Manchester United moved level on points with fifth-placed Tottenham after victory on Monday at West Ham, who played for 75 minutes with 10 men following Sofiane Feghouli’s controversial dismissal.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that referee Mike Dean showed Feghouli a straight red card after the midfielder’s 15th-minute challenge on Phil Jones.
However, the video replays showed it was more of a coming together between two players committed to winning the ball than a reckless tackle meant to cause harm.
Antonio Valencia was guilty of an astonishing miss for the visitors before Juan Mata scored from 10 yards after a clever pass by fellow substitute Marcus Rashford.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was one of three players offside when he doubled the lead after Pedro Obiang’s clearance fell to Ander Herrera.
The 2-0 victory was Jose Mourinho’s side’s sixth straight Premier League win and their seventh in all competitions.
In another Premier League match, West Bromwich Albion took advantage of a second-half Hull capitulation to record back-to-back Premier League wins for just the second time this season.
The Baggies fell behind after a sluggish start when Robert Snodgrass struck to continue his fine form.
Hull managed 11 shots by the interval but as half-time neared, the home side began to probe and they levelled when the unmarked Chris Brunt headed in a corner after the restart.
The away side’s slack defending was punished again when Gareth McAuley powered a header in, referee Mark Clattenburg awarding the goal through use of goalline technology.
And James Morrison extinguished any Hull hopes of a first league point away from home since September when he turned in from 10 yards for their 3-1 win.
NAN reports that Hull failed to make their early dominance pay.
They were found wanting when Tony Pulis switched to three at the back late in the first half and Mike Phelan’s side remain three points from safety.
The Baggies, meanwhile, are eighth on 29 points — the second-highest tally they have ever achieved after 20 games in a Premier League season.
At the Riverside, Middlesbrough and Leicester played out a dull goalless draw to boost their respective effort to pull clear of the bottom three.
NAN reports that in a game bereft of clear-cut chances, there were just four efforts on target throughout the whole 90 minutes.
Middlesbrough wanted a penalty kick when Robert Huth brought down Adama Traore and Boro’s Gaston Ramirez lashed the best opportunity wide from six yards.
Leicester, without a Premier League away win this season compared to 11 in last term’s title-winning campaign, saw Leonardo Ulloa head a corner straight at Brad Guzan.
Boro have now moved four points clear of the drop zone, while Leicester have a six-point cushion.
At Goodison Park, Everton boss Ronald Koeman enjoyed a 3-0 win over former club Southampton thanks to goals from Enner Valencia, Leighton Baines and Romelu Lukaku.
The match had lacked quality and chances until substitute Valencia scored his first goal for the club, driving in a shot from close range after Lukaku’s header had been saved.
Valencia was also involved in the second goal as he won a penalty kick when he was fouled by Maya Yoshida.
Baines stepped up to score calmly from the spot before Lukaku latched on to a Tom Davies pass and smashed a shot into the top corner.
Everton stay seventh and moved six points clear of 10th-placed Southampton, who lost a third Premier League game in succession.
It was the Saints’ worst run since December 2014 when they lost four in a row
