Barcelona moved up to third in LaLiga after Ferran Torres' brace and goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Riqui Puig sealed a routine 4-0 win over Osasuna at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Torres set Xavi's men on their way to a fourth consecutive top-flight win with a brace before the midway point of the first half, the first of which came from the penalty spot.

Aubameyang added a third before half-time and Puig wrapped up the scoring 15 minutes from full-time with a close-range finish. 

The Blaugrana, who are 12 points adrift of leaders Real Madrid, are level on points with fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, but have a game in hand on Diego Simeone's side.

Barca went ahead in the 14th minute, Torres stroking home from the penalty spot after Gavi had been brought down in the area by Nacho Vidal.

Torres scored his second seven minutes later, the Spain international coolly sliding the ball through the legs of Sergio Herrera after latching onto Ousmane Dembele's superb pass.

Dembele was again the provider for Barca's third in the 27th minute, with Aubameyang getting in front of his marker to prod home the France international's cross from close range.

Dembele and Aubameyang both went close to adding a fourth as Barca picked up where they left off at the start of the second period, while Gerard Pique saw an effort ruled out for offside. 

Herrera denied the excellent Dembele in the 70th minute, before Puig scored his first goal of the season two minutes after replacing Pedri, rounding Herrera and slotting in after the Osasuna goalkeeper had kept out his initial effort.

What does it mean? Supreme first-half display proves enough

Barca drew a blank in their Europa League clash against Galatasaray on Thursday despite dominating the game, but there was no such profligacy on show here.

They had an expected goals ratio of 2.3 in the first half – their highest value in the opening 45 minutes across all competitions this season – as they secured a 12th win in 14 home league games against Osasuna with the minimum of fuss. 

Torres finding his feet

Torres was electric in the first half, plundering his first LaLiga brace in what was his 78th appearance in the competition. That double came from just four shots, with the former Manchester City man having scored only once from his previous 16 attempts in the Spanish top flight.  

Dembele the provider

He did not get on the scoresheet, yet Dembele was central to Barca's success. The 24-year-old has now provided five assists in his last four LaLiga games – the joint most in the competition alongside Athletic Bilbao's Alex Berenguer and the same amount he managed in his previous 45 league games. 

What's next?

Barca travel to Galatasaray for the second leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday before El Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu three days later. Osasuna are next in action on Saturday when they host Levante in LaLiga.

Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui angrily bemoaned the state of Rayo Vallecano’s pitch, questioning whether their game on Sunday should have gone ahead after his side dropped critical points.

The 1-1 draw in Vallecas keeps Sevilla second but could see them end the matchday 10 points behind league-leaders Real Madrid, who are still to play Real Mallorca on Monday.

Despite the potential title implications, Lopetegui was seemingly more concerned with the pitch quality and how that reflects on LaLiga.

"In a scenario like this, you should not play this game in the Spanish league. I say this for ourselves and Rayo, which is a team that proposes to actually play football," he said post-match.

"It is not good for the league or for the competition and it is also not good for the health of the footballers. The state of the grass is unfortunate."

His criticism did not stop there, however.

The 55-year-old coach saved some for referee Juan Martinez Munuera, with a goal and penalty for Rafa Mir taken away following separate VAR interventions.

The overturned penalty in the 79th minute, with Sevilla chasing a late winner, was particularly contentious as Mir was brought down after apparent contact with Alejandro Catena.

"The referee's action has been decisive. He has annulled a goal and also the action for the penalty. The referees told us that grey areas in decisions are not re-arbitrated and that is why I do not understand," Lopetegui said.

"If we enter into that dynamic, VAR does not have an end. I am surprised by that decision that would not have happened in other games and I am confused by the criteria with VAR that it’s necessary to correct the black and white, but not the grey.

"I think it is an issue to be resolved clearly, but while the issue is being resolved we feel harmed."

Pablo Larrazabal won a three-way play-off against Adri Arnaus and Jordan Smith to claim his sixth title on the DP World Tour, winning the Pecanwood Classic in South Africa on Sunday.

The Spaniard finished at 22 under after carding a 67 in the final round at Pecanwood Golf and Country Club in Hartbeespoort, and he was joined on that 72-hole score by countryman Arnaus and Englishman Smith. Arnaus also finished with a 67, while Smith shot a closing 65.

Larrazabal held his nerve to see off Arnaus in an initial run down the 18th hole, before capitalising on an error from Smith off the tee the second time around to make a winning birdie putt.

"What a day," Larrazabal said on the DP World Tour website. "I felt great this morning. It was one of those days where you just feel great and you know you’re going to have a chance. I started fast to get into the lead very quick."

