More agony for Black Cats
SUNDERLAND’S survival hopes look bleaker than ever after Manchester United strolled to a 3-0 victory that gives Jose Mourinho’s men a timely shot in the arm.
A lot was riding on the Stadium of Light encounter, with United needing to kick-start their top-four hopes against a side for whom anything but victory would only push them closer to the precipice.
Manager David Moyes may well feel aggrieved by Seb Larsson’s firsthalf red card but Sunderland were already behind to a ferocious Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike by that point, with second-half Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford goals seeing United cruise to a win.
Everton produced a strong display beating Leicester City 4-2 at Goodison Park.
Two goals from Romelu Lukaku followed an early Tom Davies striker and Phil Jagielka also netted, while Marc Allbrighton and Islam Slimani replied for the Foxes.
Tottenham temporarily closed the gap on Premier League pacesetters Chelsea to four points with a 4-0 defeat of Watford at White Hart Lane.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team took control of the contest in 11 first-half minutes, when Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Son Heung-min scored.
Alli broke the deadlock with a curling right-foot strike in the 33rd minute, Dier blasted in the second six minutes later, before South Korean Son scored with another effort from distance, a low left-footed shot.
Son tapped in Kieran Trippier’s cross 10 minutes into the second half to complete the scoring, although there was another big cheer when Harry Kane returned from injury as a substitute just past the hour mark.
As a result, Spurs maintained their unbeaten home record, but Chelsea can regained their seven-point advantage with a 3-1 victory at Bournemouth – an Adam Smith own goal, Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso scoring for the Blues while Joshua King netted for the home side.
Liverpool held on to third place with a 2-1 win at Stoke.
Jonathan Walters headed a closerange goal from Xherdan Shaqiri’s cross to give Stoke a 44th-minute lead, prompting Reds boss Jurgen Klopp to make changes at half-time.
Philippe Coutinho volleyed a 64thminute equaliser, before fellow substitute Roberto Firmino gave Stoke goalkeeper Lee Grant no chance with a volley two minutes later.
Manchester City stay fourth after a comfortable 3-1 defeat of Hull at the Etihad Stadium.
City took the lead just past the half hour when Jesus Navas’ cross was turned into his own net by Ahmed Elmohamady, then Sergio Aguero doubled the lead three minutes into the second half.
Fabian Delph wrapped up the win in the 64th minute with a well-struck 20-yard effort, before Andrea Ranocchia pulled a goal back for the strugglers with five minutes remaining.
At the other end, West Ham eased their fears with a 1-0 win over struggling Swansea, with Cheikhou Kouyate making the decisive breakthrough with a low shot just before half-time.
Southampton reached the 40-point mark as Jordy Clasie’s wellstruck 25th minute goal gave them victory by the same margin at West Brom.
However, second-bottom Middlesbrough were frustrated by Burnley, with the Clarets’ Robbie Brady wasting the game’s best chance in the 56th minute of the goalless draw on Teesside.