, but to qualify for Europe, we have to be stronger than everything because if we do, we reach a historic target, a big target, and we have right motivation and energy.”

Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes served up a grandstand finish to take Newcastle to the brink of Champions League football with a resounding victory over Brighton.

Having seen Deniz Undav drag the Seagulls back into the game after his own goal and Dan Burn’s towering header had given the Magpies a 2-0 half-time lead, Wilson scored his 18th of the season and then set up Guimaraes to wrap up a 4-1 win at the death in front of a delirious crowd of 52,122 at St James’ Park.

Eddie Howe’s men will be assured of a top-four finish if Liverpool lose to Aston Villa on Saturday – even a draw might ultimately prove enough as a result of their superior goal difference – but can complete the job themselves in any case if they beat struggling Leicester on Tyneside on Monday evening.

For much of the game, this was not the Brighton which effectively ended Arsenal’s title challenge on Sunday, partly because of the absence of Levi Colwill, Alexis Mac Allister, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson from the starting line-up, but largely as a result of the relentless pressure exerted by their opponents.

Joe Willock saw an early cross hacked away to Miguel Almiron, whose shot was blocked at source as the Magpies found their rhythm, and Fabian Schar drilled a ninth-minute free-kick straight at the grateful Jason Steele.

Willock fired just wide from Almiron’s pull-back seconds later, and the Paraguay international cleared the target by some distance from a tight angle after the former Arsenal midfielder had returned the favour.

Such was the Magpies’ early intensity that the Seagulls were struggling to play their way out of their own half, much to manager Roberto De Zerbi’s agitation, although keeper Nick Pope was tested for the first time by Danny Welbeck’s 16th-minute attempt after Kaoru Mitoma had picked him out.

But the pressure finally told with 23 minutes gone when Trippier drilled the latest of a series of corners to the near post and in his attempt to clear it, Undav could only glance the ball into his own net.

Burn saw a sharply-executed 34th-minute shot on the turn deflected wide after the visitors failed to deal with another Trippier corner and although Mitoma chanced his arm with an ambitious 37th-minute strike which failed to engage Pope, Newcastle extended their lead deep into added time.

With Joelinton still seething at a Moises Caicedo challenge which went unpunished by referee Robert Jones, Tripper took full advantage of a decision which did go his side’s way seconds later, curling a free-kick on to the head of Burn, who powered it past the helpless Steele.

Almiron passed up a chance to put the game beyond the visitors within five minutes of the restart when he shot straight at Steele from Willock’s knock-down, and the miss proved costly within seconds when Undav ran on to Billy Gilmour’s through-ball and beat Pope to make amends for his earlier contribution.

Mac Allister, Enciso and Ferguson were swiftly thrown into the mix and just as quickly, Willock departed clutching his hamstring and Elliot Anderson joined the fray.

But there was no let-up as the home side saw penalty appeals waved away after Burn appeared to have his shirt tugged and Steele made a superb save to keep out Alexander Isak’s header.

Enciso glanced Caicedo’s cross wide of Pope’s far post as the game became increasingly open, but the Magpies launched a devastating late assault to wrap up the win.

Wilson added a third when he rounded off an 89th-minute counter-attack sparked by Almiron before setting up Guimaraes to make it 4-1 in injury-time.

Roberto De Zerbi says Robert Sanchez is not currently part of Brighton’s first-team plans because the goalkeeper “wanted it this way”.

Sanchez was a surprise absentee from Albion’s matchday squad for Sunday’s 3-0 Premier League win at Arsenal and will not be involved in Thursday’s game at Newcastle.

The 25-year-old Spain international lost his starting role to Jason Steele in early March, with his future at the Amex Stadium now shrouded in uncertainty.

“With Robert, we spoke before the Arsenal game and we decided together the best solution was to stay home,” said Seagulls head coach De Zerbi.

“He decides everything. Robert decides and at the moment it’s like this. He wanted it this way, not me, not the club.”

Sanchez has been restricted to FA Cup appearances during the past three months, aside from playing in the 2-1 victory at Chelsea on April 15 when Steele was injured.

Meanwhile, De Zerbi confirmed Brighton are on the verge of completing a free transfer deal for 27-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud, who is out of contract in the summer.

“I know very well Dahoud but he’s not official at the moment,” said the Italian.

