Premier League leaders Manchester City held at Burnley
Sanchez on target for Manchester United
Aaron Ramsey scored a hat-trick on Saturday as Arsenal thrashed Everton 5-1 in the Premier League at the Emirates with a display of free-flowing football that the Gunners have sorely lacked away from home this season.
The home side blasted in four goals in the first half to put the game beyond doubt, leaving their woeful midweek loss at Swansea far behind them.
Ramsey scored twice inside the opening 20 minutes, either side of a headed goal from defender Laurent Koscielny.
The Gunners’ new record signing, Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, renewed his scoring partnership with former Borussia Dortmund team mate Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the 38th minute, chipping his neatly flicked-in pass over onrushing goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The win leaves Arsenal unchanged in sixth place in the table, three points adrift of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who visit Liverpool on Sunday. The Gunners travel to Spurs in a week’s time.
Everton’s loss pushes them down one spot in the table to 10th.
By the end of the first half Everton forward Oumar Niasse cast a forlorn figure, with the rest of his team appearing stuck in an ultra-defensive 5-4 formation deep in their own half.
But the visitors looked sharper at the start of the second half and came close with Niasse striking the post.
Forward Theo Walcott was substituted off on the hour mark to a standing ovation from his former club, and was replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who moments later headed in from close range.
That goal means the Gunners have failed to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League since mid-December.
Sanchez on target as United beat Huddersfield
Manchester United's Alexis Sanchez scored his first goal for the club and Romelo Lukaku was also on target as they closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to 13 points with a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
After Burnley had held league leaders Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in the early kickoff, the pressure was on United to take advantage but they struggled to find any rhythm in the first half as Huddersfield stood firm.
Struggling Huddersfield offered little as an attacking force in the game and United saw out the victory with ease to at least put some pressure on rivals City, while Huddersfield dropped to second-bottom after a fifth successive league defeat.
Manchester City held at Burnley
Premier League leaders Manchester City paid the price for missed chances as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Burnley, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s 82nd minute equaliser earning the hosts a share of the points.
City had dominated possession throughout most of the game, which they strolled through for large spells, but after taking the lead with a beautiful strike from Brazilian Danilo in the 22nd minute, they failed to press home their advantage.
Raheem Sterling produced one of the misses of the season – somehow putting the ball wide just one metre out from the empty goal and Burnley made the most of that let-off.
City manager Pep Guardiola, without the injured David Silva, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus, named only six substitutes including club record signing Aymeric Laporte, signed for a club record 57 million pounds ($80.48 million) last week.
In an attacking line-up, Burnley boss Sean Dyche gave winger Aaron Lennon his first start since joining from Everton.
City went ahead when a short corner was worked to Danilo and, enjoying plenty of space, the Brazilian unleashed an unstoppable drive from outside the area.
The Clarets were struggling to create openings but when Jack Cork looped the ball into the area, it fell to defender Ben Mee whose volley forced a good save from Ederson.
Former City youth team player Mee had another half-chance minutes later but his header from a corner flashed just wide.
City showcased their quality in the 39th minute with a flowing move from the back, ending with a powerful drive from Kevin De Bruyne which keeper Nick Pope did well to keep out.
After the break, there was almost a repeat of the opening goal when City again found Danilo from a corner but this time the full back’s shot was tipped over by Pope.
Somehow Burnley were still in the game and they came close to levelling when a fine Lennon strike was pushed against the woodwork by Ederson.
That brought the game to life and City pushed forward with increased urgency and should have doubled their lead when Kyle Walker played the ball across the face of goal and somehow Sterling put it wide from point-blank range.
City were made to pay when Burnley substitute Matt Lowton floated in a cross from the right and Gudmundsson met it on the half-volley to fire home and give the hosts one of the more memorable results of a season that has defied expectations.
Fernandez stuns Leicester, keeps Swansea on rise
A turbulent week for Leicester City took a turn for the worse when Swansea fought back for a 1-1 draw in the Premier League at the King Power Stadium to continue their revival under Carlos Carvalhal on Saturday.
Leicester left out midfielder Riyad Mahrez after the Algerian missed training following his abortive attempt to join Manchester City but his replacement Kelechi Iheanacho soon impressed by setting up Jamie Vardy for his sixth goal in nine games after 17 minutes.
Swansea suffered a further blow when midfielder Leroy Fer was carried off after twisting his ankle under Adrien Silva's challenge but the bad news ended there for the visitors who equalised after the break when Federico Fernandez headed in only his second goal in 116 games for the Welsh side.
Swansea held on for a point and are now unbeaten in seven games in all competitions to move out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Bournemouth come from behind to beat Stoke 2-1
Substitute Lys Mousset came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal for Bournemouth as they came back from a goal down to beat Stoke City 2-1 in a pulsating Premier League clash at the Vitality Stadium.
Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri, who had seen a shot cleared off the line by Steve Cook moments earlier, put visitors Stoke in front in the fifth minute, the diminutive winger heading home unmarked from Badou Ndiaye's cross.
Bournemouth, who hammered Chelsea 3-0 on Wednesday, upped the tempo in the second half and had plenty of chances to score, but it took until the 70th minute for Joshua King to put them back on level terms with a thumping right-foot strike.
Sensing that Stoke's resistance was wilting after King's goal, Bournemouth continued to attack and nine minutes later Mousset nodded home Jordon Ibe's free kick for the simplest of finishes to take all three points.
West Brom at rock bottom after home defeat by Southampton
West Bromwich Albion were left stuck at the bottom of the Premier League after losing 3-2 to Southampton, despite having made a fine start to the match.
It was an emotional day at the Hawthorns where there was a minute's applause before the game for their former striker Cyrille Regis, who died last month.
Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazi headed Albion into an early lead from a corner by set-piece specialist Chris Brunt but Southampton hit back with two goals in three minutes before half-time. Gabon's Mario Lemina drove in from 20 metres and defender Jack Stephens scored his third goal in three games.
A direct free kick by James Ward-Prowse made it 3-1 and Saints held on for a first League victory in 13 games despite Salomon Rondon's 72nd-minute headed goal for the home side.