It marks a first win on the tour for the 38-year-old since he claimed the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December 2019.

The circuit remains in South Africa now for next weekend's Steyn City Championship, before moving on to Qatar for the rearranged Qatar Masters.

Andriy Yarmolenko said he was grateful for the support being shown to himself and the Ukrainian people after scoring West Ham's opener in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.

The winger, who is second to Andriy Shevchenko (48) in Ukraine's all-time goalscoring charts after netting 44 goals for his country, poked into the bottom corner on 70 minutes to set the Hammers on their way to victory at the London Stadium.

Yarmolenko was making his first appearance since being granted a period of leave by West Ham boss David Moyes after Russia invaded his homeland last month and was welcomed with a standing ovation when introduced from the bench in the second half.

After marking the occasion in the perfect manner with his goal, the winger expressed gratitude for the support he has received in an emotional post-match interview.

"What happened today, it was so emotional for me," the 32-year-old told West Ham's media channels.

"You know the situation in my country, it's so difficult for me, at this moment, to think about football because every day in my country, Russia's army kills Ukrainian people. So, it was so emotional.

"To be honest I don't know what to say, it's just so emotional. I just want to say thank you to my team-mates, who support me all the time, every day.

"To the West Ham fans, who support me, who support the Ukrainian people, I also want to say thank you.

"I want to say thank you to all British people, because we feel that you support us.

"For me it's really important to feel support from the manager, from team-mates, and from the fans. When I feel it, I give everything for the fans and for the club."

Mikel Arteta acknowledges Arsenal are in a "good position" to finish in the Premier League's top four but says the Gunners still have a "lot to fight for" after beating Leicester City 2-0.

Goals from Thomas Partey and Alexandre Lacazette, the latter coming from the penalty spot after Caglar Soyuncu's handball, handed the Gunners a fifth successive Premier League win for the first time since May 2021.

Having lost the opening home game of the Premier League season to Chelsea in August, Arteta's team have lost just one of their last 13 home league games this term (10 wins and two draws), with only Manchester City beating them at the Emirates Stadium during this run.

The victory also moved Arsenal back into fourth in the Premier League, and they hold three games in hand over fifth-placed Manchester United, who trail them by one point.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, Arteta praised the attacking performance of his side but warned his side have little time to rest on their laurels.

"Without putting in a performance we don't beat Leicester," the 39-year-old said. "They are a good side and made it tough for us. It was a big win for us.

"I was pleased with the understanding of what we had to do. 

"When they started to overload in certain areas, we understood how we had to resolve that. [I was] also pleased with the movement and link-up between the players, [which] was terrific.

"The reality in football is when you start to predict what can happen no one would get it right. The only thing we can control is our performance.

"We are in a good position but there is still a lot to fight for. Next up is Liverpool. We know how tough it will be but we will try to win it."

A supremely busy Premier League Sunday may not have included either of the top two, but there was certainly no shortage of talking points.

There was particular focus towards the bottom of the table, with Norwich City and Everton losing yet again, while in the top-four race, Arsenal took another step towards sealing the final Champions League spot.

Chaos continues to engulf Chelsea, but they carry on winning, claiming a dramatic 1-0 win over Newcastle United, who were reminded again what it is like to lose following an impressive unbeaten run.

Without any further ado, Stats Perform looks at the key Opta facts from some of the day's games…

Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle United: Havertz decisive again

It was a particularly strange day at Stamford Bridge, with much of the pre-match noise focused on the two clubs' owners and fans.

But once the game started it was quickly remembered that this was going to give the clearest indication of the true extent of Newcastle's recent improvement.

As it happened, Chelsea clinched a late winner through Kai Havertz, who appeared to channel Dennis Bergkamp as he brought down Jorginho's pass and prodded home almost in one action.

That was the German's sixth goal involvement in five league games and saw him net in three successive top-flight matches for the club, with the former Bayer Leverkusen talent well and truly establishing himself as one of the competition's standout attackers.

It brought Newcastle's nine-match unbeaten run in the league to an end, with it also the first time since December that the Magpies have failed to score in the competition, though it was another encouraging performance from Eddie Howe's team.

Arsenal 2-0 Leicester City: Gunners finding their groove

Everything's looking rather rosy right now at Arsenal, with the Gunners making a pretty convincing case for the top four – this victory puts them a point clear of Manchester United, with Mikel Arteta's men crucially having three games in hand.

Leicester never looked like interrupting Arsenal's flow here, with the hosts in fine shape and playing eye-catching football.

This was their fifth successive league win, with Arsenal the only team outside of the top three to achieve that feat this season.