“He’s not official yet and we will speak about him later, in the next press conference.”

After a reporter said “it sounds like he’s coming”, De Zerbi replied: “Yes, because we have no secret and I like him and I would like to work with him.”

De Zerbi is eager to bolster his squad as he braces himself for some big-name departures.

Yet he is not completely resigned to losing the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, contrary to reports following the weekend win at Emirates Stadium.

“I didn’t say it like this,” he said. “I said it can be the possibility to lose some big players, like Caicedo maybe, Mac Allister, (Kaoru) Mitoma, I don’t know.

“But we are Brighton and I know the policy of my club and we have to be ready to bring in other good players with the right characteristics.”

Sixth-placed Albion require just two more wins from their remaining four fixtures to secure Europa League qualification following the stunning success over Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

De Zerbi is balancing injury problems ahead of the long trip to St James’ Park.

He admits selection issues are causing him to lose sleep, with Joel Veltman, Adam Webster, Solly March, Tariq Lamptey, Adam Lallana, Jakub Moder and Jeremy Sarmiento remaining on the lengthy injury list.

“We can’t lose any more players for the last four games,” he said.

“We can’t take any risks and we start (with the intention) to win the game tomorrow but we have to think we have four games in 12 days.

“I’m losing sleep to decide the best first XI.”

The Seagulls received widespread plaudits for their weekend performance in north London as they emphatically bounced back from being thrashed 5-1 by relegation-threatened Everton.

De Zerbi urged his players to set aside the elation of that result and focus on future challenges and the chance to make history by claiming a European spot.

“We have to be ready to forget the last game and start with a clean head,” he said.

“We are fighting for a historic target and if we want to reach the historic target we have to make historic results.

“This year we won two times against Chelsea, we won 3-0 against Liverpool, we won 3-0 in Emirates Stadium.

“We are winning incredible games but to reach the incredible target you have to win incredible games.

“We can decide our destiny and our future but we know the way is still difficult.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is hoping the security breach which left him in danger at Elland Road could help prevent a future “tragedy” on a football pitch.

The 45-year-old was confronted in his technical area by an angry spectator during Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at Leeds, and a man has since been banned from the stadium for life and charge with assault.

Howe, who revealed he had been contacted by League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan in the wake of the incident, said: “The concern for me is the future.

“That incident has gone, it’s done as far as I’m concerned, but the only part of that incident that’s left is the ‘What ifs?’ for the future.

“I just hope that that incident itself can then help the authorities and whoever is concerned with the security and safety of the players and staff, that if it does make a little change or (encourage) someone to think how we can improve things, then it will have been a really worthwhile episode because I’d hate to see a tragedy on a football pitch that could have been avoided.”

If Saturday’s events highlighted matters off the pitch, Howe swiftly shifted his attention to what happens on it as he prepared for Thursday night’s hugely significant showdown with in-form Brighton at St James’ Park.

The Seagulls will arrive on Tyneside still basking in the acclaim they received in the wake of their dismantling of title hopefuls Arsenal on Sunday, with both they and Liverpool chasing hard in a bid to deny the Magpies and Manchester United a top-four finish.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said ahead of Monday night’s 3-0 win at Leicester that the clubs currently sitting behind top two Manchester City and the Gunners would be happier if they were not being hunted down, although Howe is not feeling any pressure.

He said: “I don’t feel like we’re being hunted. I don’t feel that emotion. It’s us against ourselves, really. That’s how I see it. It’s us trying to be the best we can be.

“I’ve not focused on any other team all season. In my experience, I knew Liverpool were never far away because they are a top team and they are capable of going on runs of wins. They are very similar to Manchester City where they can win a group of games without blinking. They have got that experience.

“For us, we can’t look at it or compare ourselves to Liverpool. We just have to look at us.”

Liverpool, who have two games remaining, are still a point behind Newcastle and United, who have three left to play, while Brighton are eight points adrift with four to go, and the Magpies know victory in their last two home games – against the Seagulls and then Leicester on Monday evening – would secure Champions League qualification.

Asked if he would have taken that back in August, Howe, who has a doubt over wide man Jacob Murphy and will once again be without midfielder Sean Longstaff, replied: “’Snapped your arm off’ is the phrase that I’d use.”

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 15.

Football

Gary Neville analysed Arsenal’s slump.

