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Southampton finally showed that they are ready to make a real fight of preserving their Premier League status during their 2-1 win against Bournemouth, and it was a potentially positive sign for the future – if they do survive.

The south coast outfit came into the match against their local neighbours four points from safety – with just four fixtures remaining – and they knew they simply had to get the three points despite tasting success in just one of their previous 21 top flight matches.

Mark Hughes had taken just one point from a possible 12 since succeeding Mauricio Pellegrino, and while there had clearly been an upturn in performances and the goal threat they were bringing, mistakes at the other end of the pitch were continuing to punish them.

Nevertheless, Saints started strongly against the Cherries and it was clear to see that the 11 players in the red and white stripes were determined to get the win, and it was great for the St Mary’s faithful to see given their shocking displays against Newcastle United and West Ham United in March, and with players such as Sofiane Boufal and Mario Lemina sometimes not seeming as though they were putting in as much effort as they should have been.

Lemina was one of those that really stood up and was counted against Eddie Howe’s side, and while he may have played a few minutes in a Champions League final for Juventus less than 12 months ago, Hughes has clearly got him up for this relegation battle based on his most recent showing.

In fact, for the first time since they finished in sixth position in the Premier League in 2016 before former boss Ronald Koeman departed for Everton, the players looked really motivated and willing to press the opposition.

Southampton have certainly lost their identity and the envious eyes of their top flight rivals under the Dutchman’s successors Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino, and Hughes has been given the task of not only saving the club from the drop, but also to try and forge more of a relationship with his players that hasn’t been evident under the previous managers.

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The 54-year-old is certainly starting to do that – as well as improving their fitness and bringing back that same willingness to work – and it appears as though he feels he has a real affinity to the club having played for them towards the end of his playing career in the late 90s, and that can make all the difference to the supporters and getting that feel-good factor around St Mary’s that had almost disappeared under Puel and Pellegrino.

If the south coast outfit do survive – their fans on Twitter are already feeling confident ahead of their trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday – the Welshman will certainly be one of the frontrunners to get the job on a permanent basis, and if that does end up being the case you can expect a major overhaul of the playing squad in the summer.

The likes of Ryan Bertrand, Cedric Soares, Dusan Tadic, Mario Lemina, Sofiane Boufal and Manolo Gabbiadini could be just some of the high-profile individuals on their way, and a big rebuilding job could be on the cards.

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However, if the club ensures that they hand Hughes the funds from those sales – plus some more on top – there is no doubt that he has the ability to bring some great players to St Mary’s himself and create a side that can be challenging in the upper echelons of the Premier League table once again.

The 54-year-old was part of the team that brought the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Jese Rodriguez – despite it not working out for the attacker – to the Britannia Stadium, and those types of talented individuals mixed with a hard-working and committed core can take Southampton up the standings.

That is exactly the setup they had under Ronald Koeman previously when they finished seventh and then sixth in successive campaigns, and given Burnley are set to end the campaign in the former it shows that it won’t be out of reach for Saints again next term should they stay up and then make the correct decisions.

Unless results go their way on the final day of the season, Manchester United will end their first campaign under Louis van Gaal’s stewardship in fourth place. A return to Champions League football is all that was truly expected of the Dutchman’s first season in charge. However, looking towards next season, what constitutes a good second term for Van Gaal?

Following the debacle of David Moyes’ time in Manchester any positive movements that were made in this campaign would be rightly lauded. Although they have returned to European football’s premier competition it has not gone without a hitch and it certainly has not been a cheap return.

Angel Di Maria was clearly the centrepiece of Van Gaal’s first summer transfer policy and along with the expensive loan of Radamel Falcao neither has added a great deal to United and both could be on their way in the coming months. Arguably only Herrera and Blind could be deemed a success from last year’s transfer binge. This time around United must get in right in the transfer market and a repeat of last year’s lapses may not be overlooked so lightly.

With no European competition of any variety this year, their workload has been substantially lighter than any of their competitors; next year’s return to the Champions League will not be seen as a nice day out and their fans will want to see them challenge. That will add a significant amount of work for the squad next year and in order to ensure his team can handle the additional demands, the depth must be improved. Too many times this year they have relied on a small group of players, they have got away with it due to the relative lack of games, next term will prove sufficiently harder.

