BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW
SATURDAY, APRIL 9 ASTON VILLA 1 AFC BOURNEMOUTH 2
Aston Villa are as good as down after a defeat by Bournemouth, their eighth in a row in the Barclays Premier League, left them 15 points from safety with five games remaining. Steve Cook’s closerange finish set the Cherries up before Joshua King took advantage of defensive mix-up. Jordan Ayew replied late on. GOALS:- VILLA: AYEW 85. BOURNEMOUTH: COOK 45; KING 74.
CRYSTAL PALACE 1 NORWICH CITY 0
Norwich City remain in a relegation battle after losing to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace. Jason Puncheon scored his first goal of the season to hand Palace their first league win of 2016 – and six successive home defeats – while Norwich felt they deserved a penalty when Matt Jarvis was barged over.
GOAL:-PUNCHEON 68.
MANCHESTER CITY 2 WEST BROM 1
Samir Nasri returned from injury to score the winner for Manchester City against West Brom. City came from behind after Stephane Sessegnon beat Joe Hart early on. Sessegnon then brought down Aleksandar Kolarov in the area to allow Sergio Aguero to equalise from the spot. Nasri tapped into an empty net with 25 minutes remaining. GOALS:-CITY: AGUERO PEN 19; NASRI 66. WBA: SESSEGNON 6.
SOUTHAMPTON 3 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
Newcastle stumbled closer to relegation from the Barclays Premier League after being outplayed by Southampton. The Magpies fell behind after just four minutes when Shane Long scored. Graziano Pelle claimed home the second and then Victor Wanyama made it 3-0 after Pelle’s shot was blocked. Andros Townsend claimed a late consolation goal. GOALS:-SOUTHAMPTON: LONG 4; PELLE 38; WANYAMA 55. NEWCASTLE: TOWNSEND 64.
SWANSEA CITY 1 CHELSEA 0
Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink suffered his first defeat in 15 Barclays Premier League games as Swansea moved closer to safety. At the end of a week when it was announced that Italy manager Antonio Conte is to take over at Chelsea in the summer, the Swans seized on a poor Chelsea display to dominate the first half and lead through Gylfi Sigurdsson’s volley. GOAL:-SWANSEA: SIGURDSSON 25.
WATFORD 1 EVERTON 1
Two goals in first-half added time saw Watford and Everton share the points at Vicarage Road. Both teams are in the FA Cup semi-finals and it is to be hoped that if they meet in the final they can produce a better spectacle. James McCarthy gave Everton the lead, but within a minute Jose Holebas headed home at the far post from a corner. GOALS:-WATFORD: HOLEBAS 45. EVERTON: McCARTHY: 45.
WEST HAM UNITED 3 ARSENAL 3
Arsenal’s slim hopes of winning the Barclays Premier League were effectively ended by Andy Carroll’s firstever West Ham hat-trick. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez gave the Gunners the lead, but two late first-half headers brought the Hammers back into the game. Carroll got his third, again a header, soon after the restart but Arsenal skipper Laurent Koscielny made it 3-3. GOALS:-WEST HAM: CARROLL 44, 45, 52. ARSENAL: OZIL 18; SANCHEZ 35; KOSCIELNY 70.
SUNDAY, APRIL 10 LIVERPOOL 4 STOKE CITY 1
Divock Origi came off the bench to score twice as Liverpool moved up to eighth in the Barclays Premier League. Alberto Moreno put the home side ahead before Bojan headed Stoke’s equaliser. But Daniel Sturridge converted Sheyi Ojo’s cross to regain the lead before Origi headed in and later saw an attempted cross drift in after the break. GOALS:-LIVERPOOL: MORENO 8; STURRIDGE 32; ORIGI 50, 65. STOKE: BOJAN 22.
SUNDERLAND 0 LEICESTER CITY 2
Jamie Vardy scored twice as leaders Leicester won at Sunderland to move within three victories of their first Barclays Premier League title. Vardy converted the first after an hour, before outpacing the opposition defence and tucking home a second deep into added time. The hosts’ best chance fell to substitute Jack Rodwell, who shot over from just eight yards out.
GOALS:-LEICESTER: VARDY 66, 90.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3 MANCHESTER UNITED 0
Tottenham kept alive their hopes of winning the Barclays Premier League, thanks to three goals in seven late second-half minutes, from Deli Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela. With Leicester winning earlier in the day, Spurs reduced the deficit from 10 points to seven. After an even first half, Alli broke the deadlock and two more keep Spurs in the hunt. GOALS:-TOTTENHAM: ALLI 70; ALDERWEIRELD 74; LAMELA 76.