Premier League Round-Up: Man Utd big winners in top-four race, while City suffer rare slip

Ever since his 2013 retirement, Manchester United fans have longed for the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson’s management. At Old Trafford on Saturday, the Red Devils revelled in Fergie Time.

Marcus Rashford was the last-gasp hero, slotting home Edinson Cavani’s low cross at the foot of the Stretford End to notch for the second game in a row and become the first player in Premier League history to score four last-minute winners, as United edged past top-four rivals West Ham 1-0.

Despite the narrow scoreline, this performance was among the best of Ralf Rangnick‘s nascent reign. United pressed with vigour and created enough chances to have mustered a more comfortable result.

They’ll be more than grateful of the three points, though, considering how the other clubs in contention for the final Champions League-qualifying position fared this weekend.

The win puts United fourth and they can be backed at 2.89/5 on the Betfair Exchange to finish the season there.

West Ham are fifth, just one point back, but David Moyes’ men have played one game more than his former side – they are available to back at 9.417/2 on the Exchange in the Top 4 Finish market.

Sixth-placed Arsenal can still leapfrog United if they win their game in hand, but Mikel Arteta’s men were unable to beat Burnley on Sunday afternoon, drawing 0-0 with Sean Dyche’s struggling side at the Emirates. The Gunners are now 3.814/5 on the Exchange to crack the top four this term.

Tottenham may have been roundly beaten by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but Spurs’ top-four hopes are far from extinguished. They sit seventh at present, level with Arsenal on 36 points but with two games in hand over United. Antonio Conte’s side are 2.8415/8 to claim a Champions League place this term.

Joining the usual suspects in the top-four stakes, there has emerged an unlikely contender in the shape of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves claimed their third Premier League victory in a row as goals from Portuguese duo Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves gave Bruno Lage’s side a 2-1 victory away at Brentford on Saturday.

Unbeaten in five league outings – a run of fixtures that includes games against Chelsea and Manchester United – Wolves are up to eighth, just four points off fourth-placed United with a game in hand. The Black Country club can be backed at 2322/1 on the Exchange to claim an unexpected top-four finish this season.

Relegation race

Rafa Benitez’s ruinous Everton reign has been consigned to history thanks to the Spaniard’s sacking last week, but there has been no instant turnaround under interim replacement Duncan Ferguson.

The Toffees were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Saturday. The result was doubly bitter for the Merseysiders as not only is Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard at the helm of Villa but the game’s only goal was scored by French left-back Lucan Digne, whom Everton had sold to their opponents barely a week earlier.

With just one Premier League win since September, Everton have fallen to 16th in the table, hovering four points above the relegation zone. They are available to back at 6.25/1 on the Exchange to suffer the drop this term.

There is hope, though, for two clubs who, until recently, seemed destined for the drop.

Newcastle, of course, had pinpointed January as a pivotal month in their season ever since the club’s recent takeover. The arrival of the new year has allowed them to make the most of their newfound riches and bolster the squad at Eddie Howe’s disposal, with Chris Wood’s £20m capture from Burnley and Kieran Trippier joining from Atletico Madrid.

Neither has scored or assisted in their two league outings to date, but Newcastle have collected four points out of six and, thanks to their 1-0 victory over Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday, are up to 18th, just one point from safety with a game in hand over the side directly above them.

The Magpies are out to 2.466/4 on the Exchange in the Relegation market.

And that club sitting just above Newcastle? Norwich City, who for so much of the campaign have seemed condemned to a swift return to the second tier.

Two wins in a row – over Everton last week and Watford this weekend – have elevated Dean Smith‘s side out of the drop zone. The Canaries still have a struggle ahead of them if they are to preserve their Premier League status, though. They can be backed at 1.3130/100 on the Exchange to be relegated this term.

City slip at Saints

Manchester City‘s Premier League winning streak has at last been snapped. The reigning champions’ run of successive victories ends at 12, after Southampton held them to a 1-1 draw at St. Mary’s on Saturday.

Kyle Walker-Peters’ stunning, outside-of-the-boot strike gave the Saints an early first-half lead. City shot back through Aymeric Laporte in the second period but were unable to muster a winner, despite what manager Pep Guardiola insisted was his side’s best performance of the season so far.

“It’s so difficult, with different contenders, everyone is ready,” Guardiola said post-match of the challenge of retaining the title. “We are the reigning champions, we have won a lot in the past, and it’s not so funny for the rest, so it’s more difficult to win and win.”

But even with this slight slip-up, City are nine points clear of second-placed Liverpool, who thumped Crystal Palace 3-1 on Sunday.

City remain runaway favourites to retain their crown for the 2021-22 season. They can be backed at 1.152/13 on the Exchange in the Premier League Winner market. The nearest contenders, Liverpool, are available at 8.27/1.