Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has called on his players to make one final push to secure a Champions League place.

The Blues dropped two crucial points in the race to finish in the top four last weekend as they drew 2-2 with relegation-bound Middlesbrough at the Riverside.

And with just four matches remaining in the season, Kompany has urged his side to beat bitter rivals Manchester United to the top four.

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The Blues skipper said: “We have three home games and we will need our fans to be behind us and push us over the line and make sure we can look forward to next season in a way that’s exciting.”

While Pep Guardiola’s side are just one point clear of the Red Devils, Kompany has warned his players he will “swing the hammer” if any of the squad are seen to be slacking.

City have struggled at the Etihad this season, drawing seven of their 16 home ties, but the Belgian is confident his side can improve in their remaining three home games.

“It’s not going to be a problem anymore,” Kompany said.

“I firmly believe playing at home gives teams a big advantage and we have to look at it in that way.

“We have to feel that the fans will play a big role in that. There is no point waiting for Champions League games any more – it’s those games that will be important and we need everyone to be there to create the extra man, and in that case I really believe it’s an advantage to play at home.

“Teams play well and can have a good day and we need to be aware of that.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he is relishing the pressure he is under at the moment to ensure the Reds book a spot in next season’s Champions League.

Klopp’s charges stuck a key blow in the race for the Premier League’s top four on Monday evening, with Emre Can’s goal-of-the-season contender the difference as Liverpool won 1-0 at Watford.

The Anfield side have not qualified for Europe’s elite competition since the 2013-14 campaign, where they came within a whisker of claiming the Premier League title.

But currently sitting in third with a handful of games remaining, three and four points clear of Manchester sides City and United respectively, Klopp is adamant his side will get their just deserts come the end of the season.

“I don’t think about it [Liverpool’s current position],” Klopp said.

“We should start trying to think about things positively – the world is serious enough. We won, it was very important. We lost last week, it was not so nice.

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“Now we play Southampton; does anybody think we already have the three points? It’s not like this. We have to work for it, that’s what we should do.

“In the end, you get what you deserve. You will get what you deserve. We will see what we deserve. In this moment, we have the opportunity to fight for it.

“This kind of pressure, I really love. To fight for something means you are in a good position.”

Ashley Westwood is keen for Burnley to mathematically guarantee Premier League safety as soon as possible.

The Clarets won their first game away from Turf Moor on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace and it took them to within three points of top flight football next season.

While Burnley may be looking to ensure survival, they are two points off Southampton in ninth place and the message from boss Sean Dyche is to keep on going.

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Westwood said: “The away win was nice. We have said it’s a big relief.

“The gaffer has said ‘you never know in this league’ and we keep going next week and we rack as many points on the board as we can, but Saturday was a massive win.

“We have made a real statement and that’s what we wanted to do.

“We have put ourselves in a great position. We want to get as many points on the board as we can. We want to make history here.”

Westwood has been a key member for Burnley this season but the 27-year-old says their memorable season has been a team effort.

He added: “It shows what we are all about. We are all about the grit. We work together, we’re strong and we defended well.

“The back four were tremendous, the two lads up top, everyone, right through the team were outstanding. We are a strong bunch of lads.”

With games against West Brom, Bournemouth and West Ham remaining, Burnley are looking to finish the season on a high.

Hull City manager Marco Silva believes that impressive centre-back Harry Maguire will go on to have a ‘big career’.

The 24-year-old defender, a one-time England U21 international, has caught the eye in his first-ever Premier League campaign and put in another fine performance as the Tigers picked up a point at Southampton last weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur – who previously sold the likes of Ryan Mason, Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore to Hull – Everton and West Ham United have all been credited with an interest in Maguire, who moved to the KCOM Stadium from Sheffield United for £2.5 million in July 2015.

Tigers chief Silva waxed lyrical about his defender’s talents following last Saturday’s stalemate at St Mary’s.

“That performance is no surprise to me because he’s played like that and been improving for a while now,” said Silva.

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“He’s a very good player. He works hard and is understanding better what I want for the team, and he’s understanding better our organisation as well.

“He has very good skills and it’s clear to me he will have a big career in the future.

“But it was not only Harry – both our centre-backs have a very good relationship with the ball.

“I want those players to start off our play and build us up from the back.”

On a dire day of Premier League football, Southampton’s 0-0 draw with Hull City had its fair share of tedium and Saints defender Cedric Soares admits his side need to improve quickly ahead of this weekend.

Of the five top-flight games contested on Saturday, two ended goalless, two finished 1-0 and Burnley beat Crystal Palace 2-0.

The Saints struggled to break down a determined Hull side at St Mary’s and Cedric claims there must be a response to find success against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

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“We need to react immediately to get better,” he explained.  “Our fans deserve more. I think the second half against Hull was better in terms of intensity from us and we created more chances.
“But still we need to play better and control the game much better, especially at home in front of our fans.”

Dusan Tadic had a golden opportunity to snatch all three points for Southampton with a penalty right at the death.

Hull keeper Eldin Jakupovic ultimately pulled of the save but Cedric is refusing to be too hard on his Serbian team-mate.

“Sometimes that happens with a penalty,” added the Portuguese star. “You can score or you can miss, but I think we were not at our strongest and should have had chances before to score.
“There are still a few games coming up in the league though, so we will continue to fight for the points and end the season positively.”

Daryl Janmaat believes his injury problems are firmly behind him as he aims to help Watford finish the season strongly.

