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Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-0 to maintain the stress on Leicester after their top-four rivals defeated Sheffield United because the battle for Champions League qualification heated up on Thursday. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s facet had no margin for error after Leicester’s 2-0 victory earlier in the day and so they responded because of targets from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. United’s fifth win of their final six league video games leaves them in fifth place within the Premier League. They are stage on factors with fourth-placed Leicester, trailing them on aim distinction, and one point behind third-placed Chelsea.
With the monetary implications of failing to achieve the Champions League sure to be painful for United, Solskjaer’s males can be below intense stress of their closing two league video games.
After Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final towards Chelsea, United host West Ham on Wednesday earlier than a decisive showdown at Leicester on July 26.
United may additionally qualify for the Champions League in the event that they win the Europa League, which is ready to renew in August.
“No one thought in January that we would be in with a shout for the top four. We have done fantastic since the restart,” Solskjaer mentioned.
“We didn’t get the rhythm in our passing but two fantastic goals won it for us. That is the thing at Manchester United, you have to step up and show your personality.”
Rashford broke the impasse in first-half stoppage-time when the England ahead cleverly deceived two Palace defenders with a drag-back and slotted house from shut vary.
Palace complained vehemently that they need to have been given a penalty moments earlier when Wilfried Zaha went down after contact from Victor Lindelof.
Referee Graham Scott waved away their appeals and VAR did not change the choice, with replays exhibiting Lindelof acquired a slight contact on the ball.
Palace have been denied once more within the second half when Jordan Ayew’s aim was dominated out for offside by VAR.
“What’s the point in getting into it? If I said it was, they say it wasn’t, it becomes like a Christmas pantomime,” Palace boss Roy Hodgson mentioned of the VAR controversy.
Martial killed off Palace within the 78th minute with a medical end after good work by Rashford.
Leicester bounce again
At the King Power Stadium, Leicester earned their first win in three video games because of targets from Ayoze Perez and Demarai Gray.
Thrashed 4-1 by Bournemouth on Sunday, Brendan Rodgers’ workforce took the lead within the 29th minute with Perez’s first aim since January.
Gray’s deft end sealed the factors from Jamie Vardy’s cross within the 79th minute.
Leicester’s subsequent match is at Tottenham on Sunday earlier than the United conflict on the final day of the season.
“I thought we were brilliant. The result gives us the second highest finish in Leicester’s history,” Rodgers mentioned.
“We have two games to go to create some more history.”
Sheffield United’s first defeat in 5 video games was a blow to their hopes of reaching the Europa League.
At Goodison Park, Aston Villa’s hopes of avoiding relegation have been significantly broken by their 1-1 draw towards Everton.
Villa have been inside touching distance of a second successive win after Ezri Konsa put them forward with a close-range end from Conor Hourihane’s 72nd minute free-kick.
But Theo Walcott introduced Everton stage within the 87th minute when his looping header was dominated to have crossed the road regardless of Konsa’s despairing try and clear.
It was an agonising blow for Villa, who stay second backside and sit three factors from security with simply two video games left.
With West Ham and Watford — the 2 groups immediately above the relegation zone — assembly on Friday, Villa aren’t down but, however they’re in grave hazard of a right away return to the Championship.
“The lads are devastated because we deserved more. We have to concentrate on our last two games. We are still in it,” Villa supervisor Dean Smith mentioned.
Promoted
Brighton are nearly protected after a 1-1 draw at south-coast rivals Southampton.
Albion, who sit six factors above the relegation zone, took the lead by way of Neal Maupay’s 17th-minute strike earlier than Danny Ings levelled within the 66th minute along with his 20th league aim of the season.
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