Manchester United's inability to take their chances came back to bite them once more as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton on Saturday.
Che Adams struck early in the second half to cancel out Jadon Sancho's opener at Old Trafford.
In the 3pm GMT kick-offs, Everton ended a six-match winless streak in the Premier League as Frank Lampard oversaw a vital 3-0 win over Leeds United at Goodison Park, while Watford were beaten by Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace.
Later, league leaders Manchester City moved 12 points clear at the top with a 4-0 thrashing of strugglers Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Manchester United 1-1 Southampton: Rangnick's right, but that won't get the Red Devils points
Ralf Rangnick may have risked the wrath of some pundits after bringing up expected goals in his post-match comments, but the interim manager is correct – his side are creating plenty of chances without putting them away.
United finished the game with 12 shots to Southampton's 13, but an xG of 2.6 to the visitors' 0.9.
Nevertheless, for only the second time in their Premier League history, United have failed to win back-to-back matches despite being ahead at half-time in both, having last done so in December 1998.
Across their 10 top-flight games under Rangnick, meanwhile, they have averaged fewer goals per game than they have under any other manager in Premier League history (1.4).
United are at least unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League games against Southampton (W5 D7) since a 1-0 home loss in January 2016, while having only scored two goals in his first 23 appearances for the club in all competitions, Sancho has since netted two in his last three.
Brentford 0-0 Crystal Palace: Bees stop the rot
Brentford ended a run of five straight Premier League defeats and registered a clean sheet for the first time in 12 top-flight games (since a 1-0 win over Everton on November 28), as they drew with Palace.
It was a match of few clear chances (there were only 15 shots in total), though Wilfried Zaha was convinced he should have been awarded a late penalty.
Zaha was making his 250th Premier League appearance for Crystal Palace, just the third African player to hit that milestone for a single club in the competition, after Shola Ameobi (294 for Newcastle) and Didier Drogba (254 for Chelsea).
Everton 3-0 Leeds United: Lampard up and running
Lampard claimed his first league win as Everton manager in style, as the Toffees snapped a four-match losing streak in the competition with an emphatic 3-0 win over Leeds.
Everton went 2-0 up before half-time through Seamus Coleman's first league goal in 69 games, since May 2019, and Michael Keane's 10th goal in the top flight for the club.
Both of those were headers and no team have now scored more headed Premier League goals than Everton, who are level with United on 336.
It was the first time Everton scored twice before half-time in 40 Premier League games, last doing so one year and nine days earlier against, coincidentally, Leeds at Elland Road.
Anthony Gordon diverted in Richarlison's shot to seal Everton's biggest Premier League win since a 5-2 victory over West Brom in September 2020.
Watford 0-2 Brighton and Hove Albion: No home comforts for the Hornets
Watford have now lost six consecutive home league games for the first time since August to October 1990, a run which also included a defeat to Brighton.
Neal Maupay and Adam Webster got the goals for Brighton, who have lost just one of their past 12 away games in the Premier League, all coming in 2021-22 (W4 D7) – no side has lost fewer away games in the top flight this term than the Seagulls.
Watford have not kept a clean sheet in any of their past 17 home Premier League matches, equalling the competition's record run without a home shut-out.
Roy Hodgson has taken on a big job, and Watford will want a favour from Aston Villa against Newcastle United on Sunday to remain within three points of safety.
Norwich City 0-4 Manchester City: Perfect Sterling hat-trick sees leaders storm on
City lost on their previous league trip to Carrow Road, but there appeared little danger of a shock this time around as Raheem Sterling's perfect hat-trick helped them to a 4-0 win.
Sterling became the third City player to score a perfect hat-trick in the Premier League, after Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero (twice). Meanwhile, no player has scored more away hat-tricks for the club in the competition than Sterling, with each of his last three coming on the road.
The ex-Liverpool attacker became the sixth City player to score as many as 10 headed goals in the Premier League, with only Aguero (19) and Niall Quinn (13) netting more.
City scored at least four goals in a Premier League away game for the 21st time under Pep Guardiola, at least eight more than any other side since the Catalan coach joined the club.
