SOUTHAMPTON LOST FURTHER ground in the battle for Champions League qualification after sinking to a second successive defeat at West Bromwich Albion.
Saido Berahino scored the only goal in the first minute, slamming home left-footed when Chris Brunt’s free-kick was partially cleared by Maya Yoshida, but was later forced off by injury.
Southampton now trail fourth-place Arsenal by two points and could be overtaken by Liverpool — who won 2-0 at Southampton last weekend — if Brendan Rodgers’s side win at home to second-place Manchester City on Sunday.
Leaders Chelsea are not in league action this weekend as they play Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s League Cup final.
Out-of-form West Ham United have now gone five matches without victory after losing 3-1 at home to London rivals Crystal Palace, who made club history with a fifth successive away win in all competitions.
Palace took a 41st-minute lead when Glenn Murray’s downward header was sliced into his own net by West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell and another header by Scott Dann made it 2-0 early in the second period.
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Murray glanced in another header, only to then be sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Winston Reid, before Enner Valencia reduced the arrears with a dipping 18-yard shot.
Tim Sherwood’s wait for his first points as Aston Villa manager continued as his second-bottom side lost 1-0 at Newcastle United, with Papiss Cisse scoring a 37th-minute winner.
Burnley also remain in the bottom three after a Kieran Trippier own goal gave Swansea City a 1-0 win at Turf Moor, while a Peter Crouch header earned Stoke City a 1-0 victory at home to Hull City.
Meanwhile, a case of mistaken identity helped Wayne Rooney return Manchester United to winning ways in the Premier League with a brace in a 2-0 victory over Sunderland.
Results:
Burnley 0 Swansea 1 (Trippier 64-og)
Manchester United 2 (Rooney 66-pen, 84) Sunderland 0
Newcastle 1 (Cisse 37) Aston Villa 0
Stoke 1 (Crouch 71) Hull 0
West Brom 1 (Berahino 2) Southampton 0
West Ham 1 (Valencia 76) Crystal Palace 3 (Murray 41, 63, Dann 51)
