Manchester United 3
Fellaini 9’, Carrick 19’, Rooney 34’
Tottenham Hotspur 0
Man of the match Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United)
Wayne Rooney ensured Manchester United packed a punch as they tightened their grip on a top-four place with an impressive 3-0 victory over Tottenham on Sunday.
After going out of the FA Cup against Arsenal last Monday, the sole remaining target for Louis van Gaal’s first season in charge is to finish at least fourth in the Premier League to seal a return to the Champions League.
A record of just two league defeats since the start of November had given them every chance, but the unconvincing nature of some of their performances had still raised doubts that they would stay the course.
A run of games against Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea within their next five fixtures was supposed to be the acid test.
And van Gaal’s side could not have made a better start by overwhelming a Tottenham side with top-four aspirations of their own thank to an impressive run which had lifted them to within three points of United before kick-off.
Spurs had also won on their two previous visits to Old Trafford but any chance of a hat-trick disappeared with first-half goals from Marouane Fellaini, Michael Carrick and Rooney, who had woken to unwanted headlines after footage emerged of him supposedly being knocked out during a sparring session with a former United team-mate.
United were superior in every department as they produced one of their best performances under van Gaal and, thanks to a ninth win in 10 home league games, they are now just two points behind second placed Manchester City.
United again started with the out of form Radamel Falcao on the bench.
With Robin van Persie also still out injured, Fellaini has played an increasingly important role as an attacking option and it was the Belgium international who put United ahead after nine minutes with his fifth goal of the season.
Carrick’s return to starting duty for the first time since late January was also a contributory factor to United’s first-half dominance and it was a pass from the former Tottenham midfielder that released Fellaini to score with a low left-footed shot across Hugo Lloris.
Carrick had not scored since February 2014 and managed only one all of last season.
But his 19th minute finish was that of a proven marksman as he deftly guided a header beyond Lloris after Nacer Chadli had struggled to clear a header from Fellaini following an Ashley Young corner.
Tottenham looked anything but the side that had won five of their previous seven league games and watching England coach Roy Hodgson barely saw Harry Kane, aiming to score for a seventh successive away game, get a meaningful touch as he seeks to win a place in the full England squad to be named this coming week.
Rooney will definitely be in that squad and he underlined his well-being with his 19th goal of the season 11 minutes before the break to make victory a formality.
Taking possession off Nabil Bentaleb, the United captain ran unchecked through Tottenham’s defence before slotting the ball home and celebrating with a flurry of punches and a collapse to the floor to mimic the morning newspaper report which claimed he had been knocked out in an impromptu boxing bout in his kitchen with Stoke defender Phil Bardsley.
Spurs couldn’t be as bad in the second half and Ryan Mason missed a chance to pull a goal back when he shot wide 10 minutes into the second half and Kane was denied by David de Gea at the death.
United also didn’t need to sustain the tempo and intensity that marked this out as one of their best performances at Old Trafford since the Alex Ferguson era.
Everton 3
McCarthy 20’, Lukaku 56’ (pen), Barkley 90’
Newcaste United 0
Man of the match Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
Everton’s season turned a big corner as a first home league win of 2015 against 10-man Newcastle United eased worries of a relegation battle.
Midfielder James McCarthy’s first goal since May was followed in the second half by Romelu Lukaku’s 17th of the campaign, before Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini was sent off and Ross Barkley made it 3-0 in added time.
It was a comfortable, if not commanding, performance, and Everton were greatly aided by Newcastle, who rarely threatened and contributed much to their own downfall.
Given Everton’s struggles, with one win in their past 12 league games, any slice of good fortune is welcomed. But even they could not have imagined the assistance they got by Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul’s horrendous misjudgement.
Despite having a clear view of McCarthy’s shot, he embarrassingly dived the wrong way and watched as the ball went in past his outstretched feet.
Afterwards, Everton manager Roberto Martinez said: “We’ve been growing during the season to be in a position so that whatever changes you make they will ready to perform. We showed today we are ready to cope with European demands. I am delighted in the manner we managed the game. We took our chances and we kept a clean sheet and took control of a big occasion because we had to win the game.”
