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EPL PIX: Man Utd win; Sunderland boost survival hopes

Last updated on: May 08, 2016 00:07 IST

Juan Mata

IMAGE: Juan Mata, centre, of Manchester United celebrates scoring with his team mates Jesse Lingard and Memphis Depay during the Premier League match against Norwich City. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.

Manchester United maintained their push for a Champions League place after a Juan Mata goal on Saturday pushed Norwich City to the brink of relegation.

The Spanish international midfielder again showed his taste for tormenting the Canaries as he scored his fifth goal against them with his 72nd-minute winner.

Cameron Jerome had Norwich's best chance with a header only to be denied by the excellent David de Gea but a mistake from Sebastien Bassong allowed Wayne Rooney to burst through and find Mata, who provided an excellent left-foot finish.

In a game of few chances and little excitement, United were left content with a victory that moves them to within one point of fourth-placed Manchester City.

Norwich, though, are plunged into deeper turmoil in 19th place with just two games left.

Sunderland boost survival hopes with 3-2 win over Chelsea

Sunderland players

IMAGE: Sunderland players celebrate their 3-2 win while Gary Cahill of Chelsea kicks the post with frustration. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images.

Sunderland kept alive their hopes of avoiding relegation after twice coming from behind to beat Chelsea 3-2 at home in an exciting clash.

The result left Sunderland in 17th position on 35 points from 36 games, one point ahead of Newcastle United who have played a game more and did themselves no favours with a 0-0 draw at already relegated Aston Villa.

The home side were skating on thin ice after goals by Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic either side of a ferocious Wahbi Khazri volley gave Chelsea a 2-1 first-half lead in the Stadium of Light.

However, they staged an epic comeback after the break when Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe scored in a frantic three-minute spell. Chelsea had captain John Terry sent off for a second bookable foul in the last minute of stoppage time.

Newcastle on brink after failing to beat Villa

 Aston Villa supporters

IMAGE: Aston Villa supporters hold banners after the Premier League match against Newcastle United. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images.

Newcastle United are on the verge of relegation from the Premier League after failing to do what most teams in the Premier League have found easy this season -- win at Villa Park.

Rafael Benitez's side had their chances to earn the critical victory with Jack Colback squandering a big chance from 12 metres out and Aleksandar Mitrovic and Georginio Wijnaldum then both missing good opportunities.

Already-relegated Villa's defence proved surprisingly resolute and they finally ended their club record-equalling sequence of 11 successive league defeats.

Newcastle's failure to break down the home side despite all their late pressure means they are still in the relegation zone with one game left and will be relegated if their neighbours and rivals Sunderland beat Everton on Wednesday.

Gayle scores twice as Palace beat Stoke

Dwight Gayle

IMAGE: Dwight Gayle of Crystal Palace celebrates. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images.

Dwight Gayle scored twice as Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Stoke City 2-1 in an entertaining game at Selhurst Park to confirm their Premier League safety.

The win takes FA Cup finalists Palace up to 14th on 42points, eight clear of 18th-placed Newcastle United with one game to play, while Stoke are 10th on 48, having now gone six league games without a win.

Gayle secured Palace's second win in 20 league games with a magnificent 68th-minute free kick, curling the ball beyond Jakob Haugaard from 25 metres after Ryan Shawcross had brought down Connor Wickham.

The visitors had taken the lead in the 26th minute when Charlie Adam finished off a fine team move but Gayle levelled for Palace in their final home game of the season after being picked out by the dazzling Yannick Bolasie two minutes into the second half.

Swansea hammer West Ham in penultimate game at Upton Park

A fan confruntes Winston Reid of West Ham

IMAGE: A fan confronts Winston Reid of West Ham after the Premier League against Swansea City. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images.

West Ham United's hopes of playing Champions League football next season were all but extinguished with a surprise home defeat to mid-table Swansea City.

West Ham, who are moving to London's Olympic Stadium next season, after 112 years at Upton Park's Boleyn Ground, were guilty of slack defending as Swansea took a 2-0 lead with goals from Wayne Routledge on 25 minutes and Andre Ayew after half an hour.

Ki Sung-yeung starred in a makeshift Swansea side shorn of key players like Ashley Williams and Gylfi Sigurdsson, scoring Swansea's third at the start of the second half.

Diafra Sakho scored from close range for West Ham on 67 minutes but substitute Bafetimbi Gomis, again on the break, made it four for Swansea in the final moments.

Source: REUTERS
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