Rashford scores first Premier League goal for Villa as Isak makes Newcastle history

MARCUS RASHFORD STRUCK his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa to set his side on course for a comprehensive 3-0 win over fellow European hopefuls Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

The on-loan Manchester United forward added to his brace in Saturday’s 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final success away to Preston by bobbling home a 51st-minute finish after Villa countered from a Seagulls corner.

In-form Marco Asensio doubled the lead 12 minutes from time with his eighth goal in his last seven appearances before fellow substitute Donyell Malen’s maiden goal for the club sealed victory in the 10th minute of added time – a night when former Republic of Ireland U21 international Eiran Cashin made his Brighton debut after joining from Derby County in January.

Elsewhere, Sandro Tonali blasted Newcastle firmly into the race for Champions League qualification with a stunning strike to seal a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brentford.

On a night when Alexander Isak became the first man to score 20 Premier League goals for the Magpies in consecutive seasons, it was Italy international Tonali, who found the back of the net twice against the Bees in the Carabao Cup fifth round, who snatched the headlines with a superb winner 16 minutes from time.

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Isak had given the hosts, playing for their first time since their Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool, the lead in first-half stoppage time with his 24th goal of the season and 20th in the league.

Bryan Mbeumo equalised with a penalty before Tonali lit up St James’ Park and eased his side into fifth place with a game in hand on the teams above them.

Meanwhile, Matheus Franca’s stoppage-time goal for Crystal Palace denied Southampton only a third Premier League win of the season and left them on the brink of an unwanted record.

Substitute Franca’s late header, to secure a 1-1 draw for the Eagles, means Saints will be relegated at the weekend if they lose at Tottenham and Wolves beat Ipswich.

If relegation is confirmed on Sunday, Southampton will be the first team to be consigned to the drop with seven matches still to play.

Even the 2007-08 Derby side, the low bar by which all poor Premier League teams are measured, had six games left, as did Huddersfield in 2019 and Sheffield United four seasons ago.

Saints did at least move on to double figures for the season, but they are still one shy of Derby’s record low total points tally of 11.

Also down the bottom, Nathan Broadhead scored his first ever Premier League goal as Ipswich beat faltering Bournemouth 2-1.

Bournemouth, bidding to bounce back from Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Manchester City, were behind when Broadbent poked through the legs of the luckless Kepa Arrizabalaga. It looked like game over when Liam Delap doubled Ipswich’s lead on the hour mark, with a well-taken 11th Premier League goal of the season.

Delap started the move by releasing Conor Townsend down the left before cleverly finding space around the penalty spot to slam the defender’s cutback into the far corner.

Bournemouth were awarded a penalty when Antoine Semenyo went down under a challenge from Axel Tuanzabe.

Referee Robert Jones was forced to overturn his on-field decision when VAR Graham Scott spotted any contact was outside the box.

The Cherries did get a goal back 23 minutes from time when Evanilson pounced from point-blank range.