In terms of cup competitions, this year lengthened their trophy ‘drought’ to two years;  they were soundly beaten by third tier MK Dons in the Capital One Cup before a disappointing defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup. Mourinho proved in his first spell at Chelsea how important a cup win can be to begin a reign, Van Gaal should be taking all competitions seriously next year, the fans at Old Trafford demand success and a cup win would please the more pessimistic element of their fanbase.

In terms of league position they have been streets away from the leading pack; they will finish at least 12 points behind Champions Chelsea and that is a gap that must be bridged next year. This year Van Gaal was given quite an easy remit; return United to the top four and all else will take care of itself.

In year two of ‘The Van Gaal Project’ more will be expected of his charges, next year fans and press alike will have heightened expectations of what United can do. If next season pans out as this one has there may be significantly more pressure on the manager than there currently is.

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Next year is a big one for both Manchester United and Louis van Gaal, although this season has been a good start, it is just that, a start. Next year must be better.

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QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has opened the door for a return for Joey Barton although he wants to stay in France.

The midfielder slammed the current crop of Loftus Road players following the club’s relegation to the Championship last weekend for what he perceived was a lacklustre approach to survival and has always maintained that he would like to stay in France.

There is no agreement in place with Ligue 1 club Marseille to turn the loan into a permanent deal and Fernandes is thinking the former Manchester City midfielder could be an asset in the second tier of English football.

“If Joey and Marseille want (the transfer), then we will talk. However, he is a QPR player, and is contracted to QPR,” he said on QPR Player.

“He helped Newcastle out (of the Championship). Some would say we lacked his fighting spirit in the midfield.

“Marseille have got to put an offer in. Joey is under contract and Joey would be a very useful player for Queens Park Rangers.

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“That has to be a financial deal which would have to be worked out if he wants to go to Marseille, but as far as I am concerned he is a QPR player and in the summer will come back.”

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Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are both in the race to sign the Fulham attacking midfielder Moussa Dembele, according to Talksport.

It is thought that Spurs are more likely to capture the signature of Dembele as they will be more willing to trigger a £15 million pound buy-out clause which would see the Belgian international have free reign to move to North London.

Dembele, 25, would be a welcome addition to Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas after the imminent departures of Luka Modric to Real Madrid and Tom Huddlestone to Stoke. Dembele, who himself was rumoured to be of interest to Real Madrid last week, joined Fulham from Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar for £5 million pounds in 2010.

Dembele has been capped 40 times by a talented Belgian side that includes new Chelsea star Eden Hazard, Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini and incidentally new Tottenham centre-back Jan Vertonghen.

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In the post-Mark Clattenburg era, there are two referees who stand out as arguably the best in the Premier League right now – Michael Oliver, who may be controversial but certainly carries an element of authority about him, and Anthony Taylor, who seems to strike a healthy balance between making big calls and avoiding needless decisions.

Indeed, from the 20 referees to work in the Premier League so far this season, Taylor ranks in the middle of the pack – no higher than 9th or lower than 13th – for fouls per tackle, fouls per match, yellow cards per match and penalties per match.

That should ensure we see a fair and balanced game when Manchester United face Tottenham on Saturday, with the 39-year-old appointed to officiate their FA Cup semi-final showdown, or at the very least a game that isn’t overshadowed by a wrong decision or disrupted by the pedantic awarding of fouls.

That rings even truer in terms of penalties; Taylor has awarded just one in the Premier Leage this season, suggesting it will need to be clear cut for Tottenham or United to concede one on Saturday. Both managers will surely see that as good news ahead of the Wembley encounter – neither Jose Mourinho nor Mauricio Pochettino will want a controversial spot kick to have a decisive impact on the game.

However, there is a bad omen for Spurs here. From the three Tottenham fixtures Taylor has officiated in the top flight this season, they’ve lost two of them. Manchester United, on the other hand, have won two of their three Premier League games with Taylor in charge this term including both of the last two – victories over Stoke and West Brom.

