Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim earned his first Premier League win with a 4-0 rout of Everton, while troubled Manchester City will try to revive their fading title hopes in a blockbuster clash against leaders Liverpool later on Sunday.
Fifth-placed City will kick-off at Anfield in the unusual position of being outside the top four after Chelsea climbed to third place with a 3-0 win against spluttering Aston Villa.
While fans across the world eagerly awaited the Liverpool’s showdown with City, Amorim stole the spotlight in Sunday’s early games by extending his unbeaten start with United to three matches.
United were held to a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in his first Premier League game last Sunday, before the Portuguese boss earned his maiden win with United in a 3-2 success against Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford in the Europa League on Thursday.
The 39-year-old, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, has warned United would “suffer for a long period” before they can expect to challenge for the title.
This was the most encouraging result of Amorim’s brief time at ninth-placed United as they recovered from a slow start to dispatch lowly Everton.
Marcus Rashford had scored the first goal of Amorim’s reign after just two minutes at Ipswich and he was on target again in the 34th minute against Everton.
Rashford’s drive from the edge of the area took a deflection off Jarrad Branthwaite before flashing into the net.
United struck again seven minutes later as Amorim’s decision to select Zirkzee to lead the attack instead of Rasmus Hojlund.
Branthwaite lost possession to Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes teed up Joshua Zirkzee to convert with ease.
The much-maligned Netherlands striker’s second goal since his close-season move from Bologna ended a 17-game drought dating back to August.
Rashford underlined United’s superiority just 20 seconds after the interval as he applied a cool finish to Diallo’s incisive pass for his seventh goal this season.
Zirkee struck again in the 64th minute with a composed strike from the influential Diallo’s assist after shambolic Everton defending.
“The result was good but we were pragmatic. It was not pretty,” Amorim said. “It is a rollercoaster. We have some moments when we are good but then we have moments when we have to suffer.”
– Chelsea on form –
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games as Villa’s dismal winless streak reached eight matches.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insisted this week that his young team are not title contenders in the first season of his rebuilding job.
But they look capable of at least securing Champions League qualification after a third successive win in the space of eight days moved them level on points with second-placed Arsenal.
The famous Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in October feels like a distant memory for 12th placed Villa, who have won only once in the Premier League since then.
Nicolas Jackson put Chelsea in front after just seven minutes with his eighth goal this season.
The Senegal striker met Marc Cucurella’s cross with a volley from eight yards that beat Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez via the near post.
Villa appealed in vain for a foul by Cucurella on Jaden Philogene in the build-up to the goal.
Enzo Fernandez added to Villa’s frustration in the 36th minute as the midfielder took a clever touch before firing home from 12 yards.
Cole Palmer grabbed his eighth goal this season with a superb finish from the edge of the area in the 83rd minute.
Seventh-placed Tottenham’s top four hopes were dented by a 1-1 draw against 10-man Fulham.
Brennan Johnson slotted Tottenham into the lead from Timo Werner’s 54th minute pass, but Tom Cairney curled Fulham’s equaliser into the far corner after 67 minutes.
Cairney was sent off with seven minutes left after his foul on Dejan Kulusevski was upgraded from referee Darren Bond’s initial yellow card to a red after VAR intervened.
“With this club, everything we do well is used as a millstone to bring us down at every opportunity. We can’t react to any of that,” Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said of criticism of his side’s inconsistent form. (AFP)
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