Sports

DeMar DeRozan scored five of his game-high 29 points in overtime Friday night, including the go-ahead hoop with 53.1 seconds remaining, helping the Toronto Raptors survive a scare from the Dallas Mavericks in a 122-115 victory at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Jonas Valanciunas added five free throws in the final 10.7 seconds to ice the win for Toronto (52-17), which recorded their 11th straight win and has the top record in the Eastern Conference.

Harrison Barnes had 27 points for the Mavericks, who had opened a four-game trip with a 110-97 win at New York on Tuesday.

DeRozan’s close-range shot came after he, Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet had buried 3-pointers in the overtime session, allowing the Raptors to catch and pass the Mavericks, who had gone up by four early in the period.

After forging a 115-all tie on a 3-pointer by Dwight Powell, Dallas missed their last two shots and mixed in a turnover.

Toronto had two opportunities to win it in regulation, but with the score tied at 106-all, Serge Ibaka could not connect on a runner in the lane with 1.2 seconds left, and DeRozan misfired on a buzzer-beating follow shot.

Dallas blew an eight-point lead over the final 5:25. The Mavericks went the final 2:52 without a field goal, committing three consecutive turnovers before missing their last two shots.

Valanciunas finished with 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for Toronto, which won while resting guard Kyle Lowry.

VanVleet had a game-high eight assists to go with 14 points for the Raptors while Wright added 15 points, Ibaka and Pascal Siakam 12 apiece and CJ Miles 10.

Dennis Smith Jr. backed Barnes with 19 points for the Mavericks, who led for most of regulation play.

J.J. Barea collected a team-high six assists to go with 18 points, Powell had a team-high eight rebounds to complement nine points and Yogi Ferrell had 12 points for Dallas, who had beaten Toronto 98-93 in their earlier meeting in Texas.

Up 60-54 at the half, the Mavericks extended their lead to 11 on three occasions in the third quarter, the final time on a Ferrell jumper that made it 84-73 with 1:18 left in the period.

Dallas led 84-78 at period’s end.

Kings 98, Warriors 93

Buddy Hield gave Sacramento the lead for good when he made one of two free throws with 27.5 seconds remaining and Willie Cauley-Stein blocked Nick Young’s potential game-tying 3-pointer with 12.6 seconds left, sending the Kings to victory over injury-depleted Golden State in Oakland, California.

Hield scored a team-high 22 points, including two clinching free throws with 13.2 seconds left, for the Kings, who completed a 2-0 sweep of their games in Oakland for the first time since 2003.

Quinn Cook had 25 points for the Warriors, who learned before the game that All-Star forward Kevin Durant would miss at least the next two weeks with a tear in his rib cartilage. Durant joined Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the Warriors sidelines, and watched Golden State’s eight-game winning streak come to an end.

Thunder 121, 

Clippers 113

Russell Westbrook recorded his 22nd triple-double of the season with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as Oklahoma City made plays down the stretch to beat visiting Los Angeles.

Corey Brewer led Oklahoma City with a season-high 22 points and also tied a season high with six steals, as the Thunder had a season-best 17 steals. Paul George, who was questionable with a pelvic injury, contributed 19 points as Oklahoma City (42-29) won their fifth straight and moved one game ahead of fifth-place Minnesota in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles forward Tobias Harris led all scorers with 24 points but did not score in the fourth quarter. Austin Rivers added 23, as the Clippers (37-31) lost for the sixth time in 15 games and dropped one-and-a-half games behind eighth-place San Antonio.

Celtics 92, Magic 83

Terry Rozier and Greg Monroe each scored 17 points and Al Horford scored 15 and had nine rebounds in his return as the shorthanded visitors from Boston beat Orlando.

Rozier added seven rebounds and five assists. Abdel Nader contributed 11 points and Shane Larkin added 10 for the Celtics, who snapped a two-game losing streak despite shooting just 37.8 per cent for the game.

