EPL: Chelsea castoff Lukaku defeats old mates; Spurs win

EPL: Chelsea castoff Lukaku defeats old mates; Spurs win

Manchester United's Jesse Lingard (in red) battles for the ball with Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger during action in their Premier League match at Old Trafford. (Reuters photo)
Manchester United's Jesse Lingard (in red) battles for the ball with Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger during action in their Premier League match at Old Trafford. (Reuters photo)

MANCHESTER: Former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku scored and then created the winning goal against his old team at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The win put United back in second place in the Premier League, still 13 points behind neighbours Manchester City, while Chelsea drop below Tottenham into fifth place.

The win was just about merited after a much improved second- half performance by Jose Mourinho's side.


PREMIER LEAGUE

Sunday's results
Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea

Saturday's results
Watford 1-0 Everton
Leicester City 1-1 Stoke City
AFC Bournemouth 2-2 Newcastle United
Brighton & Hove Albion 4-1 Swansea City
Burnley 1-1 Southampton
Liverpool 4-1 West Ham United
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Huddersfield Town


Chelsea were the brighter team early on and Alvaro Morata, brought back into the side, volleyed against the bar after only four minutes.

The Londoners deserved the lead that Willian gave them after 31 minutes, taking Eden Hazard's pass and beating David de Gea at his near post.

As United improved, Lukaku belied his reputation for not scoring against the big clubs by equalising before halftime, then crossed perfectly for substitute Jesse Lingard to head the winner in the 75th minute.

Each manager had brought an expensive signing back into their starting XI with Morata replacing Pedro for Chelsea and United's record signing Paul Pogba picked, although youngster Scott McTominay kept his place.

Morata was more influential initially, hitting the crossbar from Marcos Alonso's volleyed cross.

Alexis Sanchez failed to convert a good chance for United, who fell behind four minutes later.

Willian, the scorer against Barcelona in midweek, led a break from his own half and took Hazard's pass before a shot that De Gea should have done better with.

In the second half the goalkeeper was also troubled by drives from Danny Drinkwater and Willian that bounced in front of him.

Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois was more impressive in saving a spectacular effort from Lukaku from a pass by Sanchez.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 CRYSTAL PALACE 0

Harry Kane headed a late winner to give Tottenham Hotspur a deserved 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace that lifted them into third place in the Premier League on Sunday.

Kane headed home from Christian Eriksen's corner in the 89th minute to make up for two glaring misses earlier in the match at Selhurst Park.

He should have put Tottenham ahead early on when the ball fell to him in the middle of the box after a mistake by Patrick van Aanholt but Wayne Hennessey spread himself well and the striker's shot ballooned over the bar.

The England striker was guilty of a more glaring miss early in the second half when Eriksen passed from the right and Kane, with time and space on the left, shot wide of the far post.

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