Manchester United edged closer to a return to the Champions League next season with a 2-0 win over Wolves as Southampton were relegated from the Premier League.
Newcastle remain ahead of United on goal difference in third after being held 2-2 in a pulsating game as Sam Allardyce picked up his first point as Leeds manager.
United have stumbled towards a top-four finish in recent weeks after an exhausting season that will stretch to 62 games.
Erik ten Hag’s men had won just two of their previous eight games from open play in all competitions.
But they shrugged off the absence of Marcus Rashford due to injury for a vital three points.
“We had to bounce back,” said Ten Hag.
“We had two big defeats (in their previous two games), individual mistakes, we had no energy and played slow. Today we had to win and we did it.”
Wolves were welcome visitors at Old Trafford as the Premier League’s lowest scorers rarely troubled the under-fire David de Gea.
Scoring goals has also been a problem for the Red Devils of late but Antony squared for Anthony Martial to slam home on 32 minutes.
Alejandro Garnacho then came off the bench to secure the points deep into stoppage time.
Newcastle and Manchester United are now four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with three games to go.
There was far more action at Elland Road where Leeds got a point but did not do enough to move out of the relegation zone.
Luke Ayling gave Allardyce’s men a flying start, but they shot themselves in the foot from the penalty spot at both ends.
Firstly, Patrick Bamford saw his spot-kick saved by Nick Pope. Three minutes later, Newcastle levelled through Callum Wilson after Alexander Isak was fouled inside the area.
Wilson converted his second penalty midway through the second half when Junior Firpo handled inside his own box.
Rasmus Kristensen’s deflected effort brought Leeds level again 11 minutes from time.
But they were forced to see out stoppage time with 10 men after Firpo was shown his second yellow card.
“We missed a penalty, gave two away and drew 2-2,” said Allardyce.
“I think we’d be saying what a great three points if we scored that penalty for 2-0.”
Leeds close to within one point of safety, but that gap could grow if Everton shock leaders Manchester City on Sunday.
WARNING SIGNS AND GREATEST ‘SHAME’ AS SOUTHAMPTON RELEGATED
Elsewhere, Southampton were relegated from the Premier League after a 2-0 defeat against Fulham capped a nightmare season for the club rooted to the bottom of the table.
Second-half goals from Carlos Vinicius and Aleksandar Mitrovic condemned Southampton to the drop at St Mary’s.
Ruben Selles’ side are without a win in their last 11 games and their plunge into the Championship was confirmed with two matches still to play.
The Saints will return to the second tier for the first time in 11 years.
“It’s a tough day for everybody, the performance on the pitch was not what we expect it to be and we were not good enough today. That’s why we are in this situation,” Selles said.
“If we were in our standards, we would not be talking about this situation right now. We need to face it like that.
“I don’t think there is one point where you can say that is exactly the point where it happened.
“We need to evaluate and be sure that when the club starts the next season those standards are on point.”
Saints relegated from Premier League | 00:41
Southampton spent most of the season in the bottom three and Selles was unable to save them from the drop after replacing the sacked Nathan Jones in February.
Jones had lasted just 14 games as successor to Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was dismissed in November after four years in charge.
“I take all the responsibility for the last three months, that’s my responsibility,” Selles said.
“I should be able to win more football matches. I should be able to have a team that competes better.”
The warning signs were there for a while for Southampton, who finished a lowly 15th in the previous two seasons and suffered a 9-0 thrashing at Manchester United in February 2021.
Southampton are the first team to be relegated from the Premier League this season.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a noted Southampton fan, was at St Mary’s to witness the last rites on Southampton’s painful campaign.
With just two home league wins this term, many Southampton fans had clearly accepted their fate before their most recent game judging by the swathes of empty red seats in several sections of the stadium.
With Fulham in complete control, even more empty spaces opened up as supporters trudged away before the final whistle put Southampton out of their misery.
Boos and chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” greeted confirmation of Southampton’s descent into the Championship as fans contemplated trips to Millwall, Plymouth and Rotherham instead of Anfield, Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium.
“It has been coming. We knew we were in a difficult position,” Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse said.
“We need to go away individually and as a club and assess if we’ve done everything we possibly could. I don’t think we have and that is a shame.
“Have decisions been right? Have we done everything we could on a pitch? I think we should perform at a better level than we have done.
“From the first day of the season until now you can tell the standards have slipped.”
Palace comfortably claim Cherries | 00:33
FOREST DRAW WITH CHELSEA IN THRILLER, VILLA TOPPLE TOTTENHAM
Nottingham Forest remain three points clear of the relegation zone after their own four-goal thriller at Chelsea ended 2-2.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s bullet header opened the scoring for the visitors. Raheem Sterling’s quickfire double turned the game around in seven second-half minutes.
But Awoniyi had the final say as he headed in once more for his fourth goal in a week that could prove vital to keeping Forest up on their return to the top-flight for the first time in 23 years.
Leeds comeback to draw in fiery clash | 00:45
In the battle for a place in the Europa League next season, Aston Villa beat Tottenham 2-1 to move level on points with Spurs in sixth.
Jacob Ramsey gave Unai Emery’s men an early lead and they were cruising to victory when Douglas Luiz curled home a free-kick 18 minutes from time.
Harry Kane’s late penalty halved Tottenham’s arrears, but their hopes of Champions League football next season are now mathematically over.
Eberechi Eze scored twice as Crystal Palace continued their revival under Roy Hodgson with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth.