Newcastle maintain top-four push, Lampard return falls flat

LONDON, April 8 (Reuters) – Newcastle United edged nearer to a return to the Champions League and Manchester United maintained their top-four pursuit with Premier League wins on Saturday whereas on the backside there have been very important victories for Bournemouth and West Ham United.

Frank Lampard’s comeback as Chelsea’s caretaker supervisor fell flat, nevertheless, because the Londoners went down 1-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers whose survival hopes additionally bought an enormous enhance.

Leicester Metropolis’s plight worsened because the 2015-16 Premier League champions suffered a seventh defeat in eight league video games as they misplaced 1-0 at house to Bournemouth to remain nineteenth.

Newcastle suffered a giant scare in south west London as they have been off the tempo at Brentford, who got a thoroughly-deserved halftime lead by Ivan Toney’s penalty after he had missed one earlier within the sport.

However Eddie Howe’s facet hit again after the interval with Joelinton’s tried cross getting into off goalkeeper David Raya’s foot earlier than Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who had conceded the penalty which Tony transformed, completed emphatically.

Newcastle’s fifth consecutive win moved them as much as 56 factors from 29 video games — the identical as Manchester United who beat Everton 2-0 in Saturday’s early kickoff.

“We suffered within the first half. However second half, what a response from a bunch of gamers which have performed three video games in six days. They have been requested to dig actually deep for the end result however responded very well,” Howe, who’s nearer to taking Newcastle into the Champions League for the primary time in 20 years, mentioned.

Manchester United had gone third after targets by Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial secured the factors in opposition to Everton earlier within the day.

McTominay struck within the thirty sixth minute from Jadon Sancho’s go and Marcus Rashford, on his 350th look for United in all competitions, arrange substitute Martial within the 71st minute, though the England striker limped off with a groin damage.

Higher information for United was the return of fit-again midfielder Christian Eriksen who got here on after 77 minutes for his first look since Jan. 28.

Everton ended the day fourth from backside 27 factors, forward of free-falling Nottingham Forest on objective distinction.

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min scored his one hundredth Premier League objective with a chic Tenth-minute roller — the primary Asian participant to achieve that milestone.

Lewis Dunk levelled for Brighton who additionally had two targets disallowed and have been the higher group however Harry Kane’s deflected strike within the 79th minute sealed victory for Tottenham who’re fifth with 53 factors having performed a sport greater than each Newcastle and Manchester United.

Arguably the sport’s greatest speaking level was pink playing cards for Tottenham’s stand-in supervisor Cristian Stellini and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi after a livid conflict within the second half.

Aston Villa’s rise continued as they moved above Brighton into sixth place because of a 2-0 win over a Nottingham Forest facet who are actually and not using a win in 9 video games. Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins earned Villa’s fourth successive victory.

West Ham bounced again from a 5-1 drubbing at house to Newcastle in midweek with a 1-0 victory at Fulham because of a Twenty third-minute personal objective by Harrison Reed.

A dreadful error by England midfielder James Maddison condemned Leicester to a crushing defeat in opposition to Bournemouth which left them on 25 factors and second from-from-bottom earlier than last-placed Southampton took on Manchester Metropolis later.

Maddison’s careless again go performed in Bournemouth’s Philip Billing and he exacted punishment with a cool end which proved sufficient for the south coast membership to climb to fifteenth.

Membership report goalscorer Lampard’s return to Stamford Bridge within the wake of Graham Potter’s sacking had given Chelsea’s followers one thing to smile about in midweek however the identical outdated issues endured as they once more misfired in entrance of objective.

Matheus Nunes scored a thirty first minute screamer at Molineux and Wolves held on to ease their relegation worries whereas Chelsea’s fourth league sport and not using a win left them languishing in eleventh place within the desk.

“There was quite a lot of change and that is not an excuse however issues want to enhance and I believe that efficiency summed it up,” Lampard, again for a second stint in cost after being sacked in January 2021, mentioned.

Leaders Arsenal journey to Liverpool on Sunday.

Reporting by Martyn Herman
Enhancing by Toby Davis

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