Shelvin Mack finished with 16 points and seven rebounds to lead Orlando. D.J. Augustin and Jonathon Simmons added 13 apiece, Nikola Vucevic had 12 and Mario Hezonja 11 as the Magic lost for the sixth time in seven games after snapping a five-game skid on Wednesday against the Bucks.

Heat 92, Lakers 91

Goran Dragic scored the last of his game-high 30 points on a jumper with 15.2 seconds left, lifting Miami over Los Angeles at Staples Centre.

Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to add 17 for Miami, which tied Milwaukee for the Eastern Conference’s seventh play-off spot. James Johnson contributed 12 points and rookie Bam Adebayo chipped in 11.

Julius Randle led Los Angeles with a 25-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Brook Lopez hit for 18 points. Reserve Travis Wear and rookie Kyle Kuzma each scored 11 points.

76ers 120, Nets 116

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons each recorded double-doubles and Robert Covington hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute to lift Philadelphia over visiting Brooklyn.

Embiid finished with 24 points and 19 rebounds, and Simmons added 21 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds for the Sixers (38-30), who began the night in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Barring a complete collapse, Philadelphia appears headed back to the play-off for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Hollis-Jefferson scored 21 points and DeMarre Carroll added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who have lost three in a row and are already eliminated from play-off contention.

BARCELONA — Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals and created another for Ousmane Dembele, as Barcelona thrashed Chelsea 3-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.

Messi opened the scoring after two minutes and eight seconds, the quickest goal of his career, slipping the ball through Thibaut Courtois’ legs from a tight angle.

The Argentine forward created the second with a blistering run from the halfway line which left three Chelsea defenders stumbling in his wake, before squaring the ball for Ousmane Dembele to rifle home his first goal for the club.

Marcos Alonso hit the post and Olivier Giroud was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty for a tangle with Gerard Pique, as Chelsea tried to launch a comeback, before Messi killed the tie with his 100th Champions League goal.

“To have Messi in the team is a luxury, he’s such a good player that in any move he can create danger against you,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said.

“Our attacking play goes through him and any move is improved by his touch.” 

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said his side needed a perfect display to progress, but they started disastrously at a packed Nou Camp when Luis Suarez teed up Messi, who squeezed a low strike through the legs of Courtois from a tight angle.

The visitors responded well with Giroud and Willian, who scored in the 1-1 first-leg draw at Stamford Bridge, particularly bright in attack.

But a mistake from Cesc Fabregas on the halfway line allowed Messi to break in again after 20 minutes and the number 10 left the Chelsea backline in tatters to set up the second goal, expertly finished by Dembele.

The English side, now needing two goals, nearly got one before halftime. N’Golo Kante dragged a shot centimetres wide and Marcos Alonso crashed a free kick off the post.

It was the third time across the two legs that Chelsea hit the woodwork and Antonio Rudiger did it again in the closing stages.

Giroud appeared to be brought down by Pique in the area but referee Damir Skomina did not bow to Chelsea’s protests for a penalty, before Messi drove at the defence again and slotted home Barcelona’s third in the 62nd minute, shooting low between Courtois’ legs for the second time.

“[For] the first goal, I did not expect Messi to shoot from that angle and I was too late in closing my legs, it was a mistake on my part,” Courtois told BT Sport.

“I played against Messi a lot of times, I have already conceded goals like that before. The weakest point is between the legs of a goalkeeper, it is annoying. 

“I cannot hide inside, I have to be a man and come out. I made some good saves too, but we go out with conceding four goals from four mistakes.”

Barcelona reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the 11th consecutive season while Chelsea were left facing a battle to qualify for the competition again as they scrap for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Cleveland forward LeBron James had 28 points as part of his 14th triple-double of the season and Kyle Korver scored 22 points in his first start since March 4, 2017, as the Cavaliers blew past the Phoenix Suns 129-107 at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Tuesday.