Their home form has proven a major help. They have lost just once at the Emirates Stadium since losing to Chelsea in their season opener, winning 10 of those 13 games.

Martin Odegaard in particular seems to have found another level lately, and he was excellent again, creating six chances. Five of those came in the first 45, making it the most by an Arsenal player in the first half of a game since October 2017 (Mesut Ozil, six).

Leeds United 2-1 Norwich City: Marsch madness twist leaves Canaries looking doomed

Leeds fans were devoted to Marcelo Bielsa. His replacement, Jesse Marsch, has been received well, but the jury is out on him.

A first win will surely aid his hopes of inspiring a bit of Marsch madness in the fanbase, and it came in dramatic circumstances too.

Joe Gelhardt scored a 90th-minute winner, making him the youngest player (19 years 313 days) to score a last-minute decider in the Premier League since February 2017 (Gabriel Jesus, 19y 308d) – the drama appeared to floor Marsch, who went tumbling to the ground amid the jubilant celebrations.

The joy on the Leeds bench was juxtaposed by the despair among the Norwich players and staff.

That was the Canaries' 20th Premier League defeat of the season in 29 games – never before in a league campaign have they reached 20 losses in fewer games.

Everton 0-1 Wolves: Lage's men continue exceptional 2022 form

What a season this is turning out to be for Wolves. When Nuno Espirito Santo left, there were certainly those who feared for the club's Premier League status given the stability that had served them well for several years was about to be truly tested.

Yet, they needn't have worried. Here we are in March and Wolves are challenging for European football and are one of the two form teams in the league in 2022.

This was their seventh Premier League win of the calendar year, secured by Conor Coady's goal, and leaves them with 21 points since January 1 – only Liverpool (eight wins, 25 points) have a better record than Wolves in 2022.

The reality is rather grimmer for Everton, however. Defeat here leaves them on 22 points from 26 matches, the lowest tally they have ever recorded at this stage of any league campaign (assuming a win equals three points).

This latest disappointment will likely bring fresh questions of manager Frank Lampard given only Norwich (one) have accumulated fewer points than Everton (three) since the former Chelsea boss' first game in charge.

LeBron James has labelled the mandate that continues to prevent Kyrie Irving from playing home games for the Brooklyn Nets as making "absolutely zero sense" after Irving was spotted in the crowd at Barclays Center on Sunday.

New York City mayor Eric Adams recently removed restrictions requiring proof of vaccination to enter establishments including bars, restaurants and sports arenas, but the mandate for private sector employees remains in place.

As a result, Irving – who is unvaccinated – is only able to attend home games as a spectator, which he did on Sunday as the Nets beat the New York Knicks 110-107, with reports suggesting he was expected to be a presence in the locker room as well.

The 29-year-old was also in attendance at Barclays on Saturday to take in Duke against Virginia Tech.

Los Angeles Lakers star James took to Twitter on Sunday to question the decision to allow someone who can be in the arena anyway to be on the court.

Quote tweeting a post asking that very question, James wrote: "FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we'd all have it. Ain't that the truth. #FreeKyrie".

Irving has played 18 games for the Nets this season, all on the road, averaging 25.9 points per game, and recently hit 50 in his team's win at the Charlotte Hornets.

The former Cleveland and Boston point guard said last week he believed Adams was on his side.

Adams said last week that allowing Irving to play home games "would send the wrong message" to the people of New York, despite wanting to see Irving win an NBA championship, thus ruling out an exemption.

"Shoutout Eric Adams, man," Irving told reporters after the Nets' loss to the Celtics last Sunday.

"It's not an easy job to be the mayor of New York City. And with COVID looming, the vaccination mandates, everything going on in our world, with this war in the Ukraine, and everybody feeling it across America, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now trying to delegate whether or not one basketball player can come and play at home.

"I appreciate his comments and his stance. He knows where I stand, and I know one day we'll be able to break bread together and he'll be able to come to the games and hopefully we'll move past this time like it never happened in one sense.

"But, it's just the reality that it's been difficult on a lot of us in New York City and across the world. So, I know he's feeling it and I'm just grateful that he's on my side, as well as the [NBA] commissioner."

Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the 1-0 Bundesliga defeat to Cologne on Sunday.

The 18-year-old is expected to be out of action for several months after an MRI scan showed the extent of the damage to his left knee.

The attacking midfielder twisted awkwardly on the turf just 28 minutes into the game at the BayArena, which was settled by Kingsley Schindler's second-half goal.

