Weekend Review: Race for Europe heats up and a 200/1-shot wins on the Flat at Newcastle

All eyes are firmly glued to the race for the final Champions League places with Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Aston Villa all winning at the weekend in a positive set of results for operators.

Travelling to London to face Tottenham Hotspur (7/5), Forest (2/1) took a two-goal lead inside the opening 16 minutes.

A late goal for Spurs gave them a glimmer of hope but the damage was done, with Forest now third in the table.

Chelsea (5/4) were the ones to leave it late in their fixture against Fulham (2/1), turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory, including a 93rd minute winner to move them within two points of fourth-placed Newcastle.

Villa (7/5) boosted their hopes of retaining their place at Europe’s top table for another season with a comprehensive victory over Newcastle (7/4) to keep them in seventh, but only two points behind the team they beat who hold fourth place.

Manchester City (9/10) needed two goals in the final five minutes to beat Everton (3/1) at Goodison Park, setting themselves up for Tuesday’s big game against Aston Villa – with both teams looking to further boost their Champions League hopes.

At the other end of the table, Manchester United (8/5) slumped to a 1-0 loss to Wolves (15/8), while Leiciester City’s relegation was confirmed following 1-0 defeat at home to champions-elect Liverpool (2/9).

It was a positive weekend for Unibet parent company FDJ UNITED, as Ali Gill said: “A good weekend in the Premier League overall, despite the gloss being taken off a bit on Easter Monday by Forest beating Spurs 2-1, a result which punters were all over.

“Liverpool only putting one past Leicester turned out to be a great result for traders, as did Man United’s continuing woeful season now including a home loss to Wolves. All told, we finished ahead in eight of 10 games played make for a good weekend.”

Villa’s win over Newcastle was fruitful for bet365 customers, as was Arsenal’s (3/10) comprehensive victory over Ipswich Town (7/1) – the latter ending up being bet365’s costliest game.

However, the victories for City and Liverpool, as well as Crystal Palace’s stalemate against Bournemouth, left the operator in a good position.

Steve Freeth said: “We were pleased with the business we saw considering there were no real standout fixtures on the Premier League Easter weekend coupon.

“Manchester City and Liverpool both winning in low-scoring games was perfect for us, while the Saturday 3pm draws at Crystal Palace and Bournemouth kept us ticking over.

“Manchester United drifted like a barge (8/11 out to 8/5) but there was no damage done by Wolves’ 1-0 win at Old Trafford, though we did lose on games involving free-scoring Aston Villa and Arsenal with the help of our ‘Sub On Play On’ concession.

 “The best fixture on paper looked to be at Villa Park, and so it proved with yet more joy for bet365 customers.”

Summing up the run-in for the rest of the season, Betfred’s Alan Firkins said: “Arguably the biggest story in the Premier League right now is the chase for a Champions League spot, with Forest doing their cause a great deal of good by winning at Spurs, Chelsea finding a late winner at Fulham and Villa tanning Newcastle at home.”

Across Europe, La Liga was filled with late drama as the three teams battling for the title saw crucial injury-time goals – but not all in favour of the heavy hitters.

Leaders Barcelona found themselves 3-1 down to Celta Vigo, only for Hansi Flick’s side to not only draw level but net the winner to keep the gap at the top to four points.

Second-placed Real Madrid needed a 93^rd-minute goal to overcome Athletic Bilbao, while Atlético Madrid were on the wrong end of a 93^rd-minute finish to leave them 10 points adrift of Barcelona.

Freeth said: “Over in La Liga, the games involving the top three all had injury-time winners. We paid out on Celta Vigo when they went 3-1 up against Barcelona but you’re never comfortable when this happens because Hansi Flick’s side were level within six minutes and then you’re just waiting for the net to bulge with a late Barca winner. Step forward, Ballon d’Or favourite Raphinha to seal a 4-3 comeback for the league leaders.

“Federico Valverde kept Real Madrid in the title hunt with his 93rd-minute winner but the damage was minimal and our decent winner was at Las Palmas where they scored late to chin 8/13 shots Atletico Madrid.”

On results in Italy, Freeth added: “We saw both Milan sides fall to a 1-0 defeat with 5/4 Inter losing at Bologna and 6/4 Milan beaten by Atalanta in a weekend littered with low-scoring matches.”

The weekend’s horseracing results were not kind to the favourites, with only two winning on Good Friday, and that figure falling to one 24 hours later, although the Irish Grand National on Monday did go the way of the well-backed Haiti Couleurs.

It was a great Friday for 200/1 outsider Heavenly Heather, though. Ridden by thee-pound claimer Amie Waugh, the filly became biggest-priced winner of 2025 so far and the joint longest-priced winner in British Flat racing history by winning the Fillies and Mares Championships Handicap at Newcastle over seven furlongs.

Trained by Tracy Waggott, the four-year-old had been beaten in all of its previous five starts and yet became just the seventh 200/1-shot to win on the Flat in Britain.

Meanwhile’s Easter Monday’s Irish Grand National was won by Haiti Couleurs (13/2), beating Any Second Now (17-2) by three-and-a-quarter lengths.

Ridden by Sean Bowen, the second favourite led from the early stages and held on throughout, with the 11/2 favourite Quai De Bourbon having to settle for third.

Firkins said: “Mixed bag for punters over the Holiday weekend – Saturday saw seven races on ITV with only one winning favourite and Good Friday was only marginally better with two winning favs on TV from 11 races – including a 200/1 winner.

“However, the Irish Grand National hero on Monday was the very well-supported Haiti Couleurs, raiding from the Pembrokeshire base of trainer Rebecca Curtis and ridden by the Champion jump jockey-elect Sean Bowen, another magnificent Welsh export.”

Gill concluded: “On Monday at Fairyhouse the Irish Grand National went the way of Haiti Couleurs at 13/2 in a very impressive performance. He was well backed on the day and overall that race went the way of the punters, with 11/2 favourite Quai De Bourbon also finishing in the places.”