Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho struck as Manchester United notched a comfortable 2-0 Premier League home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday that moved them a step closer to a return to the Champions League.

With the top-four qualifying directly for next season’s group stage, United are fourth in the table on 66 points, four ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool with both sides having three games left. Wolves are 13th on 40 points.

After a sluggish start, Brazilian winger Antony headed over from point-blank range on the half-hour mark but he made amends two minute later, tearing down the right on a quick counter-attack and squaring the ball for Martial to fire home.

Antony was in the thick of the action again on the hour mark as Bruno Fernandes back-heeled the ball to him on the edge of the box, but the 23-year-old Brazilian’s shot deflected just wide of the near post.

Fernandes should have made it two when he cut in from the left and fired from close range in the 64th minute but Wolves’ debutant keeper Daniel Bentley saved his shot, and Jadon Sancho’s similar effort was also kept out.

Brought off the bench in the 82nd minute after a long spell out due to an ankle injury, Garnacho wrapped up the three points with a long run and shot that bounced off the inside of the right-hand post deep into stoppage time to seal the win.

Southampton relegated

Southampton were relegated after being beaten 2-0 at home by Fulham, bringing an end to their 11-year spell in the top flight.

The defeat means Southampton, who needed a win to stave off relegation, can no longer reel in 17th-placed Everton. Ruben Selles’s side are bottom of the league on 24 points from 36 games, while Fulham’s win moves them up to ninth.

In a scrappy and disjointed opening 45 minutes, neither side were able to take control of the game, with Fulham having more possession and slightly better attempts but no luck in front of goal.

Both teams tried to play with more attacking intent in the second half, as Carlos Alcaraz had a goal disallowed before Carlos Vinicius latched on to a loose ball in Southampton’s box and tapped home the opener for Fulham in the 48th minute.

Substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic then marked his return from an eight-match ban with a goal, sealing the win for Fulham at St Mary’s Stadium with a stooping header in the 72nd minute.

Southampton had the lion’s share of possession in the closing spell, but were unable to create anything of note and prevent a return to the second-tier Championship, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a Southampton native, watching on from the stands.

Crucial point

Relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest grabbed a precious point at Chelsea, thanks to two goals from Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi.

Forest earned the early advantage when Renan Lodi lofted a ball into the Chelsea area in the 13th minute. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who had not played since getting injured playing for Senegal at the World Cup, came off his line but misjudged the flight and Awoniyi rose between two defenders to head home. Raheem Sterling scored Chelsea’s 51st-minute equaliser.

Rasmus Kristensen scored a late equaliser to give Leeds United a share of the points in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Newcastle United.