In our weekly round-up of the action involving Chelsea players on loan, the promotion picture is becoming clearer throughout the English divisions, while in the relegation fights a few more Blues have helped their sides secure survival…
Having missed the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, Conor Gallagher was back in the Crystal Palace line-up to play the first hour of their trip to Newcastle United. It wasn’t a happy return to the team, though, as the Eagles were beaten 1-0 to lose consecutive league games for the first time this season, leaving them in the bottom half of the Premier League table after being leapfrogged by the Magpies.
Armando Broja was in the Southampton team which were beaten 2-0 at Burnley in midweek as the Clarets recorded their first victory since the departure of manager Sean Dyche. Broja then came off the bench on Saturday as the Saints fought back from two goals down at Brighton to draw 2-2 and were close to earning a dramatic win, although they needed to survive a late scare as the Seagulls had a goal ruled out for offside.
Broja couldn’t add to his nine goals for Southampton this season
Baba Rahman and Danny Drinkwater were both in the Reading team which travelled to face Hull City, who had Nathan Baxter in their side, with the Royals knowing a win would guarantee their Championship status for another season.
However, they were foiled as Baxter kept a seventh clean sheet of the campaign, in his second match following a near four-month injury absence. Hull ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, but results elsewhere went Reading’s way, meaning both teams are now safe from relegation.
Ian Maatsen and Coventry City held on for a 0-0 draw away at West Bromwich Albion, thanks to a 96th-minute penalty save, but the point wasn’t good enough for either team, with both their chances of reaching the Championship play-offs now officially over.
Maatsen’s chances of reaching the play-offs with Coventry came to an end
Jamie Cumming and MK Dons suffered a serious blow to their hopes of automatic promotion to the Championship when they were beaten 1-0 at Oxford United last Tuesday. They bounced back well though, as Cumming kept a clean sheet in a dominant 2-0 victory over Morecambe on Saturday. That keeps them within three points of top spot and only outside the promotion places on goal difference.
Goalkeeper Ethan Wady had a relatively simple afternoon in the Southern League Premier Division, as he was part of the Hendon side which recorded an emphatic 6-0 home win over Merthyr Town.
Overseas, Ethan Ampadu endured a painful day with Venezia as they suffered an eighth-consecutive defeat in Serie A, 3-1 away at Atalanta. That leaves Venezia six points adrift from safety in the top flight with five matches remaining, although they have played one game less than those they need to catch above them.
Ampadu and Venezia need to make up six points in five games to secure Serie A survival
Venezia were controversially denied an opener at Atalanta by a close VAR call for offside, before Ampadu was desperately unlucky for the first goal, when a low cross deflected off him and then the crossbar to land at the feet of former Chelsea midfielder Mario Pasalic for a tap in, and the visitors struggled to get back into the game after going behind.
Emerson Palmieri and Lyon suffered a shock 2-1 loss away at Brest in Ligue 1, leaving them with only a slim chance of European qualification in the current campaign, needing to make up five points and four places in the table in the last four matches of the French season.