James amassed 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and he made 13 of 15 free throw attempts as the Cavaliers (39-28) broke a two-game losing streak and remained one-half game behind the Indiana Pacers for third place in the Eastern Conference.

Reserve Jordan Clarkson had 23 points off the Cavaliers’ bench and JR Smith had 14. Jeff Green had 11 points, three blocks and three steals for Cleveland, which never trailed while playing the fourth game of a season-long six game road trip that will continue in Portland and Chicago.

TJ Warren had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Josh Jackson had 19 points and Devin Booker had 17 points and six assists for the Suns (19-50), who lost their sixth in a row. They have lost 16 of 17 and 21 of 23. They have said they are not trying to lose in order to improve their draft position.

Clarkson made six of the Cavs’ 17 3-pointers and Korver made five. Smith and George Hill had two apiece. The Cavs were 17 of 35 from long distance.

James also had three steals, two blocked shots and five turnovers.

The Suns shot 38.8 per cent and made 6 of 32 3-point attempts.

Green and Korver scored five points apiece when the Cavs jumped to a 13-2 lead, and Clarkson’s 3-pointer in the final seconds gave them a 38-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. James had seven points in the period.

Booker’s dunk got the Suns within 47-35 before the Cavs pulled away again. Smith’s 3-pointer with four minutes left in the half gave Cleveland a 59-37 lead. It was 68-52 at half.

The Suns started a small line-up to match the Cavs, who were without big men Kevin Love (broken hand) and Tristan Thompson (ankle). 

Both are expected to miss at least the next two weeks. Dragan Bender started at the “5” for Phoenix, and small forwards Warren and Jackson were in the line-up.

Bender finished with seven points and five rebounds.

Cleveland also was without Rodney Hood, who has missed the past two games with a lower back strain.

AMMAN — While the battle for the title is nearly clear, the struggle at the other end of standings is closely contested as Week 19 of the Jordan Professional Football League kicks off on Thursday.

Wihdat were held 0-0 by Ahli, but still lead ahead of their match against Manshieh as they seem poised for their 16th league title, as titleholders and rivals Faisali beat Ramtha 2-1 but remained fourth ahead of their match against Baqa’a.

Jazira beat Manshieh and jumped to second place and next play Aqaba who beat Yarmouk 5-1 to move up to 9th.

Ramtha dropped to third after losing to Faisali and next play Hussein who were held 0-0 with that Ras and are now 10th. Shabab Urdun were held 1-1 with Baqa’a who are 8th ahead of their match against the titleholders.

This week, Jazira repeated their win over Oman’s Suweiq 4-0 after earlier winning 3-2, while Faisali lost 1-0 to Oman’s Dhofar having beaten them 2-0 in Leg 1 in the 15th Asian Football Confederation  Cup. Both teams still lead groups A and C in the second-tier Asian club competition. Earlier, Jazira held Iraqi Air Force Club 2-2 and beat Bahrain’s Malikieh 1-0, while Faisali held Syria’s Wihdeh 2-2 and upset Lebanon’s Ansar 3-1.

So far this season, reigning League and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the Jordan Football Association  Shield. In the Jordan Cup, Jazira ousted Faisali while Shabab Urdun eliminated Wihdat to reach the final.

Last year, Faisali won their 33rd league title after a four-year break and combined it with the Jordan Cup. Ahli beat reigning league champs Wihdat to win the Super Cup, Shabab Urdun beat Faisali to win their second Shield title after they first won in 2007. Sarih and Sahab were relegated and replaced by Aqaba and Yarmouk from the First Division.

Paul George and Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points apiece to help the Oklahoma City Thunder register a 106-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

Russell Westbrook added 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his 99th career triple-double. Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138) and Jason Kidd (107) are the only members of the century club.

Corey Brewer contributed 16 points for the Thunder, who shot 45.2 per cent from the field and were 16-of-36 from 3-point range.

