EPL PIX: Man City go three points clear, Everton out of bottom three

IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday.

Manchester City lifted the gloom of their Champions League exit to seize control of the Premier League title race with a 5-0 hammering of Newcastle United and Everton took a big leap towards safety on Sunday.

Arsenal also boosted their hopes of finishing in the top four with a 2-1 home victory against a Leeds United side who dropped into the bottom three.

Any hangover following their dramatic semi-final loss against Real Madrid was swept away as Raheem Sterling struck twice for Manchester City in the sunshine at The Etihad Stadium.

Aymeric Laporte, Rodri and Phil Foden were also on the scoresheet as City reclaimed top spot and moved three points ahead of Liverpool who drew with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Both sides have three games left to play and City now also have a four-goal superior goal difference.

"The margin between us and Liverpool is so tight and goal difference can happen. It was important we win," manager Pep Guardiola said.

Sterling headed City into the lead after 19 minutes Laporte tapped in after 38 minutes.

Rodri lost his marker to head in Kevin De Bruyne's corner after 61 minutes and Foden got in on the act when Oleksandr Zinchenko's shot arrived at his feet and he diverted it in.

City saved the best to last with a flowing move allowing an unmarked Sterling to fire home.

The title race continues in midweek with Liverpool up against Aston Villa on Tuesday and City facing Wolverhampton Wanderers the day after.

West Ham keep pressure on United

West Ham United thrashed relegated Norwich City 4-0 in the Premier League on Sunday to keep the pressure on Manchester United in the battle for sixth place and a swift return to the Europa League.

Said Benrahma put the Hammers ahead in the 12th minute at Carrow Road with a deflected volley hit right-footed and low off a Jarrod Bowen pass, and bagged his second in first-half stoppage time.

Michail Antonio, who scored all the goals in a 4-0 rout last time the Hammers visited Norwich at the end of the 2020 season, had made it 2-0 on the half hour with his first league goal since Jan. 1.

The first three goals were all assisted by Bowen.

The Canaries thought they had pulled one back in the 47th when former West Ham defender Sam Byram netted but a VAR review ruled it out for handball.

Manuel Lanzini made it 4-0 from the penalty spot in the 65th after another VAR review found Danish midfielder Jacob Soerensen had handled.

Victory left the Londoners on 55 points and three behind Manchester United, who lost 4-0 at Brighton on Saturday and have played one game more.

David Moyes's side lost their Europa League semi-final to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 on aggregate on Thursday but found the perfect remedy for that disappointment in bottom-ranked opponents who were booed off at halftime.

Norwich have now lost 12 home league matches this season.

Leeds slip into relegation zone after defeat at Arsenal

Leeds United suffered a huge setback in their battle for Premier League survival as a 2-1 loss at Arsenal on Sunday plunged them into the relegation zone and the hosts took another step towards securing a top-four finish.

An early quickfire double from former Leeds loanee Eddie Nketiah put Arsenal in firm control before the visitors were reduced to 10 midway through the first half when Luke Ayling was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Gabriel Martinelli.

Leeds did not have an attempt at goal until Diego Llorente's header beat goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in the 66th minute but Arsenal weathered a nervy finish to close out their fourth successive victory and solidify their hold on fourth place.

Arsenal, on 66 points with three games remaining, opened up a four-point gap on north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in fifth ahead of Thursday's derby and moved to within a point of third-placed Chelsea.

A second straight defeat for Leeds left them in 18th place with 34 points, behind Burnley on goal difference, after Everton's 2-1 victory at Leicester City lifted the Merseyside club out of the bottom three.

Nketiah fired Arsenal ahead after five minutes when visiting goalkeeper Illan Meslier dwelled on a routine back pass, allowing the forward to nip in and poke the ball home from inside the six-yard box.

Five minutes later, Martinelli wriggled past three Leeds defenders and played a neat cut-back to the unmarked Nketiah for the 22-year-old to tap in for his ninth goal of the season in all competitions.

Arsenal were hunting for a third, with Meslier saving efforts from Martinelli and Martin Odegaard, before Leeds captain Ayling was booked for a reckless challenge on Martinelli and saw his yellow card upgraded to red following a VAR review.

Leeds struck with their first effort of the game when Llorente's header sparked them into life as they looked to salvage a point, and in a tense finish Ramsdale saved from Rodrigo in stoppage time.

Arsenal hung on for victory before the short trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a win would end their five-year wait for Champions League football.

Everton climb out of relegation zone with gritty win at Leicester

Everton climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Leicester City after defenders Vitalii Mykolenko and Mason Holgate scored at the King Power Stadium on Sunday.

Frank Lampard's side moved up two spots to 16th on 35 points, one point above the drop zone, as Leeds United slipped to 18th after a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Holgate nodded in a rebound to put Everton back in front at the half-hour mark after Leicester striker Patson Daka cancelled out Mykolenko's early opener.

Holgate scored from close range after Richarlison's header was beaten away by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel following a corner.

Earlier, Mykolenko's stunning left-foot volley put the visitors in front after six minutes before Daka levelled the game five minutes later following a defensive mix-up.

Everton fought hard in the second half to keep their lead intact, with keeper Jordan Pickford making three stunning saves as he tipped away Nampalys Mendy's curling effort and denied substitute Harvey Barnes twice.