Manchester City moved a step closer to Champions League football next season as Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic scored in the final five minutes to secure a 2-0 win over Everton in their Premier League clash at Goodison Park on Saturday.

City move up to fourth with 58 points from 33 matches, four points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea and Aston Villa in seventh, but they have played a game more. The top five qualify for the Champions League next season.

O’Reilly stabbed the ball home from four metres after connecting with Matheus Nunes’ low cross before Kovacic drilled in the second goal from the edge of the box to make sure of the win.

It was hard work for City for 85 minutes as they battled to create clear-cut chances, while home defender James Tarkowski struck the post with a header from a corner in the first half for Everton, who remain 13th with 38 points from 33 games.

There will be relief for City manager Pep Guardiola as his side came up against the fired-up hosts in a hostile atmosphere in the third-last league game at the famous old ground before Everton move to a new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey.

The home side had their moments and their manager David Moyes can take some positives out of the game but was left to rue a hamstring injury to Tarkowski that forced the defender off.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace despite the hosts being reduced to 10 men late in the first half after defender Chris Richards was sent off for a second yellow card.

The first period at Selhurst Park was a cagey affair with the most notable moment arriving in stoppage time when Richards was dismissed after being adjudged to have pulled back forward Justin Kluivert by referee Sam Barrott, resulting in his second caution.

Despite their man advantage for the whole second half, Bournemouth failed to capitalise and manager Andoni Iraola will be very disappointed that his team could not find a winner as they chase a spot in European football next season.

Meanwhile, Brentford picked up their first home win in nine games in an eventful 4-2 victory against 10-man Brighton & Hove Albion, aided by two goals and an assist from Bryan Mbeumo.

The loss dented Brighton’s hopes of qualifying for European football next season and left them in 10th position in the Premier League on 48 points, now just two ahead of Brentford in 11th.

In London, West Ham United were held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton after Lesley Ugochukwu scored an equaliser in added time for the already-relegated south-coast club.

With Southampton staring down the barrel of a 27th defeat of the season, Chelsea loanee Ugochukwu came to their rescue with a volley in the 92nd minute to move the bottom side to 11 points. West Ham are 16th with 36 points.

Southampton now have five games left to avoid being labelled the joint-worst team in Premier League history, a record that belongs to the 2007/08 Derby County side which finished with 11 points.