Bogdan Bogdanovic recorded 19 points and eight rebounds for the Kings, who dropped to 1-17 all-time in Oklahoma City.

Bogdan Bogdanovic recorded 19 points and eight rebounds for the Kings, who dropped to 1-17 all-time in Oklahoma City.

Justin Jackson and Garrett Temple scored 15 points apiece, De’Aaron Fox had 11 points and 10 assists and Zach Randolph scored 10 points.

The Kings shot 40.9 per cent from the field and were 12 of 33 from long range.

Sacramento scored 39 points in the third quarter after scoring 40 the entire first half.

Still, the Thunder led the entire period until the end when Temple hit a jumper with 5.4 seconds left to give the Kings a 79-78 lead.

Alex Abrines knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:26 remaining in the final stanza to give Oklahoma City a 91-85 lead. He buried another one with 4:40 left to stretch the Thunder lead to 96-87.

Fox scored on a layup to bring the Kings within 98-92 with 3:46 to play. Westbrook responded with a jumper and then fed Jerami Grant for a dunk to make it a 10-point advantage with 2:48 remaining.

Temple’s 3-pointer pulled Sacramento within 104-99 with 1:01 left and Bogdanovic added two free throws to make it a one-possession game with 23.7 seconds left.

But Brewer made two free throws with 17.2 seconds to go as the Thunder closed it out.

Points were hard to come by in the first half as Oklahoma City took a 46-40 lead into the break.

The Thunder were better at making 3-point shots (9 of 19) than 2-pointers (7 of 23) while shooting 38.1 per cent. The Kings shot a porous 29.2 per cent.

Oklahoma City scored 17 points in the first six-and-a-half minutes before tallying 29 the rest of the half.

Bodganovic converted a four-point play to tie it at 37 with 1:32 left before Oklahoma City closed the half with a 9-3 burst.

Trail Blazers 115, 

Heat 99

Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic led the way as the Portland Trailblazers beat the Miami Heat at Moda Centre for their 10th consecutive win.

Lillard collected 32 points and 10 assists while Nurkic contributed 27 points and 16 rebounds as the Trail Blazers’ win streak reached double digits. Portland has won 16 of its past 17 games at home.

Goran Dragic scored 23 points and Justise Winslow had 15 points and 13 boards for the Heat, who had won in four of their previous five and six of their previous eight outings.

Rockets 109, Spurs 93

James Harden returned from a brief injury hiatus and scored a game-high 28 points as Houston beat shorthanded San Antonio 109-93 at Toyota Centre.

Although he missed 9 of 11 3-pointers, Harden compensated by shooting 14-for-14 at the free-throw line. He sat out the Rockets’ 23-point victory in Dallas on Sunday with a sore left knee.

The Rockets completed a gruelling stretch of five games in seven days with a 4-1 record, their lone loss coming at Toronto last Friday. Houston moved two games ahead of the Golden State Warriors in the pursuit of home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

Bucks 121, Grizzlies 103

Khris Middleton’s 24 points led seven players in double figures as Milwaukee handed Memphis its 18th consecutive loss at FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added 20 points, six rebounds and four assists despite playing just 27 minutes because of foul trouble. Brandon Jennings came off the bench to score 16 points, Eric Bledsoe chipped in 14 and Tony Snell managed 12 points. John Henson netted 11 and rookie Sterling Brown hit for 10 points.

Marc Gasol tallied 17 points to lead six Memphis players in double digits. Jarell Martin, reserve Ben McLemore and Dillon Brooks added 16 each. JaMychal Green scored 11 points and backup Deyonta Davis tallied 10.

Karl-Anthony Towns followed in his own miss with 37.5 seconds to play on Sunday afternoon, helping the Minnesota Timberwolves hold off the Golden State Warriors 109-103 in Minneapolis to snap a three-game losing streak.