Millie Bright updated her profile pic to celebrate Chelsea winning the FA Cup for a third season in a row.

Australia international Alanna Kennedy celebrated signing a new contract at Manchester City.

Tennis

Birthday boy Andy Murray wants the cake he feels he deserves.

Formula One

Max Verstappen made history on this day in 2016.

Golf

Howdy! Jason Day is a PGA Tour winner again after victory in Texas.

Lee Westwood is planning to rest up after being forced to withdraw from the final round of the LIV golf event in Tulsa.

Viktor Hovland took in the Niagara Falls ahead of this week’s US PGA Championship.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard admits they must learn from Sunday’s crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton.

The Gunners’ faint title hopes went up in smoke after second-half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned the visitors a stunning victory at the Emirates.

Premier League leaders Manchester City now need only one more win from their final three games to clinch the title but they could be crowned champions without playing if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

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City won 3-0 at Everton before the Gunners’ clash with Brighton and despite a strong first-half showing, Mikel Arteta’s side folded with the Seagulls going in front in the 51st minute through Enciso before they picked off the hosts with late goals from Undav and Estupinan.

Asked if mentality was an issue, Odegaard insisted: “No, I don’t think so.

“I felt like we were good going into the game but yeah, in the game, it was a different story.

“We have to accept that and learn from it.

“In the first half we did a lot of good things and we had some moments where we could create some big chances and maybe score a goal or two.

“Then in the second half we gave them more and more momentum. They are dangerous when they go direct and especially on our right side, they attacked us there a bit too easy in behind but it is hard to say at the moment. A lot of things we could do better.”

While Arsenal boss Arteta did not admit defeat in the title race, Odegaard conceded their hopes were probably over.

City’s success at Goodison Park made it 11 Premier League wins in a row and the championship is expected to be decided this coming weekend.

Odegaard told Sky Sports: “Yeah, it feels like that (the title is over). I think it is going to be very difficult now. We have to be honest, so it is tough to take.

“It is not a good feeling at the moment. The way we played, especially in the second half, I don’t know what happened to be honest but big, big disappointment.

“Yeah, it feels like there is no hope now.”

Brighton produced a scintillating second-half display to get their unlikely top-four charge back on track after they had suffered a surprise 5-1 home defeat to Everton last Monday.

Roberto De Zerbi wheeled off down the touchline after Undaz’s 86th-minute lob before he dropped to his knees in celebration after Estupinan wrapped up the scoring.

The Italian played down comparisons with Jose Mourinho, who did similar during his time at Porto in a match against Manchester United in 2004, but admitted the sky is the limit for him and his team.

“Jose Mourinho is a great manager but I have this character, this passion,” De Zerbi stated.

“I don’t know (about the future). I am focused only on qualifying for Europe now.

“In my future I want to dream because I am used to giving everything in my work. I live for my work and I want to dream. I want to reach the impossible target always.

“Now with Brighton. Before with Shakhtar, before with Sassuolo. When I work in football, I want to fix the target very high and if I lose, I lose and we start stronger.”

De Zerbi did remain coy over the absence of Robert Sanchez, who had been his first-choice goalkeeper up until February.

“We spoke two days ago and we found an agreement that today he is not going to come here,” De Zerbi explained.

“He knew he was not going to play so we found an agreement.”

What the papers say

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has admitted he expects key midfield duo Moises Caicedo, 21, and Alexis Mac Allister, 24, to leave the club this summer, the Metro reports. It comes despite the Seagulls’ 3-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday boosting their hopes of European football next season.

The same paper writes that Chelsea’s incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino is targeting four signings in his first summer in charge, including a “sensational swoop” for Tottenham striker Harry Kane. West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, Brighton’s Mac Allister and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez are also reportedly on his wish list.

Elsewhere, the Sun reports Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst is planning to hold talks with Burnley manager Vincent Kompany once the 30-year-old striker’s loan spell ends. The Dutchman has failed to prove his goalscoring ability at the Red Devils since joining them on loan in January.

And Thiago Silva’s wife Belle has confirmed the defender intends to stay at Chelsea next season, the Evening Standard says. The 38-year-old was rumoured to be considering returning to Fluminense, the Brazilian club where he began his youth career as a 14-year-old.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Adrien Rabiot: French outlet L’Equipe reports Manchester United are back in the hunt for the 28-year-old midfielder as he approaches the end of his contract at Juventus.

