Billy Gilmour returned to the Norwich City midfield in Dean Smith’s first game in charge as the Canaries secured a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against Southampton to take them three points closer to the safety mark.

After starting back-to-back international fixtures for Scotland as they secured a World Cup qualifying play-off spot, the midfielder played an influential role on his first Premier League appearance since game week five, delivering a deep corner that Grant Hanley headed in for the winner late on.

The Saints had taken an early lead through Gilmour’s international team-mate Che Adams before Teemu Pukki equalised in an eventful opening seven minutes. After the break, the hosts were much-improved and finally fashioned a decisive second with 11 minutes remaining.

Armando Broja was a second-half substitute for Ralph Hassenhuttl’s men, playing the final half an hour but unable to inspire a route back into the contest, leaving Southampton now just six points above the revitalised men from Carrow Road.

Following a senior international debut for England at the start of the week, Conor Gallagher continued to impress in an eye-catching 3-3 draw between Burnley and Crystal Palace at Turf Moor. The lively midfielder recorded his seventh league goal involvement (four goals, three assists) in 11 games so far this season as he set up Christian Benteke’s second just before the interval.

It was a sublime piece of play that teed up the Belgian, with Gallagher taking a long pass forward under his control with one deft touch before leaving Ben Mee stranded on the floor with a clever back-heel to take the ball on to his right. The pass to find Benteke was also perfect and the striker slotted in a tidy finish to make it 2-2.

That followed an end-to-end first half which finished with former Blues defender Marc Guehi scoring his first goal for Palace moments before the break. However, the Clarets hit back soon after the restart to take a point, leaving the Eagles in 10th.

Ethan Ampadu helped Venezia secure a second successive Serie A win for the first time since their promotion to the top-flight in Italy as they won 1-0 at Bologna. The Wales international lined up in midfield for the Lagunari and played throughout in an impressive performance, with the three points taking them five places away from the danger zone.

In France, Emerson Palmieri started for Lyon against Marseille but the game was abandoned after just five minutes when former West Ham man Dimitri Payet was hit by a bottle thrown from the stands.

Matt Miazga came on for the final 17 minutes for Alaves in La Liga as they drew 2-2 at high-flying Sevilla.

Elsewhere in Europe, Thierno Ballo played a 20-minute cameo in Rapid Vienna’s 1-0 win against Altach. Further afield in Brazil, Kenedy came off the bench on back-to-back weekends for Flamengo, who beat Corinthians and Internacional to stay second in the table, eight points behind league leaders Atletico Mineiro.

It was a good weekend for Nathan Baxter and Hull City in the Championship as the Tigers recorded another win to take them out of the bottom three.

The 23-year-old kept his place in goal, his first league starts of the campaign, and made some important saves as Grant McCann’s side beat 10-man Birmingham City 2-0.

The Chelsea Academy graduate even had time to engage in some banter with the travelling supporters, taking a swig from a beer bottle that had been thrown in his direction.

Levi Colwill was also celebrating on Saturday night as he helped Huddersfield Town keep another clean sheet in their 1-0 victory over promotion-chasing West Brom. The Terriers are now up to seventh, just a point and a place outside the play-off berths.

Baba Rahman and Danny Drinkwater started in Reading’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, the Royals’ first outing since news of their six-point deduction was confirmed, while Dujon Sterling made his first appearance for Blackpool since early October on the right of a back three in a 1-1 draw at Swansea City.

In League One, Jamie Cumming started the 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday and 2-0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra, leaving them just outside the bottom four.