Chelsea 1
Costa 11’
Southampton 1
Tadic 19’ (pen)
Man of the match Fraser Forster (Southampton)
Chelsea missed the opportunity to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League by drawing 1-1 against Southampton in an entertaining game at Stamford Bridge where the officials’ decisions will once again be scrutinised.
Jose Mourinho’s men were looking to respond from their European exit by tightening their grip on the title after Manchester City’s loss at Burnley and went in front through Diego Costa’s first Premier League goal in almost two months.
Dusan Tadic equalised after a contentious penalty, awarded for a foul by Nemanja Matic on the impressive Sadio Mane.
Replays showed Matic slid in from behind and made contact with the ball, but referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and booked the Chelsea midfielder.
Chelsea might have had a spot kick of their own for a Tadic foul on Branislav Ivanovic, but then Dean gave the Blues the benefit of the doubt rather than reduce them to 10 men for all but the opening minute of the second half.
Matic could have marked his domestic return following a two-match ban for his dismissal against Burnley with another sending off, but he avoided a second booking for a foul on Mane within seconds of the restart.
Chelsea, under pressure for much of the contest, finished on the attack, but Fraser Forster made fine saves from Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Cuadrado to earn Southampton a point.
Chelsea, who are six points clear at the top, still have a game in hand on City and remain firmly in control of their bid for a first Premier League title in five years.
Wednesday’s away goals loss to Paris Saint-Germain, which saw Chelsea tumble out of the Uefa Champions League at the last-16 stage, saw the Stamford Bridge side subjected to plenty of scrutiny and Mourinho launch a robust defence.
With the League Cup already secured, Mourinho vowed Chelsea would add the Premier League to complete a “fantastic season”.
Nine wins in the remaining 11 games was Mourinho’s target, prior to City’s defeat at Turf Moor, and Chelsea began well against a Southampton side with two wins in their previous seven.
The hosts went in front as Costa netted his 18th Premier League strike of the season and first since the January 17 win at Swansea after 11 minutes.
Hazard played the ball wide for Ivanovic to cross and an unmarked Costa headed in from six yards.
Thibaut Courtois had to save from Mane after a move involving former Chelsea ma Ryan Bertrand and Tadic before Saints equalised from the spot when Matic was adjudged to have fouled Mane after his one-two with Victor Wanyama.
Matic was booked and there were few complaints from Chelsea’s players before Tadic’s penalty went in and Chelsea assistant boss Rui Faria was sent down the tunnel to watch the replay.
Ivanovic was then tripped by Tadic in the right side of the area, but the right-back’s theatrical fall dissuaded Dean from awarding what would have been a just penalty.
It evoked memories of the December 28 draw at St Mary’s when Cesc Fabregas was booked for diving and Mourinho afterwards spoke of a “clear campaign” against Chelsea.
Mourinho was fined £25,000 for those comments and would have been relieved Chelsea got the benefit of the doubt early in the second period when Mane wrong-footed Matic and was tripped.
The Serbia midfielder was fortunate not to receive a second Premier League red card in successive appearances and soon he was replaced by Ramires.
It was a sign of the pressure Southampton exerted on Chelsea, whose often commanding centre-backs John Terry and Gary Cahill were troubled by the pace of Mane and Shane Long.
Courtois saved from Tadic and Mane late in the first half, but Chelsea struggled to create similar chances to test Forster.
Morgan Schneiderlin barged Fabregas over before Costa flicked Willian’s volley on to a post and then acrobatically hit Hazard’s cross back to the Belgian, who headed in from an offside position.
Jose Fonte, who was pushed by Costa after an earlier exchange, made a well-timed tackle to deny the striker.
Cahill blocked a Long effort before Ivanovic was booked for bringing down Mane and Wanyama was also cautioned for a foul on Hazard.
Mane then bamboozled Cahill, who was booked, as his searing pace continued to trouble Chelsea, who then hemmed Saints deep in their own half.
Forster made a double save to keep out Oscar’s header and Hazard’s follow-up and then saved from Oscar again.
Costa blasted over under pressure before Forster saved from Cesar Azpilicueta.
From the resulting corner he denied substitute Juan Cuadrado, while Terry had a follow-up effort blocked on the line and then lashed wide as Saints held on.
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