Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard makes Leeds United promise as Frank Lampard plays down Everton peril

Steven Gerrard makes Leeds United promise

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard insists that his team will give everything to win against Burnley on Thursday evening.

A win for the Birmingham side would put the survival fate of Leeds United, who currently lead Burnley by one point, back into the Whites' own hands by ensuring they only had to match the Clarets' final day result to stay up.

Safe and unable to qualify for Europe, it was put to Gerrard in his pre-match press conference that Villa don't have as much to play for as their opponents.

But Gerrard asserted his responsibility to the Villa Park home crowd in getting a win.

"I am the Aston Villa manager and they are three important points," Gerrard said.

"We will have a full house there (against Burnley), we have got 20,000 people waiting on a waiting list to come and watch the team so it's my responsibility to try and win both games."

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Frank Lampard plays down Everton peril

Everton boss Frank Lampard suggested that the Toffees' Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace is not a must-win fixture.

With 36 points, the Blues are in the driving seat ahead of Leeds on 35 points and 18th-placed Burnley on 34 points but in Arsenal, the Merseyside club have the toughest final-day opponents of the three clubs threatened by relegation.

But Lampard insists that his side can take something from their visit to the Emirates on Sunday.

"We are not going to write off the game against Arsenal," Lampard said.

"It's a game to and go contend and to try and get a result, no matter what happens on Thursday.

"We understand the situation, we understand what we need and what we want and we just have to prepare as well as we can to get it."

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Tony Dorigo forecasts high emotion on the final day

Former Leeds United defender Tony Dorigo is expecting the final day of the Premier League season to be emotional for Leeds United fans.

A difficult term has led to the Whites' survival in the top flight depending on the result of their last game against Brentford.

Out of their hands, United's relegation also depends on the result of their bottom-of-the-table rivals Everton and Burnley.

Dorigo, though, is feeling optimistic.​

"It is just about survival, simple as that and come Sunday it will be either commiserations or celebrations, there is nothing in between," Dorigo said.

"If we can survive that'd be brilliant and we can then crack on next season and learn from these lessons and move forward.

"If not, it'll be hugely, hugely disappointing, but at the moment, I think I'm still extremely positive."

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