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Homegrown Liverpool players have been capturing the headlines over recent months for reasons both positive and negative, while one such star has been largely forgotten.

While Steven Gerrard is set to leave Anfield after a career as a Red, Raheem Sterling has seemingly no intention of committing to the Merseyside outfit like his current skipper has.

The emergence of Jordon Ibe suggests that the historic club have another youth product turned superstar on their hands also.

However, arguably the most likely to play a significant role in the club’s chances of challenging for silverware consistently for the next five-to-ten years is Jon Flanagan.

The versatile defender has not played one single minute of Premier League action this season due to a serious knee injury but is reportedly on the mend and on the verge of a first-team return.

The local right-back has been on the Kop’s radar for a number of years but had his breakthrough campaign last season, starting 23 league games in Liverpool’s quest for the title.

Despite the presence of an array of international stars in the Anfield set-up, Flanagan quickly became a fans’ favourite within the Reds supporters.

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His tireless work-rate, commitment and never-say-die attitude captured the imagination at the club, with the youngster applying himself with gusto every time he was afforded an opportunity to play.

Interestingly, with the tactical tweaks Brendan Rodgers has made this campaign and the personnel at the Northern Irish manager’s disposal, Flanagan looks like a player that could play a prominent part in the Reds’ 2015-16 campaign.

The bespoke 3-4-3 formation that the Merseysiders have most often deployed in recent times calls for virtuous wing-backs, with the right flank a selection issue for Rodgers.

As Glen Johnson prepares to leave the club this summer and other candidates for the role are better suited to other positions, there is no reason why Flanagan cannot become first-choice in the team next term.

Although the homegrown star still has development to make with the ball at his feet and from an attacking perspective, having Flanagan at right wing-back would certainly solidify the team from a defensive viewpoint.

The youngster has the work-rate and required effort in his locker to successfully fill the role, while he has proven at full-back that he has a good reading of the game and positional sense.

While the contract situations of Sterling and Jordan Henderson may well fill newspaper columns, not many lines have been afforded to the future of Flanagan.

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The 22-year-old is out of contract this summer, but will surely pen a new deal at Anfield if physically fit to play.

This unassuming and down-to-earth character is a desirable personality in a sport that is increasingly dominated by unpleasant, greedy and ego-based individuals.

With Liverpool losing stalwarts such as Jamie Carragher and Gerrard in recent years, Flanagan, not Sterling, looks like a unique player in the fact that he could be a Red for the foreseeable future.

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Fabricio Coloccini has refused to pledge his future to Newcastle but says he is fully committed to the club’s relegation battle.

The Argentinian international made it clear he wanted to leave St James’ Park and return to his homeland in the January transfer window but Alan Pardew convinced him to stay until the end of the season.

Coloccini then picked up a back injury that has kept him on the sidelines for weeks and the influential defender has only just returned to action. There have been suggestions that Coloccini’s mind is not on his game but the player has hit back and says his commitment to the club cannot be questioned.

The defender is refusing to say what the future holds but is determined to help keep the club in the Premier League.

“I heard that I wouldn’t play because I wanted to leave and that I don’t give 100%,” Coloccini revealed.

“I don’t like to speak to the press too much because I’m like that.

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“I try to speak on the pitch and I think on the pitch I can do the things well but I always give 100%. I love playing football. I don’t think about what happens in my future – I just want to play.”

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In a normal week, the three-goal advantage that Arsenal took to Russia night to take on CSKA Moscow would have been deemed unassailable.

The Gunners ran out 4-1 winners in the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates, which is the same scoreline Barcelona took into their second leg tie against Roma on Tuesday night.

Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans and players will have been acutely aware of the embarrassing exit the Catalans suffered in Rome, as well as the lucky escape Champions League holders Real Madrid had against last season’s beaten finalists Juventus on Wednesday.

That all combined to give CSKA hope that they could pull of a historic comeback as Arsenal embarked on a trip that is traditionally tricky and only made more difficult by the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Russia and the UK.

It looked as if the Gods of European football were about to strike all over again when the hosts raced into a 2-0 lead, leaving them needing just one more to progress.