The Dutch defender signed for the Hornets last summer from relegated Newcastle United but has managed just 14 league starts this term.

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Things have started to look brighter in the last month though with a consistent run in the side.

And while he was unable to stop Liverpool walking away with all three points on Monday night – Emre Can’s overhead kick doing the damage – Janmaat was looking forward with positivity.

“I have had some bad injuries but now I am fit and I want to look forward. The last few games I think I have shown some good performances,” he said.

“Of course it is a little bit sad that I was injured a lot, but now I am fully fit and can show what I can do.”

Watford were not outplayed by their Merseyside opponents with Can’s goal the only thing to separate them while Sebastian Prodl hit the bar late on for the hosts.

The result brought an end to a run which has produced three wins on the spin at home although Janmaat was not panicking with the Hornets currently 13^th in the table.

“We can take some positives from the game and we played well as a team,” he said.

“We had some chances and they had some as well. They weren’t really big chances, but I think a draw would have been a fair result.

“We were unlucky that they scored a goal like this. In the end we almost scored with Prodl, but it didn’t happen.”

He may have failed to keep them up this season and got embroiled in a sexism scandal, but Alan Pardew has advised Sunderland to keep hold of manager David Moyes.

What had seemed certain for some time now was finally confirmed on Saturday as the Black Cats’ defeat to Bournemouth saw them condemned to life in English football’s second tier next season.

But despite the relegation, Pardew thinks it would be unwise for the Moyes to walk away, or for the Sunderland hierarchy to make a knee-jerk reaction and dismiss him before giving the Scot a chance in the Championship.

“I think he’s hurting now – big time – and I think it will be a good shout for Sunderland and all their fans to have him there next year, as he’ll be hungry to prove what a top manager he is,” said the former Newcastle United boss.

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“As we know, all the teams in the Championship are gunning to reach the goldmine which is the Premier League, so there are four or five big clubs all poised with good teams going into next season.

“David Moyes will have to sit down with the chairman [Ellis Short] and discuss what the budget is.

“Even though Sunderland will get the huge injection of parachute money, it doesn’t mean to say that they will do it the right way.

“Rafa Benitez has done things pretty much spot on at Newcastle – he took a big group of top Championship players, some of whom were there already, and his squad have seen him through.

“That would be a good route for David Moyes to go down, if he can convince the chairman that’s the right route.”

Marten de Roon insists that he and his team-mates should carry the can for Middlesbrough’s Premier League struggles this season.

Aitor Karanka was sacked as manager in March but Dutch midfielder de Roon, who joined Boro from Italian outfit Atalanta last summer, believes that the Riverside’s playing staff are the ones that should have taken responsibility for poor results.

Boro did follow up their first win of 2017 against Sunderland last week with a battling 2-2 draw against Manchester City on Sunday, but de Roon reckons Steve Agnew’s side should have hit top form much earlier this term.

“I’m annoyed that we see a performance like that,” said the 26-year-old.

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“If we had done that more often, then maybe we would not be in this position we are in now.

“Why didn’t we show it 10 weeks ago? Of course, that is something that goes through your mind.

“It’s so difficult to say what went wrong and so frustrating and disappointing that this comes so late.

“All we can do is say we will fight to the end.

“It is always difficult to say if a change of manager is so important. I would never blame a manager – it is always the players.

“You cannot sack 25 players but you can sack the manager and hope for something great.

“I think that, as a team, we let the first gaffer down and then with Steve, we didn’t get a win soon enough so it is our responsibility – not the coach.”

West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans insists his side’s goalless streak is a team issue after the Baggies failed to score for the fifth consecutive league match.

Tony Pulis’ side went down 1-0 at home to Leicester City courtesy of a Jamie Vardy strike to consign West Brom to their fourth straight league defeat.

And while many critics have focussed on the form of Salomon Rondon, who has failed to score for 19 games, Evans believes the whole team must take responsibility for the lack of goals.

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The 29-year-old said: “We are disappointed not score again but we have to look at ourselves and be critical about why we are not creating chances.

“We all take responsibility for that on the pitch and it is something we want to rectify.”

Despite the recent dip in form, Evans revealed his pride at taking the captain’s armband for the first time in the Premier League after Darren Fletcher’s streak of starting 86 consecutive matches came to an end.

“It was really nice. It didn’t really sink in until close to the game,” the Northern Irishman said.

“I was actually late for the referee’s meeting because I forgot about it. As soon as Fletch came back on the pitch, I was happy to give the armband back.”

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has revealed there is no magic formula to his side’s recent form after reaching the crucial 40-point mark last weekend.

Joshua King’s late winner against Sunderland gave the Cherries all three points and saw Howe’s side climb to tenth place in the table with 41 points.

And the Bournemouth boss hailed his team’s hard work throughout the season following the victory at the Stadium of Light.

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He said: “There is no magic formula to success. It is down to hard work and graft on the training ground and having a good attitude. I think they are the hallmarks of our success.

“We have been on an incredible journey and have been extremely fortunate to have a group of players who have done so well for us.”

While not completely safe, despite hitting the 40-point mark, Howe called on his team to enjoy their final three matches of the season.

“We are not mathematically safe yet but we are going to enjoy our last three games and look to get as high up the table as possible,” he added.

“There is very little between teams in the league. We nicked a big win and I think the target has to be to finish as high as possible.”