Kylian Mbappe: Marca says Real Madrid remain interested in signing the 24-year-old striker from Paris St Germain.

A frustrated Mikel Arteta apologised to the Arsenal supporters after a crushing 3-0 loss at home to Brighton all but ended their Premier League title hopes.

Second-half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned the Seagulls a deserved victory at the Emirates that means Manchester City need one more win from their final three games to defend their crown.

City could be champions on Saturday night if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest with the gap between the top two now four points, and Pep Guardiola’s side holding a game in hand on the Gunners, who have failed to win five of their last seven matches.

“A really different feeling to the feeling that we all had last Sunday (at Newcastle) when we felt proud and we felt that we really did what we needed to win in certain moments. Today is completely the opposite,” Arteta admitted.

“We have to apologise to our people, especially for the second half.

“What I have to accept first is what happened in the second half and digest it.

“After that until it’s mathematically over… the second position is secure. That’s not going to change. We have to digest and that will take a few days.

“At the moment it’s just frustration. The feeling that we gave the game away in the second half. We fought really hard to be in the position that we are in and today we were in a critical moment to keeping hoping and digging for that dream.

“When you have to play in these moments you cannot do what we did in the second half.

“Then we have to look. If a team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage, there’s a lot of things to analyse and think about because it cannot happen.”

Manchester City’s 3-0 victory at Everton earlier in the day had ramped up the pressure on Arsenal but they started strongly despite losing Gabriel Martinelli to an ankle injury after 19 minutes.

Gabriel Jesus tested Jason Steele midway through the opening 45 and Leandro Trossard clipped the crossbar with a swerving effort before Bukayo Saka dragged an effort wide from 14 yards at the end of a stop-start half.

Brighton punished Arsenal’s profligacy straight after half-time when Estupinan followed up his blocked cross with a scuffed centre that Enciso headed home for his third goal of the season.

Arteta made a raft of changes after but the visitors stayed in control and picked off the hosts with Undav able to lob Aaron Ramsdale in the 86th minute before Estupinan grabbed a deserved goal with a close-range finish in stoppage-time.

A reflective Arteta added: “Obviously what the team has done over the last 10 months is very different to what anybody expected and that generates a lot of expectation as well enthusiasm, happiness and joy.

“That’s something that has to be managed in the right way and after we have the responsibility to make sure the team performs and I am responsible for that.

“So, I hate the feeling of letting people down when they are expecting something. That’s the biggest regret I have today and I have to apologise for that.”

It was a different set of emotions for Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who laughed off comparisons with Jose Mourinho after he wheeled off down the touchline to celebrate Undav’s goal.

He did insist, however, that nothing had been achieved by his sixth-placed side.

“Yes I am very delighted for the performances. I think we deserved to win but then really happy, really proud because the last five days were very difficult after the defeat on Monday (against Everton),” De Zerbi stated.

“We have 58 points and not enough to qualify for Europe.

“We have another four games, tough games, Newcastle, Southampton, City and last game Aston Villa and we have to fight to deserve to qualify because 58 points is not enough to play Thursdays next year.”

Ilkay Gundogan helped himself to a superb double as Manchester City edged closer to a fifth Premier League title in six seasons with a 3-0 win at Everton.

As a result of their victory on Merseyside and Arsenal’s 3-0 home defeat by Brighton, a maximum of three more points from their remaining three matches, the first of them at home to Chelsea next Sunday, will secure the trophy once again.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s men could be crowned champions on Saturday evening should the Gunners lose at Nottingham Forest, and even a draw at the City Ground would effectively end the race as a result of City’s superior goal difference after a straightforward afternoon at Goodison Park.

Gundogan took his tally to four in two matches with an expertly-executed over-the-shoulder volley and an exquisite curling free-kick.

In between, Erling Haaland scored his almost mandatory goal to make it 52 for the season, with former Everton centre-forward Dixie Dean’s record of 63 still realistically within his reach.

Arsenal, however, could not follow suit in a game boss Mikel Arteta admitted before kick-off was a must-win affair as second-half goals by Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned Brighton a stunning win at the Emirates Stadium.

