The English Premier League 2025/26 title race and European battle took a dramatic turn during Matchweek 31 on March 21, 2026. Brighton & Hove Albion delivered a massive blow to Arne Slot’s top-four aspirations as they defeated a depleted Liverpool FC 2-1 at the Amex Stadium. Meanwhile, Everton continued their dominance at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium, dismantling a struggling Chelsea side 3-0 to move within touching distance of the European spots.
With Manchester City and Arsenal absent from league action due to their EFL Cup Final commitments, the focus shifted to the chasing pack. Liverpool now sit in fifth place, just one point ahead of Chelsea, while Everton’s resurgence under David Moyes has seen them climb to eighth. These results have blown the race for the Champions League wide open as the campaign enters its final stretch.
Premier League Matchweek 31: Full Results And Scores
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| March 21, 2026 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2-1 | Liverpool |
| March 21, 2026 | Fulham | 3-1 | Burnley |
| March 21, 2026 | Everton | 3-0 | Chelsea |
| March 21, 2026 | Leeds United | 0-0 | Brentford |
Danny Welbeck Double Sinks Liverpool As Injury Crisis Deepens
Brighton pulled off a big upset on the South Coast, thanks to Danny Welbeck, who scored twice and handed Liverpool yet another league defeat—number ten this season. Liverpool were already missing Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker, and things got worse when Hugo Ekitike limped off just eight minutes in. Welbeck struck first after 14 minutes, heading in Diego Gomez’s deep cross.
The Reds didn’t fold, though. Milos Kerkez capitalised on a mistake from Lewis Dunk, lofting the ball over Bart Verbruggen to level it up before halftime.
Danny’s double! ⚽️⚽️ #BHALIV highlights in partnership with @MPBcom. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/wIjWgJVg41
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 21, 2026
But once the second half kicked off, Brighton just took over. They simply had more energy and looked sharper. In the 59th minute, Yankuba Minteh zipped in a low ball to Jack Hinshelwood, who set up Welbeck for an easy finish, and Brighton were ahead again. Arne Slot threw on Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha late, hoping to turn things around, but Brighton’s defence, anchored by the ageless James Milner got never cracked.
Now Liverpool sits two points behind Aston Villa in the chase for the Champions League, and Slot didn’t sugarcoat it afterwards, admitting the performance wasn’t nearly good enough for a club with Liverpool’s ambitions.
