Survival Hopes

Southampton see off Blackburn with a 3-0 win and close the gap to Ipswich, who lost 2-0 to Portsmouth, a boost to their own survival hopes. Goals from Conor Shaughnessy and Colby Bishop sees Portsmouth claim a massive three points against second-placed Ipswich. It means Pompey are now four points above the drop zone, while […] The post Southampton see off Blackburn and close gap to Ipswich, Portsmouth boost survival hopes appeared first on Fan Banter.

Heidenheim earned their first Bundesliga win in 16 matches as Mathias Honsak's first-half double helped them defeat Union Berlin 3-1, reigniting their survival hopes.

On Thursday's Football Daily, Phil Egan brings news from last night's Premier League action and Celtic keep their title challenge on track, whilst Troy Parrott is into another Dutch Cup final. Arsenal move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after a narrow 1–0 win away to Brighton, with the result sparking debate about their game management and time-wasting tactics. Mikel Arteta defends his side’s approach in the title race after criticism from Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler. Brighton’s frustration grows as Opta stats show Arsenal took over 30 minutes of restart time, prompting Hürzeler to claim only one team tried to play football. Bukayo Saka marks his 300th Arsenal appearance in style, scoring the decisive goal as Arteta praises the England international’s importance to the team. Manchester City drop points in a dramatic 2–2 draw with Nottingham Forest, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side seven points off the pace. Manchester United suffer their first defeat under Michael Carrick, losing 2–1 at Newcastle despite playing against ten men for the entire second half. João Pedro hits a hat-trick as Chelsea beat Aston Villa 4–1, with Liam Rosenior praising the Brazilian striker’s form this season. West Ham boost their survival hopes with a 1–0 win at Fulham, thanks to another crucial goal from in-form winger Crysencio Summerville. Tottenham boss Igor Tudor dismisses relegation talk ahead of Spurs’ crucial clash with Crystal Palace, while Palace manager Oliver Glasner backs Brennan Johnson to shine against his former club. Elsewhere, Celtic stay in the Scottish title hunt, while Ireland striker Troy Parrott helps AZ Alkmaar reach the Dutch Cup final ahead of the upcoming international break. Become a member and sign up at offtheball.com/join 'This week our live commentary game comes from Tallaght Stadium as Shamrock Rovers look to get their season back on track as they welcome Derry City to the capital. Kick off is at 8 o’clock on Friday and Stephen Doyle will be joined by Richie Towell in the commentary booth for that one, with build-up starting on Off The Ball on Newstalk and the GoLoud App from 7pm.'