Manchester United ended a run of three consecutive defeats and put themselves on the brink of Champions League qualification with a hard-fo...
Manchester United ended a run of three consecutive defeats and put themselves on the brink of Champions League qualification with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday Night Football.
Marouane Fellaini capitalised on a mistake from Julian Speroni to score the winner 12 minutes from full-time after Jason Puncheon had cancelled out Juan Mata’s first-half penalty with a well-executed free-kick.
The victory moved United side seven points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool in the Premier League table, meaning that if Brendan Rodgers’ side lose to Chelsea on Sunday, Louis van Gaal’s team will be guaranteed a place in the top four.
Burnley were relegated from the Premier League despite a 1-0 win at Hull, while Newcastle stopped the rot, but remain in trouble, after a 1-1 draw with West Brom.
Danny Ings' second-half winner was not enough to save Burnley from relegation - and opponents Hull are now favourites to follow after this perilous defeat.
Results elsewhere conspired to doom the Clarets, who had gone into the KC Stadium clash knowing they needed a win to stand any chance of staying up, and that even that might not be enough.
Sean Dyche's men kept their side of the bargain with a gutsy display capped by Ings' 62nd-minute strike which ended a run of more than 10 hours without a goal.
But it proved a dismal afternoon for the Tigers, who now look in serious danger of joining Burnley in the Championship as they languish in the drop zone with games against Tottenham and Manchester United to come.
Ayoze Perez ended relegation-haunted Newcastle's eight-game losing streak as they picked up their first Premier League point since February.
However, the former Tenerife frontman's seventh goal of the season was only enough to secure a 1-1 draw with West Brom at St James' Park on a day when the battle for survival took a series of twists.
The Magpies had briefly slipped into the bottom three when Victor Anichebe headed home Craig Gardner's 32nd-minute free-kick, but Perez levelled four minutes before the break with a sweetly-struck shot to hand head coach John Carver a little respite.
In the lunchtime kick-off, Sunderland moved out of the drop zone with a 2-0 win at Everton.
Danny Graham scored his first goal for the club, inadvertently turning home a Jordi Gomez strike on 54 minutes at Goodison Park, and Jermain Defoe added a late second.
Tom Cleverley handed Aston Villa a massive survival boost as they hung on to beat West Ham 1-0.
The midfielder scored his third goal in three games to move Villa four points clear of the drop zone in a pulsating relegation scrap.
Leicester continued their march towards survival with a 2-0 win against Southampton at the King Power Stadium.
Riyad Mahrez enhanced his growing reputation by scoring both goals as Nigel Pearson, this week named manager of the month for April, celebrated a sixth victory in seven matches.
The Foxes thoroughly deserved their success but Southampton, who have entertained for much of the season and earned plaudits for mounting a challenge for the European places, disappointed.
A fourth straight away loss looks to have finally ended their hopes of catching Liverpool in fifth spot.
Tottenham's Champions League hopes were extinguished in the most embarrassing fashion as they lost 3-0 at Stoke - their heaviest defeat to the Potters in 80 years.
Charlie Adam rammed the abuse he received from the travelling fans right back down their throats with a close range header and Steven Nzonzi made it 2-0 before Vlad Chiriches was sent off for a second yellow card.