After a keenly-contested first half, Arsenal fell behind to Enciso’s 51st-minute header and, as they desperately sought a way back into the game, the hosts were picked off by Undav and then Estupinan in a devastating display by the visitors, who are themselves on the brink of qualifying for Europe for the first time.

Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa ensured West Ham are still not mathematically assured of their place in next season’s top flight after Brentford eased to a 2-0 victory.

David Moyes made nine changes ahead of Thursday night’s Europa Conference League semi-final second leg against AZ Alkmaar but saw his side come up short against a Bees line-up deprived of the services of 20-goal striker Ivan Toney by injury, with Mbeumo and Wissa both scoring before half-time.

Danny Ings thought he had reduced the deficit after the break, but his tap-in was controversially disallowed for handball by Divin Mubama following a VAR review.

Brighton handed Manchester City the chance to clinch the Premier League title next weekend as the latest round of fixtures yielded a potentially decisive twist.

The Seagulls’ breath-taking victory at Arsenal left City four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, meaning they can clinch the trophy for a fifth time with a home win over struggling Chelsea next Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at an eventful weekend which also saw Southampton slip out of the top flight.

Seagulls soaring

Brighton’s remarkable 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium may have been celebrated in the blue half of Manchester, but certainly not the red, nor on Tyneside or Merseyside. The Seagulls not only dented the Gunners’ title hopes, but dragged themselves back on to the fringes of the hunt for Champions League qualification with the perfect response to Monday’s shock 5-1 drubbing by Everton, edging to within four points of the Reds and eight of United and the Magpies with a game in hand on all three.

Top Gun

If Manchester City do go on to clinch the title, they will have done so with a significant helping hand from skipper Ilkay Gundogan. The 32-year-old Germany international’s double secured a 2-1 win over Leeds last weekend – and it might have been better had he converted a penalty gifted to him by Erling Haaland – and he repeated the feat in sublime style in Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Everton to further underline his importance to Pep Guardiola.

A spot of bother

Should renowned firefighter Sam Allardyce fail in his mission to drag Leeds to safety, he and his players will inevitably lose sleep over an eventful afternoon at Elland Road when Newcastle came to call. Already leading through Luke Ayling’s early strike, the home side passed up a glorious opportunity to extend their advantage when Nick Pope saved Patrick Bamford’s penalty, and their afternoon might have ended in defeat after Magpies frontman Callum Wilson showed him how to do it from the spot not once, but twice before Rasmus Kristensen’s late equaliser snatched a 2-2 draw.

Eze does it

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Crystal Palace’s reliance on Wilfried Zaha in recent seasons has piled huge weight on the Ivory Coast international’s shoulders, but in Eberechi Eze, they appear to have found someone to share the burden. The 24-year-old scored both goals in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth, the first with an assured finish after Jordan Ayew had flicked on Zaha’s cross, and the second a stunning solo effort, to take his tally to six in his last seven appearances.

That sinking feeling

If further proof were needed that changing manager twice during a Premier League season is not necessarily a good idea, it was provided on Saturday when Southampton slipped out of the top flight with barely a whimper after a 2-0 home defeat by Fulham. Between them, Ralph Hasenhuttl, Nathan Jones and Ruben Selles have managed to win only six of the 36 league games the Saints have played to date and collected just 24 points.

Arsenal’s fading Premier League titles hopes are all but over after second-half goals by Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned Brighton a stunning 3-0 win at the Emirates.

The result means Manchester City only need one more victory from their final three games to defend their crown and they could be confirmed as champions as early as Saturday night if Mikel Arteta’s side lose at Nottingham Forest.

Arteta admitted pre-match it was must-win for Arsenal but they tasted defeat after a promising first-half showing thanks to Enciso’s 51st-minute header and late efforts by Undav and Estupinan.

It keeps alive the faint top-four hopes of Roberto De Zerbi’s team, who claimed another scalp in their outstanding season to move up to sixth with games in hand on Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle.

Any hope Arsenal had of Manchester City dropping points at Goodison Park was dispelled even before Arteta had named his starting line-up with their title rivals 3-0 up after 51 minutes.

It failed to dampen the atmosphere at the Emirates but visiting Brighton were not in London to make up the numbers and had European football ambitions to get back on track following a shock home loss to Everton on Monday.