Wirtz is one of the highest-rated young players in Europe and has been linked with transfers to the likes of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

He already has four senior caps for Germany, having made his debut last September, and would have been in contention to make the squad for the 2022 World Cup.

With 10 goals and 14 assists, Wirtz has the most direct goal involvements among players under the age of 21 in 2021-22 across Europe's top five leagues.

Leverkusen are third in the Bundesliga, a point ahead of Freiburg and Hoffenheim.

In-form Arsenal moved back into the Premier League's top four as Thomas Partey and Alexandre Lacazette scored in a 2-0 win over Leicester City.

Partey opened the scoring for Mikel Arteta's men following a corner, before hitting the angle of post and crossbar during a first half in which Leicester managed just three shots.

Caglar Soyuncu's handball allowed Lacazette to double the advantage from the penalty spot, sealing another win for one of the Premier League's strongest current sides.

The result lifted Arsenal back above Manchester United in the table, as they chase a first top-four finish since 2016.

After making a bright start, Arsenal took the lead in the 11th minute, exploiting Leicester's continued frailty from set-pieces when the unmarked Partey headed in Gabriel Martinelli's corner.

Spurred on by that, Arsenal twice came close to doubling their advantage in the 18th minute, with Partey curling a fantastic attempt against the goal frame after Granit Xhaka's shot was blocked at close range.

Home goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was forced into his first serious save after 35 minutes, acrobatically turning away Harvey Barnes' flicked header, but Leicester struggled to create chances in a strong opening period for the hosts.

But the Gunners were awarded a penalty after a VAR review just moments later when Soyuncu handled Partey's header, allowing Lacazette to fire into the top left corner in the 59th minute.

Kieran Tierney denied Barnes with a last-ditch challenge, and Emile Smith Rowe went close from a tight angle, before the Gunners confidently saw out their ninth win in 11 league matches.

What does it mean? Arsenal in fine form at the perfect time

After seeing off the challenge of Leicester, Arsenal have taken 28 points from the last 33 available to them in the Premier League, with no team able to better their return over that period.

Arteta's men lead top-four rivals Manchester United by a single point in the table, and they also possess three games in hand over the Red Devils as they emerge as favourites for Champions League qualification.

Partey time as Arsenal exploit Foxes' weakness

Partey's early header represented the Ghana midfielder's second goal of the Premier League season, and was an all-too-familiar sight for Brendan Rodgers.

It also underlined Leicester's dire set-piece record. Excluding penalties, the Foxes have now conceded 15 Premier League goals from set-piece situations this season, the most of any side.

Martinelli improvement continues with assist

After swinging in the corner for Partey's opener, Martinelli has been directly involved in eight goals in 18 Premier League appearances this season, registering five goals and three assists.

That total represents two more goal improvements than he registered in his first two campaigns in the competition (six goal involvements in 28 appearances).

What's next?

The Gunners will host Liverpool in a huge Premier League clash on Wednesday, while Leicester turn their attentions to Europe the following day, travelling to Rennes for the second leg of their Europa Conference League tie.

Kai Havertz denied deliberately elbowing Newcastle United defender Dan Burn during Chelsea's 1-0 win on Sunday, insisting "this guy is eight feet tall" and he was simply jumping for the ball.

The Germany star struck a superb 89th-minute winner at Stamford Bridge as the Blues finished a difficult week with a victory that moved them to within 10 points of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

With the game drifting towards a goalless draw, Havertz controlled a fine Jorginho pass before rifling beyond Martin Dubravka, giving the home fans some cheer in the wake of Roman Abramovich being disqualified as owner following the United Kingdom government's sanctions against him.

Abramovich had assets frozen and a travel ban imposed due to his ties with Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, who ordered an invasion of Ukraine last month.

Earlier in the game, Havertz escaped a red card following a VAR check after he caught Burn with a raised arm while challenging for a header, a decision that caused consternation among the Newcastle players.

However, the former Bayer Leverkusen man said he was simply trying to win the ball against the imposing centre-back, telling Sky Sports: "Sometimes, it looks like this. On the pitch, it's different.

"People know I'm not a player who does things like this. This guy is seven, eight feet tall, and I have to jump. As anyone would know, you have to use your arms to jump. When I jump, and he is two heads higher than me, sometimes there's stuff.

"I can say sorry to him because he has an injury on the head and I feel bad. But you can't tell me I did this on purpose."

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said "it could have been a red" but was far more frustrated with the decision not to award his side a penalty just before the hour mark.

Trevoh Chalobah had hold of Jacob Murphy's shirt and then seemed to trip the Newcastle midfielder after he entered the box, but neither referee David Coote nor VAR decided a foul had been committed.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe: "I can't look past the penalty," Howe said. "I'm hugely disappointed with that decision and how they've reached that decision.

