Find results and recaps from the weekend’s round of Premier League matches here.
SUNDAY
Burnley 0 Manchester United 2
■ Richard Jolly: Martial and Rooney step up for depleted United
Wayne Rooney scored on his return to the Manchester United starting-line up as Jose Mourinho’s side enjoyed a 2-0 win at Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday to close in on the top four and extend their unbeaten league run to 23 games.
Rooney, who last started a game on March 4, was given the start for only the second time in 2017 in the absence of the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic and with Mourinho opting to start with in-form 19-year-old Marcus Rashford on the bench.
It was his French strike partner Anthony Martial though who opened the scoring at Turf Moor in the 21st minute, breaking from midfield and then finishing in style after a swift exchange with Ander Herrera.
Rooney made it 2-0, with his 251st goal, in the 39th minute, reacting well to poke home from close range after Burnley keeper Tom Heaton failed to hold on to a low shot from Martial.
Fifth-placed United are now just a point behind local rivals Manchester City, who are fourth, ahead of their clash at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.
* Reuters
Liverpool 1 Crystal Palace 2
Two goals by Crystal Palace forward Christian Benteke, who Liverpool sold to their opponents earlier this season, cost the hosts the chance to put pressure on the Premier League’s top two with a rare home defeat on Sunday.
Philippe Coutinho had put Liverpool ahead in the 24th minute with a direct free kick.
The home side dominated but conceded an equaliser just before halftime when Benteke, sold by Juergen Klopp in August, scored from a cross by Yohan Cabaye. In the 74th minute the Belgian stooped to head in a corner and win the game.
Klopp’s team stay third but are five points behind second-placed Tottenham Hotspur having played two games more.
Palace, who have recently beaten Chelsea and Arsenal, moved up four places to 12th and should now be safe from relegation after a sixth win in eight games.
* Reuters
SATURDAY
Hull City 2 Watford 0
Hull ignored the controversial dismissal of Oumar Niasse to boost their bid for Premier League survival with a vital 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday.
Marco Silva’s side played with 10 men for 65 minutes at the KCOM Stadium after Senegal international Niasse was sent off for a tackle on M’Baye Niang.
Despite that setback, the Tigers clawed their way towards safety thanks to second-half goals from Lazar Markovic and Sam Clucas.
Although third bottom Swansea beat Stoke, fourth bottom Hull remain two points above the relegation zone with four games left in a nerve-jangling battle to avoid crashing into the Championship.
Hull have earned 19 points out of 21 at home since Silva was hired and that impressive form could be enough to secure their survival.
Etienne Capoue’s close-range effort was kept out by Eldin Jakupovic early in the second half, but Hull snatched the lead in the 62nd minute.
Kamil Grosicki crossed from the right and Markovic rose highest to head goalwards before finishing off from close-range after his initial effort bounced down on the line.
Hull bravely didn’t sit back and doubled their advantage in the 70th minute.
Clucas took possession 30 yards from goal after Watford cleared a corner and took one touch to steady himself before smashing an fierce shot into the top corner.
* Agence France-Presse
Swansea City 2 Stoke City 0
Relegation-threatened Swansea City kept their hopes of staying in the Premier League alive by beating Stoke City 2-0 on Saturday after goals by Fernando Llorente and Tom Carroll.
Llorente gave Swansea the lead with a trademark header from a corner in the 10th minute, helping his team stay within touching distance of fourth-bottom Hull City, who are still two points ahead of the Swans after beating Watford.
Stoke were awarded a penalty in the second half, but Marko Arnautovic blazed his spot-kick over the bar and Swansea doubled their lead a minute later after Tom Carroll’s shot found the top corner via a deflection off Joe Allen.
Carroll almost scored a second as Swansea carved Stoke open, but Stoke keeper Jack Butland, making his first appearance after a year out with an ankle injury, pulled off an acrobatic save to deny him.
* Reuters
Bournemouth 4 Middlesbrough 0
Bournemouth boosted their chances of staying in the Premier League with a crushing 4-0 win over 10-man Middlesbrough that pushed their opponents towards the relegation precipice on Saturday.
Middlesbrough, who have not won in 16 league games, had a nightmare opening 20 minutes in which they conceded two goals and had midfielder Gaston Ramirez sent off for a second booking.
Bournemouth, who ended a run of four league games without a win, were ahead after 96 seconds with Joshua King’s 11th goal in 13 matches and two up when Benik Afobe punished more slack Boro defending from Charlie Daniels’ through ball in the 16th minute.
The visitors, with Ramirez already booked for a dive in the Cherries’ box, had the Uruguayan sent off after 20 minutes for a lunging tackle on winger Marc Pugh.
Pugh marked his 250th league game for Bournemouth with their third in the 65th and Daniels added the fourth five minutes later.
* Reuters
West Ham 0 Everton 0
West Ham and Everton played out a 0-0 draw in a desperately poor Premier League encounter at the London Stadium on Saturday.
It took 28 minutes for the first effort on goal and recalled Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg saved comfortably from Havard Nordtveit’s shot from outside the box.
Visiting manager Ronald Koeman made a double change at the break, introducing Gareth Barry and Ademola Lookman, and the tempo improved in the second period.
Lookman forced two opportunities in quick succession and put both wide, while Stekelenburg saved from Manuel Lanzini but there were few nervous moments for either side.
* Reuters
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