Villa back in top four after rout of Blades

ASTON Villa returned to winning ways in style as they put Sheffield United to the sword with four goals in the opening 30 minutes in a 5-0 romp at Bramall Lane.

Villa’s Premier League top-four hopes had faltered after winning just one of their last five matches but Unai Emery’s men put that right to move above Tottenham and back into fourth.

Goals from John McGinn (below), Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans before the half-hour put them in dreamland and Alex Moreno’s secondhalf goal made it a day to remember for Villa.

It was another embarrassing day for Sheffield United, just four months after they were beaten 8-0 by Newcastle at Bramall Lane.

Roy Hodgson vowed to carry on fighting as Crystal Palace manager despite some fans turning on him during the 4-1 Premier League defeat at Brighton.

Hodgson cut a forlorn figure on the touchline as goals from Lewis Dunk, Jack Hinshelwood,

Facundo Buonanotte and Joao Pedro once again left his future under scrutiny.

Palace sacked their previous manager, Patrick Vieira, following a 1-0 defeat in this fixture last season so Hodgson, on a run of just four wins from 17 matches, could be on thin ice.

The 76-year-old knew it was not going to be his day when Michael Olise, on as a substitute, lasted just eight minutes before suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury.

That led to chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ from the away end with the Brighton fans, never shy to revel in their rivals’ misfortune, responding with ‘Super Roy Hodgson’.

‘Wonderful, wasn’t it?’ quipped Hodgson. ‘Is it nice? No it isn’t. Yes, my years of management have given the me resilience me to cope with that, absolutely, and taunts from away supporters are part and parcel of our lives.

‘But I signed up to be the manager and coach of this football club and I’ve got the strength, resilience and determination to see things through’

Vincent Kompany said David Fofana offers Burnley ‘something different’ after the on-loan Chelsea striker came off the bench to rescue a point in a 2-2 draw against Fulham.

Fulham took control with two goals in the space of five firsthalf minutes from Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Muniz.

But Fofana, making his home debut, came off the bench just after the hour and headed Burnley back into the game in the 71st minute before bundling in an equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time.