LONDON: Manchester City increased the pressure on Premier League title rivals Liverpool and Chelsea with a 4-1 home win over Southampton.
A controversial Samir Nasri goal and an Edin Dzeko header moments later turned a tight game in City’s favour after Rickie Lambert’s penalty had cancelled out one from Yaya Toure.
Substitute Stevan Jovetic made victory certain but for Southampton prime concerns were over a knee injury to 17-goal top scorer Jay Rodriguez.
Juan Mata struck in each half as Manchester United beat Newcastle 4-0 with the Spaniard on target with a fine free-kick for the opener. Shinji Kagawa, influential throughout, helped set up Mata’s second, and another for Javier Hernandez.
Newcastle kept pushing forward, enabling United to claim a fourth goal through Adnan Januzaj.
Off the bottom
Fulham climbed off the foot of the table when Hugo Rodallega pounced for a late winner in a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa.
With just four minutes remaining, Lewis Holtby floated in a cross that was met by Rodallega’s glancing header for his first Premier League goal in 15 months.
Kieran Richardson had nudged Fulham into a 62nd-minute lead with a super strike, only for Grant Holt to capitalise on poor defending to equalise.
Fulham would have won by more but for some sloppy finishing and despite securing the three points, they still remain five points adrift of safety.
Two goals from Jason Puncheon enabled Crystal Palace to take another giant stride towards Premier League survival by triumphing 3-0 at Cardiff.
Puncheon and Joe Ledley gave the Eagles a comfortable two-goal cushion, but Puncheon saved his best for last with an outstanding late strike.
The victory, which comes a week after Chelsea were humbled at Selhurst Park, edged poor Cardiff closer to relegation.
West Bromwich secured a priceless 1-0 victory at Norwich when Morgan Amalfitano struck in the 17th minute with a magnificent goal.
George Boyd headed in a cross from Liam Rosenior at the far post as Hull dispatched Swansea 1-0 at the KC Stadium to leave the Welsh club glancing nervously over their shoulders at the bottom three.
Promoted
** Leicester City won promotion to the Premier League after QPR and Derby lost. Nigel Pearson’s side had moved to the brink of securing their return to the top flight on Friday night with a 2-1 triumph over Sheffield Wednesday.
** Cagliari owner Massimo Cellino can complete his takeover of Leeds United after winning an appeal against the Football League’s decision to block the move.
The Italian’s Eleonora Sports company had agreed to buy a 75% stake in the club from Gulf Finance House Capital. Last week Cellino, 57, was disqualified from owning the Championship side after failing the Football League’s owners’ and directors’ test.
An independent QC has overturned the original decision.
###########