Norwich, meanwhile, have conceded 50 goals in their 24 Premier League games this season – only in 1938-39 (21) and 1946-47 (19) have they shipped 50 in fewer games in a single league campaign.
Brentford sign goalkeeper Mark Flekken on four-year deal from Freiburg
Brentford have signed Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken on a four-year contract.
The deal, which brings the four-times capped Flekken from Bundesliga side Freiburg, is subject to international clearance and work permit.
“We’re very happy to have signed Mark,” head coach Thomas Frank told the official Brentford website.
“He’s a player with a lot of quality who will strengthen our goalkeeper group.
“He has big experience and joins us after two great seasons with Freiburg, who have just had a top season in the Bundesliga, finishing fifth and qualifying for the Europa League.
“He was a big part of the team there and now he’s coming to us and will hopefully make the group better and the team better.
“He’s a very good shot-stopper and comfortable with the ball at his feet. His distribution is very impressive.”
Flekken began his career in his native Netherlands at RKVV WDZ and Roda before moving to Germany, where he has played for Alemannia Aachen, Greuther Furth, Duisburg and Freiburg.
The 29-year-old made his Netherlands debut in March 2022 and kept 13 clean sheets in 34 Bundesliga matches – the highest tally in the division last season.
Frank has said Brentford goalkeeper David Raya could leave the club this summer after four successful seasons in West London.
But Frank warned interested parties that it will cost them £40million to sign the 27-year-old Spaniard.
Manchester United’s Anthony Martial ruled out of FA Cup final through injury
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has been ruled out of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City due to a hamstring injury.
Martial picked up the problem in United’s final Premier League game of the season after stepping off the bench on Sunday against Fulham and scans have revealed the full extent of the damage.
United said in a statement: “Anthony Martial is out of Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup final against Manchester City due to injury.
“The France international strained his hamstring towards the end of Sunday’s 2-1 win against Fulham at Old Trafford.
“Assessments have since revealed a muscle tear that rules the 27-year-old out of the Wembley showdown.”
Martial missed United’s first two Premier League games this season due to a hamstring problem, while other small injuries since have restricted him to 29 appearances in all competitions in which he has scored nine goals.
Only 11 of his 21 league appearances this season have been in the starting line-up, but he had been hoping to be in contention to start at Wembley against City, who are looking to complete a domestic treble.
The former Lyon winger, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla, joined United from Monaco for £36million in 2015 and has made almost 200 league appearances for the club in total.
Reggae Girl Khadija Shaw signs two-year contract extension with Manchester City
Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw has signed a two-year contract extension with the Women’s Super League outfit running to the summer of 2026.
The 26-year-old Jamaica international, nicknamed ‘Bunny’, scored 31 goals in 30 City appearances in all competitions in the 2022-23 season and has netted 50 times for them in total since joining in 2021 from Bordeaux.
Shaw said in a statement from the club: “I’m delighted to continue my journey with this amazing group.
“Everyone made me feel welcome from the first day I came here. I enjoy the way we play and I’m at a stage now where I understand the way we play and I can only get better and grow.
“I think here at City is the perfect place for me. I put all my effort and time on the pitch and obviously for the position I play and the quality I have around me, I know I’m going to be in positions to score goals.
“I’ve always said Manchester feels like home away from home too. I enjoy coming into the City ground every day and training with the group, vibing with the girls and I also have family here, so Manchester has felt like home ever since I arrived.
“I just want to thank our fans for everything, all the love and support they’ve given me since I arrived. I’ll just try my best to continue repaying them on the football pitch.”
City boss Gareth Taylor said: “Bunny’s growth and development as a player over the past two years, but particularly this season, has been fantastic and we’re thrilled to see her extend her contract with us.
“She has thrived having had the opportunity of extended runs in the team throughout the current campaign and has shown on a regular basis what a talent she is and why we brought her to the club.
“She scored goals regularly in France and America prior to joining us and has now shown what she’s capable of in England too – which says a lot about her ability.
“She is still a young player though who wants to improve and is hungry for success and we’re only scratching the surface with her which is a very exciting prospect as we aim to develop her even further over the next three years.”
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