Cape Argus

Spurs undone by United comeback

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LATE goals by Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood sealed Manchester United a 3-1 comeback win against Tottenham Hotspur, cementing their place in the Premier League top-four while the London club's hopes of joining them looked slim yesterday.

Cavani had a goal controvers­ially ruled out in a an otherwise dull first half shortly before Son Heung-min gave Tottenham a 40th-minute lead with their first shot on target.

The second half was far more lively with United dominant.

Fred equalised from close range just before the hour-mark and Cavani then made up for his first-half frustratio­n by diving to head home in the 79th minute.

The closest Tottenham came to an equaliser was when Cavani headed an attempted clearance against his own crossbar.

But substitute Greenwood made sure of the win when he fired past Hugo Lloris with almost the final kick.

Second-placed United's win allowed them to cut runaway leaders Manchester City's lead to 11 points having played one game fewer, although perhaps more importantl­y they are nine points above fifth-placed Chelsea.

Tottenham stayed in seventh spot, six points behind fourthplac­ed West Ham United.

Meanwhile, Jesse Lingard scored twice as West Ham claimed a vital 3-2 victory over third-placed Leicester City earlier yesterday.

Lingard, who has been in scintillat­ing form since arriving on loan from United in midseason, took his tally for the Hammers to eight goals with two strikes before half-time.

Jarrod Bowen made it 3-0 shortly after the interval and West Ham were denied a fourth when Issa Diop's effort was deemed offside.

Leicester finally came to life with Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho punishing a defensive mistake with 20 minutes remaining.

West Ham, who squandered a 3-0 lead to draw with Arsenal last month and almost did the same against Wolverhamp­ton Wanderers in midweek, looked nervy at times after that and Iheanacho ramped up the tension with a second goal in stoppage time.

But West Ham survived some heart-in-the-mouth moments in six added minutes to secure a vital victory in their quest for an unlikely top-four finish.

They moved back above Liverpool and Chelsea with 55 points from 31 games, one point behind Leicester who suffered a second successive league defeat.

Earlier, Frenchman Allan SaintMaxim­in came off the bench and turned the game around for lowly Newcastle United as they came from behind to seal a vital 2-1 Premier League win at Burnley.

Seventeent­h-placed Newcastle moved to 32 points, six clear of Fulham, who occupy the highest spot in the relegation zone, with a game in hand.

Burnley are one point above Newcastle in 15th place.

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