Rooney ends away-goal drought for Man Utd

Captain scores first away goal in 11 months in win over Everton; Sterling’s hat-trick helps Man City thrash Bournemouth.

Everton FC vs Manchester United
Manchester United are currently two points behind leaders Manchester City [EPA]

Manchester United bounced back from its drubbing against Arsenal to beat Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park.

Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney sealed the win for Manchester United shortly after the hour, with his first away goal in 11 months, after Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera had given the visitors a half-time lead.

EPL top-scorers
9 Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)  
6 Sergio Aguero (Man City)
 Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)  
5 Callum Wilson (Bournemouth)  
 Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
 Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
 Graziano Pelle (Southampton)  
 Odion Ighalo (Watford)  

Elsewhere, Arsenal scored three second-half goals as they thrashed Watford to move back into second.

Their Chile winger Alexis Sanchez put them ahead after 62 minutes and further goals followed in quick succession from Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey as Watford crumbled.

Raheem Sterling scored a first-half hat trick and Wilfried Bony netted twice as Manchester City beat Bournemouth 5-1 to maintain its grip on first place in the Premier League.

With striker Sergio Aguero injured, Sterling picked up the scoring duties by putting City ahead with a tap-in in the seventh minute and Bony added the second four minutes later.

While Glenn Murray pulled one back for Bournemouth in the 22nd, Sterling restored the two-goal lead with a superb solo effort in the 29th, dribbling past two defenders in the area before slotting a low shot into the net.

He completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time and Bony netted his second in the 89th as City maintained its two-point lead of crosstown rival Manchester United.

Sterling had scored just one goal in the league this season before this game [EPA]
Sterling had scored just one goal in the league this season before this game [EPA]

Meanwhile, Chelsea returned to form in the Premier League with a much-needed 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

After a tentative start from both sides, Jose Mourinho’s team took the lead through Diego Costa.

Villa defender Alan Hutton scored an own goal for Chelsea’s second, deflecting Costa’s shot beyond Guzan on 54.

The result will ease pressure on Mourinho, whose side now has its third win from nine games, but his counterpart Tim Sherwood has not led Villa to a win since the first game of the season.

Results:

Watford 0-3 Arsenal

Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa

Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham

Everton 0-3 Manchester United

Manchester City 5-1 Bournemouth

Southampton 2-2 Leicester City

Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool

West Brom 1-0 Sunderland

Source: News Agencies