The opening exchanges were affected by stoppages but referee Andrew Madley seemed keen to keep his cards in his pockets with Gabriel Martinelli and Moises Caicedo lucky to avoid punishment for poor challenges.

Caicedo, who saw a move to Arsenal fall through in January, in a less-familiar right-back role caught Martinelli after seven minutes and it eventually forced the Brazilian off with only 19 minutes played.

Enciso had tested Aaron Ramsdale with a firm near-post effort by this point and Martin Odegaard had sent a low strike wide but the contest had failed to get going following a stop-start opening.

Arsenal slowly got into their groove and Jason Steele had to kick away a Gabriel Jesus shot from a narrow angle before substitute Leandro Trossard went close against his old club.

Trossard, a replacement for Martinelli, was booed by the away fans and nearly gained payback after half an hour when Odegaard and Granit Xhaka exchanged passes to find the Belgian, but his swerving effort clipped the top of the crossbar from 16 yards.

Brighton improved after that let-off and Enciso should have done better when Kaoru Mitoma skinned Ben White and teed up the Paraguayan, but he scooped over on the turn.

Teenage forward Evan Ferguson also fired wide soon after for the Seagulls before Bukayo Saka dragged a shot off target from a promising position inside the area in first-half stoppage-time to ensure it remained goalless at the break.

It only took six minutes of the second half for Arsenal’s profligacy to be punished.

Mitoma found the overlapping Estupinan, who had not been tracked by Saka, on the left but after his first delivery had been half-cleared, his scuffed follow-up cross found its way to Enciso, who headed home.

Enciso was only unmarked because Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior was in a heap on the floor after he twisted his ankle after Estupinan’s first centre but Brighton nor Manchester City cared one bit.

Kiwior was fine to carry on but Arteta had seen enough and introduced Thomas Partey and Reiss Nelson on the hour mark.

Substitute Nelson immediately made an impression with a low shot flashed wide and yet emotions were starting to spill over at the Emirates.

Arteta received a booking and while Trossard fired straight at Steele minutes later, Brighton remained in control and the Arsenal boss made his final roll of the dice with 13 minutes left.

Jesus and Odegaard made way for Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe while De Zerbi introduced Facundo Buonanotte for Brighton.

And with four minutes left it was good night to Arsenal’s title challenge when Trossard’s intended flicked pass hit Pascal Gross and ricocheted into the path of Undav, who lobbed over Ramsdale.

De Zerbi sprinted down the touchline to celebrate and was at it again deep into stoppage-time when Estupinan capped a fine display with a first Brighton goal after he fired home on the rebound when Ramsdale spilled Undav’s effort.

Everton manager Sean Dyche insists it would be wrong to think “everything is solved” following their resounding win over Brighton.

A 5-1 victory, only the club’s second away win in the Premier League this season, lifted the relegation-threatened Toffees out of the bottom three and two points clear of the drop zone.

However, despite the morale-boosting result prompting many pundits to now favour Everton escaping a first top-flight relegation since 1951, Dyche has cautioned against complacency – especially with treble-chasing Manchester City next up at Goodison Park.

“When I walked in here the thing that hit me instantly was a big result, big everything; tough result, low everything. That needed to change in-house,” he told the club’s website.

“The in-house feel here, the environment we work in, and the flow had to get more level and more consistent in our daily work and thinking.

“We’ve spoken to the players and staff about it. It’s important to handle good times in terms of not thinking everything is solved and right and proper.

“When I talk about seeing through the noise, that maybe implies when things aren’t going right but it very much applies to when things are going right as well.”

Everton stunned Brighton with a 5-1 win on the south coast that moved the Toffees out of the relegation zone on a day that left Southampton in deep trouble and edged Leicester closer to the drop.

Just three matches, all with big implications at the bottom, produced 21 goals as sorry Leicester went down 5-3 at Fulham, dropping into the relegation zone along with Leeds as Nottingham Forest climbed out with a 4-3 win over basement boys Southampton.

The biggest smiles were on Everton faces as fans celebrated only their second league away win of the season, and one of the more unlikely results of the campaign, as they took out some of their considerable frustrations on Europe-chasing Brighton.

A quick break saw Abdoulaye Doucoure poke Everton in front after just 34 seconds, and the Mali midfielder made it 2-0 just before the break as he met Dwight McNeil’s cross with a stunning strike.