Seeking to avoid a second consecutive loss on a three-day trip, the Warriors rallied within 104-103 on a Kevin Durant 3-pointer with 2:08 to go. They then had a chance to go ahead for the first time since the third quarter following a Minnesota turnover, but Klay Thompson misfired on a 3-point attempt.

Towns countered with a short jumper for a three-point lead, and after Durant (game-high 39 points) missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer, the Minnesota big man snatched the rebound from his own short miss and laid it in, giving the Timberwolves a 108-103 advantage with just 37.5 seconds remaining.

The Warriors missed their next two shots — they misfired on their last four in the game — and Jeff Teague helped ice the win with one free throw with 29.5 seconds left.

Pacers 99, Celtics 97

Down by double digits in the first half, Indiana came to life in the second half after Kyrie Irving exited the game, then held off short-handed host Boston.

The Celtics lost Irving at halftime due to left knee soreness. Irving had seven points on 3-of-6 shooting and four rebounds in 16 first-half minutes, but did not join the team on the court when the second half began and was ruled out shortly afterward. Al Horford (illness) and Jaylen Brown (concussion) missed the game for the Celtics.

Victor Oladipo had a game-high 27 points and Myles Turner added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who won for the fifth time in six games in March.

Rockets 105, 

Mavericks 82

With MVP front-runner James Harden sidelined, Chris Paul and Eric Gordon shouldered the scoring load, as visiting Houston cruised to victory over Dallas.

While Harden rested his sore left knee, Paul and Gordon produced a shooting clinic, combining for 50 points and 10 3-pointers. Paul added 12 assists, as the Rockets recovered from a setback at Toronto on Friday night that resulted in the conclusion of their 17-game winning streak.

Gordon scored 26 points while connecting on 6 of 11 3-point attempts. Paul tallied 24 points and hit 4 of 7 from deep. Houston finished 17-for-45 from behind the arc, burying eight 3-pointers in the third quarter to clinch a playoff berth and cap a sweep of the season series against the Mavericks.

Lakers 127, Cavaliers 113

Julius Randle had a career-high 36 points to go with 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks, leading host Los Angeles past Cleveland.

Brook Lopez had 22 points for the Lakers, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and former Cavalier Isaiah Thomas contributed 20 points each.

LeBron James produced 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but his Cavaliers lost for the fourth time in six games.

Jazz 116, Pelicans 99

Donovan Mitchell scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half as Utah defeated host New Orleans.

Mitchell, who made 1 of 8 shots in the first half, made 9 of 13 after halftime as the Jazz outscored the Pelicans 68-48. Ricky Rubio added 30 points and 10 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored 20 and Rudy Gobert contributed 19 points and 16 rebounds as Utah won their sixth straight game, seventh of their last nine and 18th of its last 20.

Anthony Davis returned from a one-game absence caused by a sprained ankle to play on his 25th birthday and lead New Orleans with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks. In his absence, the Pelicans’ franchise-record 10-game winning streak ended with a lopsided loss to Washington on Friday.

Raptors 132, Knicks 106

Jonas Valanciunas contributed 17 points and nine rebounds to help visiting Toronto cruise to a victory over New York.

Kyle Lowry added 16 points and seven assists and Serge Ibaka had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who won for the eighth straight time and 15th in their past 16 games.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points for the Knicks, who have lost seven straight games and 15 of their past 16. Luke Kornet scored a career-high 18 points. New York centre Enes Kanter sat out with back spasms.

Nuggets 130, Kings 104

Nikola Jokic recorded his seventh triple-double of the season with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, helping Denver coast past visiting Sacramento.

Jokic’s triple-double was the 13th of his career. He ranks third in the NBA this season with seven, trailing only Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, with all seven having come since January 8.

The win allowed the Nuggets to complete a 2-1 homestand before they embark on a stretch of eight road games in their next nine outings. The loss was the Kings’ fourth in their last seven games, a stretch in which they have alternated losses and wins.

76ers 120, Nets 97

Joel Embiid collected 21 points and eight rebounds as Philadelphia took control early in the first quarter en route to victory over host Brooklyn.

