Everton 3 Crystal Palace 1
Everton’s Sam Allardyce won the battle of ex-England managers at Goodison Park to ease growing pressure with a 3-1 victory over Roy Hodgson’s struggling Crystal Palace.
However, Séamus Coleman – who only recently returned from a broken leg – was substituted at half time to be replaced by Jonjoe Kenny after he picked up a knock.
After the game Allardyce confirmed that it was nothing more than a muscle strain and is unrelated to the broken leg.
“Séamus Coleman has a muscle injury and will have a scan tomorrow. It is not related to the broken leg he suffered,” Allardyce said.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, restored to the starting line-up along with Wayne Rooney after the shambolic 5-1 drubbing at Arsenal, and Oumar Niasse scored early in the second half with Tom Davies adding the third before Luka Milivojevic’s consolation penalty.
Just a second win in 10 matches opened up a nine-point gap to the bottom three while extending Palace’s remarkable run of not having won without the injured Wilfried Zaha since September 2016.
This was the first Premier League meeting of two ex-England managers since Kevin Keegan’s Manchester City won 1-0 at home against Sir Bobby Robson’s Newcastle in May 2004.
The pair have recent history with Hodgson upset about being referred to as “Woy” during Allardyce’s meeting with undercover reporters posing as businessmen which eventually cost the Toffees boss his job as national team manager — but the pair did shake hands in the technical area.
Such friendliness was extended to the pitch in the first half with both sides lacking the killer instinct to win a game in what was a home debut to forget for on-loan Manchester City centre-back Eliaquim Mangala.
His early backpass sold Jordan Pickford short and the goalkeeper’s half-clearance dropped to Yohan Cabaye whose return from distance drifted wide.
Mangala was then muscled off the ball by Alexander Sorloth and although Keane came to his rescue the loose ball fell to Milivojevic’s whose shot was deflected wide and the defender’s departure to a knee injury just before half-time could have been viewed as a blessing in disguise for the hosts.
Both goalkeepers had to tip around the post shots from distance. Wayne Hennessey from Idrissa Gana Gueye and Pickford from Cabaye while Christian Benteke, who had a goal ruled out for offside, headed wide.
Just 50 seconds after half-time Sigurdsson struck as Everton went route one and Palace conceded the opening goal for the 18th time this season — the worst record in the Premier League.
Niasse touched on after James Tomkins failed to deal with Pickford’s punt and the Iceland international’s shot deflected off the defender on its way in.
Since his debut in January 2012 Sigurdsson has scored more goals from outside the penalty area than any other current Premier League player.
Five minutes later Cuco Martina crossed for Niasse to head in his eighth of the season.
Benteke missed another header while Sorloth had one saved before Davies’ close-range effort put the result beyond doubt.
Milivojevic’s fifth successful penalty of the season in the 83rd minute after Williams’ handball was academic with Palace still worrying about their safety as they only just above the relegation zone.
Swansea City 1 Burnley 0
Swansea maintained their momentum under Carlos Carvalhal as Ki Sung-yueng’s late strike secured a 1-0 home victory over Burnley.
A Premier League game of few chances sprang into life when Ki drilled home low from the edge of the penalty area after 82 minutes — the South Korean midfielder’s first goal since May 2016.
Swansea have now taken 14 points from 21 since Carvalhal succeeded Paul Clement, climbing from the bottom of the Premier League into 15th place.
Burnley, as resilient and combative as ever, had knocked Swansea out of their stride for much of a dour contest.
But the Clarets were left to reflect on another disappointing afternoon, with the longest winless run in the top flight stretching to 10 games.
In a first half devoid of entertainment, Swansea had more possession while Burnley carried the greater goal threat.
Neither side managed an on-target attempt in that opening 45 minutes, with defences on top and creativity in short supply.
Burnley had some promising early moments with Jeff Hendrick’s attempt blocked by Martin Olsson after Johann Berg Gudmundsson had travelled unchallenged down the left flank.
Sam Vokes’ battering-ram approach asked serious questions of Swansea’s three-man central defence, with the Burnley striker invariably winning flick-ons for his strike partner Ashley Barnes.
Vokes turned well to send his volley wide of an upright before knocking down Ben Mee’s drilled ball to set up Barnes with a dipping effort, which did not come down quick enough.
Gudmundsson also skewed over but Swansea improved as the half wore on.
Jordan Ayew and Ki were both guilty of over-elaborating in the penalty area when they might have got a shot away — and when Ayew fizzed a ball across the six-yard box there was no team-mate to deliver the final touch.
Barnes was just wide from 20 yards at the start of the second half before Gudmundsson’s rising drive forced the first save of the game from Lukasz Fabianski.
Swansea replied instantly as Nick Pope held Ki’s low free-kick and the returning Andre Ayew was sent on to make his second debut for the club — joining his brother Jordan in the home attack.
There was still no way through a compact Clarets defence, however, and Tammy Abraham — who ended his four-month scoring drought with a midweek FA Cup double against Notts County — was sent on for the final 15 minutes.
Abraham’s touch almost allowed Jordan Ayew to break the deadlock but Pope showed smart reflexes to hold onto the ball on his line.
