Manchester United missed the chance to steal a march on the Premier League’s top four when an own goal by keeper David De Gea cost them a 2-1 defeat at Premier League strugglers Sunderland yesterday.
With the sides above them all playing each other in a mouth-watering Sunday programme, United could have closed to within three points of fourth-placed Manchester City but the gloom that has enveloped them most of the season returned.
Anthony Martial’s dinked finish shortly before halftime cancelled out Wahbi Khazri’s third-minute opener for Sunderland but United fizzled out after the break and De Gea could only help Lamine Kone’s late header into his own goal.
While United’s second defeat in eight league games put the spotlight back on under-pressure manager Louis van Gaal, Sunderland’s first home league win over United since 1997 raised spirits after a week which saw them sack midfielder Adam Johnson after he pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
Sunderland remain second from bottom but with the Swansea City and Bournemouth losing and Norwich City surrendering a two-goal lead against West Ham United, their hopes of avoiding relegation received a boost.
Norwich, on a run of five consecutive defeats, led West Ham 2-0 with second-half goals from Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan but their leaky defence buckled again and Dimitri Payet and Mark Noble earned West Ham a point. West Ham, who could have moved above Manchester United into fifth spot with a win, dropped to seventh, below Southampton on goal difference after they beat Swansea 1-0 in south Wales.
United have 41 points and look destined for a battle for a Europa League place with Southampton and West Ham who have 40.
“It will be difficult to qualify for the Champions League and the top four now, we know that,” United skipper Wayne Rooney told the club’s website.
“So it’s a sad day in terms of losing three points and we have to somehow move on.”
West Bromwich Albion eased their relegation fears, winning 1-0 at mid-table Everton, but Bournemouth’s 3-1 home defeat by Stoke City left the south coast club in 15th place and four points above third-from-bottom Norwich.
West Brom forward Salomon Rondon helped defender Jonas Olsson’s looping header over the line following a corner after 14 minutes. Everton dominated possession for the rest of the match but  West Brom defended with great discipline to stay well clear of the relegation zone.
“It was tough. I think especially in the last bit of the first half we were really on back foot,” Olsson told the BBC.
“We are comfortable in our shape. In the second half there were some close ones but we were pretty much in control. It is a massive win for us.”
Everton slipped to 10th in the table and their manager Roberto Martinez was unable to explain why they lost the game.
“We didn’t do anything wrong,” the Spaniard told Sky Sports.
“Their one shot on target ends up in the back of the net. We look bright enough to open them, we hit the post, hit the crossbar,” he added.
“The effort and the way that we play the game I couldn’t fault. It is one of those moments in football sometimes that are difficult to explain.”        
Watford heaped more misery on Crystal Palace as their winless Premier League run stretched to nine matches with a 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park.
Troy Deeney scored a brace either side of Emmanuel Adebayor’s first goal for the Eagles as the visiting Hornets brought their own recent slump to an end.
Deeney put Watford in front from the penalty spot on 16 minutes and fired home the winner eight minutes from time.
“It is a massive win. We target teams in and around us to take the points and it was a well deserved victory, and a well fought one,” the match-winner told the BBC.
Adebayor had equalised on the stroke of half-time while Palace had Pape Souare sent off deep into injury time. Watford moved up to eighth with the win while Palace stayed 12th.
“We were not good in the first half. We were m
ld have won it, so a bit of a blow to lose the game,” admitted Palace boss Alan Pardew.
The visitors were on top in the early stages as Mile Jedinak got in a crucial block to deny Deeney.
But Jedinak wrestled Deeney to the ground in the box and the striker dusted himself down to slot home from the spot, sending Wayne Hennessey the wrong way. Heurelho Gomes then produced a wonder save to deny Yohan Cabaye’s low strike that looked headed for the bottom corner of the net.
Odion Ighalo pounced on a poor Jedinak pass, wriggled into the area and fired a shot off the base of the post, with Hennessey up quickly to block the follow-up from Nordin Amrabat.
Ighalo couldn’t keep down his flick from Deeney’s ball over the top as Watford continued to dominate, but against the run of play Adebayor equalised with a looping header after climbing above Craig Cathcart.
Pardew switched former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha from the right to the left at half-time and the speedy England international’s influence increased. He created a pair of chances for Adebayor while Jordon Mutch forced Gomes into a decent stop.
But this time, as Palace dominated, it was Watford who found the decisive breakthrough.
Ben Watson’s deflected cross dropped kindly for Deeney, who controlled the ball on his thigh before drilling home past Hennessey. Palace came a lick of paint away from snatching a share of the spoils as Cabaye crashed a volley off the lower part of the upright late on.
But Souare was dismissed for a two-footed lunge on Valon Behrami before Joel Ward turned Zaha’s cross over the bar as Palace’s hopes of snatching a draw fizzled out.
Attention turns to the title race today when leaders Leicester City try and consolidate their five-point advantage at third-placed Arsenal before fourth-placed Manchester City host second-placed Tottenham
Hotspur.
Mourinho’s former club Chelsea continue to prosper under interim manager Guus Hiddink and extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches with a breezy 5-1 home win over Newcastle United that elevated them to 12th.