Alex Iwobi was trying to set up Doucoure for a hat-trick six minutes later but when he over-hit his pass, McNeil picked up the loose ball and struck a cross which went in off Jason Steele for an own goal.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi made four changes at the break and his side were much improved, but Everton hit them on the break in the 76th minute when McNeil rounded Steele, celebrating the fourth goal before he even applied the finish.

Although Alexis Mac Allister got one back soon after, finally beating the superb Jordan Pickford, there would be no denying Everton a huge win as McNeil added an emphatic strike in stoppage time.

That puts the Toffees 17th, two points clear of the bottom three but still one behind Forest, who took a step away from the trapdoor by pushing Southampton all but through it.

Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice in four minutes midway through the first half to put Forest in control, first sweeping home Brennan Johnson’s low cross, then rifling in a volley when Southampton failed to clear.

The visitors were back in it soon after when Carlos Alcaraz slotted home but the two-goal Forest lead was restored from the penalty spot by Morgan Gibbs-White after Ainsley Maitland-Niles caught Johnson.

Lyanco’s 51st minute header restored Southampton belief and the visitors were on top until Forest broke away with 17 minutes left and Danilo lifted the ball over Alex McCarthy.

James Ward-Prowse converted a stoppage-time penalty but there was no avoiding a defeat that leaves the Saints eight points adrift with three to play.

The goal rush had started earlier in the day at Craven Cottage, where Fulham tore into Leicester to end their three-game unbeaten run and leave them second from bottom.

Leicester, who started the day outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone, were ripped apart in the first half as Willian, Carlos Vinicius and Tom Cairney gave Fulham a commanding 3-0 lead before the break.

Cairney then got his second early in the second half before Leicester finally woke up, too late to change the outcome.

Harvey Barnes pulled one back but Willian’s second made it 5-1 before Barnes scored again and James Maddison added a late penalty to at least limit the damage to Leicester’s goal difference.

Everton boss Sean Dyche insisted his side never doubted themselves after a thumping 5-1 Premier League victory over Brighton lifted the Toffees two points clear of the relegation zone.

It was Everton’s first away league win in 14 attempts and could not have come at a more opportune time, with just three matches now remaining to secure their top-flight safety.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s strike after 33 seconds laid down what retrospectively ultimately felt like an emphatic opening statement as both he and Dwight McNeil went on to scores braces on either side of the half.

Dyche said: “People will be out there thinking right, OK, there’s life in that team but we’ve never lost sight of that.

“It just reminds the players that their work ethic, their commitment to the cause, their commitment to the group is really important because I know there’s quality.

“I’ve always believed there’s quality. I’ve said it many times, but talking about it doesn’t win you a game. It’s the collective mentality to go and deliver everything you’ve got.

“We were very frustrated not to come away with all three points (against Leicester) but we got a reward for carrying on that mentality in their performances tonight.”

Doucoure netted his second when he volleyed the ball home after 29 minutes before McNeil’s cross further buried Brighton, with it deflecting off Jordan Steele, who had stooped to save but instead felt the ball bounce off the back of his leg and in.

Alexis Mac Allister clawed one back before McNeil’s first but the Brighton burial was not complete until McNeil fired home the visitors’ fifth in the embers of second-half stoppage-time.

Victory meant Dyche’s side are safe for the time being, with league leaders Manchester City up next followed by encounters with Wolves and Bournemouth.

“They’re very high feeling the feel-good factor,” he added. “But it’s only another step. I said that after Arsenal, and sometimes people forget that. There’s three more big steps we’ve got to take.”

Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi, meanwhile, suggested his side’s performance revealed they were not yet ready to go toe-to-toe with the best in the business, though he was unspecific about whether he was looking at England’s top four or more broadly to the other side of the Channel.

It could still be possible for Brighton to secure European football with a seventh-place finish, but De Zerbi’s men would feel more satisfied with a higher position.

He said: “Of course we can lose the game. We can lose against Everton, but I’m disappointed for the first half because it was tough.

“We showed we are not ready yet to compete and to achieve the big target.

“But I am speaking about mentality, not other things, not other parts of football.

“It’s not easy because playing in the last period, three games in a week is difficult if you are not used to playing so many games.

“But if we want to improve, if we want to fix our target higher, we have to improve very fast.”