Swansea made the decisive breakthrough eight minutes from time when Jordan Ayew allowed Kyle Naughton’s pass to run to Ki, and his unerring shot gave Pope no chance.
Jordan Ayew almost beat Pope at his near post to confirm the three points, but Swansea held on for their third successive home victory.
West Ham 2 Watford 0
Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic were on target as West Ham secured a crucial 2-0 win over Watford.
A goal from the Mexican and the Austrian eased the Hammers’ relegation fears, moving them level with Watford and five points clear of the Premier League drop zone.
The victory, and performance, proved just how far West Ham have come under David Moyes, whose first game in charge was a dispiriting 2-0 defeat to the same opposition in November.
It also illustrated the need for David Sullivan to ensure Moyes extends his stay at the club, with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Before the match West Ham’s under-fire joint-owner admitted he wanted the Scot to remain at the helm.
Tellingly, Sullivan also announced he would be stepping away from transfers following the club’s failure to strengthen in the January window.
Yet it is the Hammers’ marquee summer signings, Hernandez and Arnautovic, who are now flourishing following the slow starts to the season which mirrored that of the team.
Watford actually carved open the first opportunities of an open game, Etienne Capoue with a shot deflected over and, from the corner, Adrian Mariappa’s header forcing a smart save from Hammers goalkeeper Adrian.
But when Arnautovic, fit again after three games out injured, began to get on the ball West Ham looked a totally different team, especially to the one which surrendered so meekly at Brighton last weekend.
Arnautovic’s mazy run into the area was clumsily ended by Mariappa’s challenge but referee Graham Scott saw nothing wrong and Joao Mario fired the loose ball straight at Hornets custodian Orestis Karnezis.
Hernandez then had a goal ruled out for the narrowest of offsides as he headed a Mario free-kick past Karnezis.
Arnautovic was presented with a glorious chance when James Collins headed the ball across goal, only to shoot too close to Karnezis.
But moments later West Ham’s pressure finally told when, not for the first time, Michail Antonio tore past Daryl Janmaat and crossed for the unmarked Hernandez to nod in his third goal in five games.
Watford, having stunned Chelsea 4-1 in their last outing on Monday night, dominated after the break but without really testing Adrian, other than a Gerard Deulofeu free-kick which the Spaniard palmed away at his near post.
Hernandez looked odds on to double the lead with 20 minutes left when he sprung the offside trap and skipped past Mariappa and Sebastian Prodl, but he dawdled momentarily and allowed Karnezis to smother the ball.
But seven minutes later Arnautovic wrapped up the win with the goal his display deserved, a close-range finish after Watford failed to clear Aaron Cresswell’s low cross.
Stoke 1 Brighton 1
Charlie Adam had a late penalty saved as relegation-threatened Stoke drew 1-1 with Brighton at the bet365 Stadium.
After Xherdan Shaqiri’s strike in the 68th minute had brought the Potters level, cancelling out Jose Izquierdo’s 32nd-minute goal, the hosts had the chance to snatch all three points at the death when Bobby Madley judged Dale Stephens had fouled substitute Jese Rodriguez in the box and pointed to the spot.
But — with Jese looking annoyed not to be taking the penalty — Adam saw his effort from 12 yards kept out by Mathew Ryan. Anthony Knockaert then headed Mame Diouf’s stoppage-time header off the line to ensure the contest ended all square.
Stoke remained 18th in the Premier League, with Paul Lambert’s side level on points with 17th-placed Newcastle, who have a game in hand.
Chris Hughton’s Brighton are three points better off in 13th place.
Izquierdo demonstrated his threat as early as the second minute as his curling shot from just inside the box brought a fine save out of Jack Butland.
Stoke, without the injured Peter Crouch, made their first attempts on goal through Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who twice struck off-target, before Glenn Murray lifted an effort over Butland and the bar.
Shaqiri then hooked over on the turn inside the Brighton box, and Solly March tried his luck with a strike that was easily dealt with by Butland.
In the 28th minute Izquierdo had Stoke fretting again as he ran on to a great Dale Stephens pass, cut inside from the left and fired over the bar.
And four minutes later the Colombian started and finished a delightful move to put the visitors ahead, exchanging a one-two with March and then another with Stephens before slotting past Butland.
It was another gem to add to his stunning effort in the win against West Ham last weekend.
Badou Ndiaye sent an effort wide moments later, but there was little thereafter from the home side in an attacking sense for the rest of the first half, while Davy Propper headed off-target for Brighton just before the interval.
Lambert changed things at the break, bringing on Saido Berahino for Darren Fletcher, and his side applied pressure soon after the restart as Ndiaye’s strike deflected over.
Davy Propper headed over at the other end, and after Lambert then brought on Jese — for his first appearance since November — Shaqiri equalised, curling a shot from outside the area into the bottom corner.
Shaqiri subsequently appealed for a penalty after going down in the box following a tangle with Gaetan Bong, but referee Madley waved play on.
After Izquierdo had another shot saved by Butland, Stoke were presented with the golden opportunity to seal victory as Jese won a penalty in the 90th minute.
The Spaniard had to be calmed down by team-mates as he complained about not being given the chance to take the spot-kick — and then saw Adam’s effort from the spot saved by Ryan.
There was then further frustration for the home side as Knockaert made a goal-line clearance to deny Diouf.
