Chelsea defeated Aston Villa 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, while Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee scored twice each as Manchester United thrashed Everton 4-0 in Ruben Amorim’s first Premier League match at Old Trafford.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson, captain Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer earned Chelsea a home win over Villa, lifting them to joint second in the Premier League table.
Senegal striker Jackson neatly side-footed a Marc Cucurella cross from the left, knocking it in off the post in the seventh minute.
Chelsea took advantage of questionable defending in the 36th minute when Fernandez was fed by Palmer before steadying himself and firing home between Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa.
Palmer outdid both his teammates, however, lofting an exquisite left-foot shot into the top corner of substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen’s net in the 83rd minute.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea moved joint second, level on points and goal difference with Arsenal, before the late kickoff between table-toppers Liverpool and fifth-placed Manchester City.
Villa, on the other hand, dropped to 11th.
United also defeated Everton 4-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
EPL fixtures: Liverpool host Man City at Anfield as Chelsea face Aston Villa
United’s biggest victory margin in a league game since a 5-1 win over Leeds United in 2021 lifted them three spots to ninth in the table after 13 games.
Rashford put United ahead in the 34th minute when he darted in to fire home Bruno Fernandes’s corner with a side-footed volley that sailed in off the outstretched foot of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
The goal ignited Amorim’s side, who dominated the rest of the match, and Zirkzee doubled the lead in the 41st minute when Amad Diallo intercepted Jordan Pickford’s goal kick and the Dutch forward fired home Fernandes’s cross from close range.
Rashford, who has netted three goals in three games since Amorim took charge, completed his brace 20 seconds after halftime when he ran onto a through ball from Amad who caused Everton problems all afternoon.
The Ivory Coast forward stripped the ball off James Tarkowski in the 64th minute and drove forward before feeding Zirkzee to slot in his second.
Delighted United fans sang Amorim’s name all afternoon. The Portuguese, who barely cracked a smile throughout the game, is unbeaten in three matches since taking charge, including a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town and a 3-2 Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt.
United are unbeaten in the seven games across all competitions since Erik ten Hag was sacked as manager on October 28.
Fulham captain Tom Cairney also came off the bench to rescue a point before being sent off in a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, after Brennan Johnson’s volley gave the hosts the lead.
Tottenham, with only their second league draw this season, moved up to seventh with 20 points and are three points behind fourth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
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