Arsenal proved less brittle than Barcelona – which isn’t a sentence you often get to write – and bit back through Danny Welbeck and 52-cap Wales star Aaron Ramsey to secure a place in the last four.

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It was eventful night for Ramsey, who also picked up a graphic injury and we’ve taken a look at the best of the reaction from Arsenal fans…

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Tottenham’s chances of a top four finish seem to be getting slimmer by the week. It’s looking likely that Mauricio Pochettino’s men will find themselves playing in the Europa League next season, but this may be more of a hindrance than anything else.

Europa League matches are played on Thursdays, often in hard to reach places, and leave little time to travel back home to train for a weekend domestic fixture.

Managers often cite fatigue from playing these Thursday games as the reason why they’ve ultimately underperformed in the league which has to be a clubs main focus. After all there is no point in making it say to the semi finals of the Europa League but then face relegation come May.

Everton were close to having this problem when a good European run seemed to correlate with the Toffees dropping precious league points this season. They seem likely to avoid the drop as fortunately there are several teams having a worse season than them, but there have been scares along the way.

Unlike competing in the Champions League, where you may get the chance to play opposite high quality stars of the game like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, the Europa League is just a distraction unless you win it. No one boasts about making it to the quarter finals or semis of the competition.

The Europa League is a good first taste of european football and would suit an emerging team like Southampton, but Spurs have been there before. They gain very little from these fixtures considering that by now they should be breaking into the top four consistently.

But being down in seventh with five games to go means they’ll probably miss out for yet another year.

Pochettino is likely to rebuild his squad in the summer, with numerous players said to be on their way out of White Hart Lane, so with the right acquisitions Spurs may prove to be contenders next season. And while their new signings are settling in it would probably help to not have to deal with meaningless Europa League matches.

It may look like a failure for the club to finish lower than they did last season, but Spurs should take notice of Manchester United’s resurgence.

Last season the Red Devils finished in seventh, just missing out on the Europa League, and it looks to have hugely benefited them. They have had fewer fixtures and less travelling, meaning they have been able to concentrate on their domestic campaign. Just 12 months after that embarrassing finish United look to have regained their spot in the top four.

Spurs are unlikely to start throwing matches even though they would be better off staying where they are. And with both Liverpool and Southampton currently occupying fifth and sixth respectively, they might force Tottenham out anyway, leaving everyone happy.

Except perhaps Liverpool.

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Summary: Liverpool’s ambitions of qualifying for Europe next season took a hit after they were held to a goalless draw by Reading at the Madjeski Stadium.

The point was Nigel Adkins’ first as Royals boss but wasn’t enough to lift them off the bottom of the Premier League table even after they survived a 26-shot onslaught from the visitors. They owe a huge debt of gratitude to goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, who repelled everything the Reds threw at him.

After an impeccably served minutes silence mark the 24th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster was followed by a lacklustre opening that was punctuated by Chris Gunter’s headed goal line clearance to deny Luis Suarez.

Liverpool inability to covert chances into goals visibly irked manager Brendan Rodgers on his return to Berkshire but there was nothing he could do with McCarthy in such inspired form. A point blank stop to deny Daniel Sturridge mid-way through the first half was the pick of a string of top drawer saves that capped off a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.

Nigel Adkins post-match…”We created enough chances to win a couple of games. We are very disappointed we didn’t win. Their goalkeeper was outstanding and on another day the goals go in. I can’t ask anything more of the players except that we should have been a wee bit more clinical.”

Brendan Rodgers post-match…”It is three games I have been in charge at Reading now and once again our attitude and application was top drawer. First 15 minutes they had good possession but our players have kept us in the game and we have had a great opportunity with Noel Hunt late on and Pepe Reina has made a great save.”

Good day for?…Alex McCarthy: While the defence in front of him wilted as the game went on McCarthy was a one man blockade between the sticks for Reading with his save count running high into double figures. Arguably the goalkeeping performance of the season to date.

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Bad day for?…Luis Suarez: This was a rare goalless afternoon in Liverpool colours for Suarez who did everything but put the ball in the net and was thwarted by Reading keeper McCarthy on numerous occasions. A reminder that he is actually human!