Everton and Forest climb out of relegation zone

Everton players celebrate
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

There has been some movement at the foot of the Premier League table with Everton and Nottingham Forest both boosting their hopes of avoiding relegation.

Everton and Nottingham Forest both climbed out of the drop zone with the Toffees beating Brighton 5-1 and Forest scoring a 4-3 win over bottom side Southampton.

Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a brace of first-half goals as Everton produced a masterclass in counter-attack football and then defended well in the second half.

The Merseyside club moved to 17th on the table with 32 points from 35 games, two points clear of the drop zone, as they seek to avoid a first relegation since 1951.

Brighton’s hopes of European football next season were dented and they sit in seventh with 55 points…. eight points from fourth placed Manchester United.

Forest’s survival hopes got a massive boost as Taiwo Awoniyi’s brace helped them to a 4-3 home win over Southampton whose 10-year stay in the top flight looks to be coming to an end.

Forest moved three points out of the relegation zone to 16th with 33 points from 35 games.

Southampton have 24 points from 35 games and are eight points below the safety zone with three games left. Failure to beat Fulham in their next game will condemn them to the drop.

In the day’s third game Willian and Tom Cairney both scored twice to help Fulham beat Leicester City 5-3 at home, ending the visitors’ three-game unbeaten Premier League run and leaving them in the relegation zone after the day’s other results.

Leicester, who had taken five points from their last three matches, have 30 points with three games left, falling to 18th place below Everton and Nottingham Forest.

Leicester face Champions League-chasing Liverpool and Newcastle United in their next two games.

Fulham, remain 10th, having now won 14 league games this season — equalling a club record in the Premier League.

-Reuters