Spurs claw United back, as Newcastle thrash Everton
Son Heung-min's late equaliser completed a stirring Tottenham fightback from two goals down in a 2-2 draw against top-four rivals Manchester United on Thursday. Just days after their 6-1 thrashing at Newcastle, troubled Tottenham looked set for another heavy Premier League defeat after United struck twice in the first half. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were United's scorers, but in their first match under caretaker manager Ryan Mason, Tottenham showed the kind of spirit that has been sorely lacking for much of their turbulent campaign. Pedro Porro's goal early in the second half gave them a lifeline and Son's close-range strike capped the escape act in the closing stages at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. While Tottenham's comeback was something of a morale boost during a difficult period, the result was still a blow to their faint hopes of qualifying for the Champions League via a top-four finish. Fifth-placed Tottenham are six points behind fourth-placed United, who have two games in hand, and eight adrift of third-placed Newcastle. Newcastle moved another step closer to Champions League football and pushed Everton ever closer to the Championship with a 4-1 win at Goodison Park,. Eddie Howe's men were far from their being at their best but they were still far too good for the Toffees as Callum Wilson scored twice. Joelinton was also on target as Newcastle opened up an eight-point cushion over fifth-placed Aston Villa with a game in hand still to come. The defeat leaves Everton still rooted in the relegation zone, two points adrift of safety, and with a huge task ahead to extend their 69-year stay in the English top flight. Meanwhile, a goal from Marcus Tavernier secured a 1-0 win for Bournemouth over Southampton, piling more misery on Saints' interim boss Ruben Selles, whose side remain rock bottom in the table. Bournemouth leapfrogged West Ham United into 14th place with 36 points from 33 games, seven points clear of the drop zone. Southampton are six points adrift of the safety zone with only five games remaining. (AFP)