"Jacob's had his shirt ripped off his back. Clear penalty. If the referee doesn't give it on the pitch I can understand that but the VAR has to at least make the referee go and review his own decision because if he does he'll realise he got it wrong."

Everton manager Frank Lampard saw his team slide deeper into Premier League relegation danger but insisted they were "the better team" in the first half against Wolves.

Conor Coady's goal shortly after the break handed a 1-0 victory to Bruno Lage's visitors at Goodison Park, as the hosts finished the game with 10 men following Jonjoe Kenny's double yellow dismissal.

With just two shots on target all game and none following the interval, Everton sit above the bottom three only on goal difference, albeit with up to three games in hand over several rivals.

Former Chelsea boss Lampard - who has won three and lost five of his first eight games in charge of Everton - stated his side played well despite walking away empty-handed again.

"I thought we were the better team in the first half," Lampard told BBC's Match of the Day. "Wolves always give you a tight game. They don’t score much, but they don’t concede much.

"We played well, not getting the goal, and then their goal changes the game in a big sense because it brought out the nervousness in us.

"We must keep our head up and the important thing now is to remain positive. There is still a long way to go. We are understanding of that.

"It’s easy to react very quickly and strongly to the way we are at. There are a lot of games where we need to keep mental strength.

"We came into a club on a bad run. You get used to losing games and that isn’t something that turns instantly.

"We must stay very balanced and make sure we stay very together and know there are a lot of games to get the points that we need."

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel promised to stay at Stamford Bridge until at least the end of the season amid ongoing uncertainty behind the scenes at the London club.

The German head coach saw his side snatch a 1-0 win against Newcastle United on Sunday thanks to a sublime 89th-minute goal from Kai Havertz.

Blues owner Roman Abramovich was one of seven Russian oligarchs to have assets frozen by the UK government on Thursday due to his native country's military invasion of Ukraine.

Chelsea are now operating under a special sporting licence, barring them from negotiating new contracts or transfers and preventing them from making ticket or merchandise sales, although reports have suggested the government may permit a swift sale of the club.

Speaking at a media conference after Sunday's win, Tuchel addressed his own immediate future.

"There's no doubt I stay until the end of the season," he said. "We just have to wait day by day because everything can change.

"There are circumstances we can't influence, but that gives us the freedom to focus on the things we can influence.

"The focus is on the first team, our players and me. But Chelsea is much more than just the first team. It is a massive club with huge tradition and there are hundreds of staff. It's not just the players, and it's important we show the spirit and give them the distraction."

The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach enthusiastically celebrated the late winner on the sidelines, and was relieved to overcome a tricky game against Eddie Howe's resurgent Magpies.

"The Kai Havertz goal was exceptional, and we had a hard time on the pitch," Tuchel said. "They were very physical, and it was difficult to accelerate the game in the last 30 metres. It was important not to concede so that with one quality chance we could win it, and we did it."

Tuchel was also asked about arrangements for their Champions League last-16 second leg in Lille on Wednesday.

"My last information is we have a plane and we can go by plane and come back by plane. If not, we go by train; if not, by bus; if not, I will drive a seven-seater," he joked.

"If you asked me 30 years ago if I could join a Champions League match at the sideline, I'd say, 'when do I need to be there and how do I need to be there?'."

Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch was delighted with his side's dramatic late 2-1 win against Norwich City as the Whites earned three vital points in the fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League on Sunday.

Leeds looked to have been denied victory by the Canaries when Kenny McLean equalised Rodrigo's first-half opener in the 90th-minute.

But deep into stoppage time, England youth international Gelhardt, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, turned in Raphinha's cross to snatch the three points back for Marsch's men and hand the American his first win in charge at Elland Road.

Speaking after the full-time whistle, the former RB Leipzig boss spoke of his delight at finally getting off the mark after succeeding Marcelo Bielsa at the helm last month.

"I'll remember it on my deathbed," he stated. "I don't think Joffy [Gelhardt] will ever forget that either.

"We really brought the crowd into the game, and gave them something to root for and attach to. Jack [Harrison] said when people come to Elland Road, they know they will see a fight."

Leeds' first victory since January gives them a welcome boost in the battle to avoid the drop to the Championship, with the Yorkshire club maintaining a four-point lead over 18th-place Watford, who won at Southampton on Sunday.

The Whites now sit four and five points ahead of Everton (17th) and Burnley (19th) respectively after both lost this weekend, but the Toffees and the Clarets have three and two games in hand respectively.