EPL round-up: Rooney sends Man U third

Sport360 staff 00:30 01/03/2015
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  • Wayne Rooney of Manchester United celebrates scoring the opening goal during their game against Sunderland.

    An apparent case of mistaken identity helped Wayne Rooney return Manchester United to winning ways with a brace in a 2-0 Premier League victory over Sunderland on Saturday.

    Beaten 2-1 at Swansea City last weekend, Louis van Gaal’s United were frustrated by Sunderland until the 64th minute at Old Trafford, when John O’Shea conceded a penalty for dragging back Radamel Falcao.

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    However, referee George East elected to send off O’Shea’s team-mate Wes Brom – like O’Shea, a former United player – despite protests from Sunderland’s disbelieving players that he had got the wrong man.

    Rooney planted the penalty into the bottom-left corner and then added a second goal to take United up to third place in the table, two points above Arsenal, who host Everton on Sunday.

    The home side’s play lacked penetration and Van Gaal elected to withdraw the disappointing Angel di Maria at half-time, with Adnan Januzaj coming on.

    Then came the penalty incident, with Falcao brilliantly bringing down a right-wing cross and darting away from O’Shea and Brown. O’Shea hauled the Colombian back, but it was an incredulous Brown who was shown the red card.

    Rooney’s goal saw him end an eight-game scoring drought in the league and he claimed a second in the 84th minute – his 10th goal of the campaign – by heading in after Januzaj’s shot was parried by Costel Pantilimon.

    Southampton lost further ground in the battle for Champions League qualification after sinking to a second successive defeat at West Brom.

    Saido Berahino scored the only goal in the first minute, slamming home left-footed when Chris Brunt’s free-kick was partially cleared by Maya Yoshida, but was later forced off by injury.

    Out-of-form West Ham have now gone five matches without victory after losing 3-1 at home to London rivals Crystal Palace, who made club history with a fifth successive away win in all competitions.

    Crystal Palace's Glenn Murray celebrates the first goal as Scott Dann (R) joins in the celebrations during their victory over West Ham.

    Palace took a 41st-minute lead when Glenn Murray’s downward header was sliced into his own net by West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell and Scott Dann’s back-post header made it 2-0 early in the second period.

    Murray glanced in another header, only to then be sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Winston Reid, before Enner Valencia reduced the arrears with a dipping 18-yard shot.

    Tim Sherwood’s wait for his first points as Aston Villa manager continued as his second-bottom side lost 1-0 at Newcastle United, with Papiss Cisse scoring a 37th-minute winner.

    Burnley also remain in the bottom three after a Kieran Trippier own goal gave Swansea City a 1-0 win at Turf Moor, while a Peter Crouch header earned Stoke City a 1-0 victory at home to Hull City.

     

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