Wins over Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers highlighted the contrasting pressures at opposite ends of the Premier League table.

Liverpool Power Past Palace as Salah Injury Clouds Win

Liverpool boosted their top-four ambitions with a commanding 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield, ending a poor run against the Eagles this season.

Arne Slot's side started confidently despite losing three previous meetings against Palace, and their pressure eventually paid off.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring with a composed finish after controlling a loose ball in the box, giving Liverpool the lead they had threatened to find.

Palace responded with intent, as Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix both tested goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, who produced key saves to keep the hosts ahead.

Liverpool struck again on the counter, with Andy Robertson finishing a flowing move involving Florian Wirtz and Curtis Jones, marking what could be a memorable final goal at Anfield.

Palace were handed a lifeline when Daniel Munoz capitalised on an injury to Woodman to score into an empty net, but Liverpool remained in control. Wirtz sealed the win late on with a superb strike from distance.

The only concern for Liverpool came with Mohamed Salah, who was forced off injured late on. The forward acknowledged the crowd as he left the pitch, raising fears this could be a final Anfield appearance.

The result lifted Liverpool into the top four, strengthening their grip on Champions League qualification.

Palhinha Fires Spurs to Lifeline Win at Wolves

Tottenham Hotspur secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, ending a long winless run and keeping their survival hopes alive.

In a tense and low-quality first half, neither side managed a shot on target, with the biggest talking point being a strong challenge by André that went unpunished. Spurs also suffered a setback as Dominic Solanke was forced off injured.

Manager Roberto De Zerbi made changes after the break, but Spurs continued to struggle in attack. Xavi Simons went closest early in the second half, curling an effort just wide before later leaving the pitch injured.

Wolves looked the more threatening side as the match wore on, with Adam Armstrong causing problems and José Sá called into action to deny Rodrigo Bentancur.

However, Spurs found a breakthrough late on. A corner from Pedro Porro created chaos in the box, and substitute Joao Palhinha reacted quickest to score from close range in the 82nd minute.

The win ended Tottenham's long wait for a victory and delivered their first clean sheet of the year. Despite the result, they remained in the relegation zone, with survival still uncertain heading into the final matches of the season.

Steve Barker in awe of current Stellenbosch squad