Embiid shot 9 of 17 from the field and likely would have recorded his 34th double-double of the season if Philadelphia did not pull away in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Robert Covington added 19 points as Philadelphia won for the fourth time in their past 12 road games.

D’Angelo Russell scored 26 points but had little help as the Nets lost for the 17th time in 20 games since January 21.

Bulls 129, Hawks 122

Bobby Portis and Zach LaVine each had 21 points and Lauri Markkanen added 19 points as Chicago had seven players in double figures in a win over host Atlanta.

Taurean Prince had a career-high 38 points and Mike Muscala added 19 points to lead the Hawks, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Chicago rebounded from a brutal first quarter to win for the third time in five games after losing five straight. The Bulls topped 110 points for just the fourth time in the past 19 games.

AMMAN — Jazira face Oman’s Suweiq, while Faisali play Oman’s Dhofar on Tuesday, in Stage 4 of the 15th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup as return leg matches kick off with both teams aiming to consolidate their leads atop groups A and C respectively.

In Leg 1, Jazira beat Suweiq 3-2 while Faisali beat Dhofar 2-0. Both teams lead the second-tier Asian club competition after earlier results as Jazira held 

Iraqi Air Force Club 2-2 and beat Bahrain’s Malikieh 1-0, while Faisali held Syria’s 

Wihdeh 2-2 and upset Lebanon’s Ansar 3-1. The top teams from each group, 

in addition to the best second placed team, will move to the second round of the competition.

Last season, Iraqi Air Force Club won the AFC Cup title for the second year running. The AFC Cup was previously won three times by Jordanian teams. Faisali won in 2005 and 2006, and Shabab Urdun won in 2007. Other Jordanian teams that competed are Wihdat, Jazira, Ramtha, Hussein and That Ras. 

Faisali finished runner-up to Tunisia’s Tarajji in the last edition of the Arab Clubs Championships with an impressive performance, which included two wins over Egyptian veterans Ahli, the reigning Jordanian League and Cup champs were eliminated from the 2018 AFC Champions League play-off match and failed to reach the group stages of Asia’s elite club competition and settled to play the AFC Cup. Jordanian teams have never before made it past the ACL preliminary round. Wihdat were knocked out in 2017, 2016 and 2015, while Shabab Urdun were eliminated in 2014.

Locally, so far this season, reigning League and Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the Jordan Football Association Shield. In the Jordan Cup, Jazira ousted Faisali, while Shabab Urdun eliminated Wihdat to reach the final.

LONDON — Marcus Rashford scored twice as Manchester United beat their arch-rivals Liverpool 2-1 in a highly-charged derby on Saturday to consolidate second place in the Premier League table. 

With runaway leaders Manchester City on course for a third Premier League title, second place is the best the chasing pack can hope for and United moved five points ahead of Liverpool.

United stifled Liverpool’s exhilarating attack early on at Old Trafford and raced into a two-goal lead with 24 minutes on the clock after a double from Rashford.

Eric Bailly’s bizarre own goal gave Liverpool hope in the second half, but United held on for a first victory over their North West rivals since January, 2016.

“Perfect result. I wouldn’t go so far as saying it was a perfect performance. In the first half, the game gave us the opportunity to be direct, fast and score goals, more than we did. We were worth the win,” United manager Jose Mourinho said.

Fifth-placed Chelsea moved to within four points of Liverpool, two behind Tottenham Hotspur — who play Bournemouth on Sunday — in fourth, after a nervy 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in the late kickoff.

A deflected strike from Willian and a Martin Kelly own goal put Chelsea in control at the break, but they took their foot off the gas in the second half.

Patrick van Aanholt got his side back in the match in stoppage time, but it was too little too late for Palace as Chelsea held out for a first win in four in all competitions.

It was an important afternoon at the bottom of the table too, with West Ham United slipping to a damaging 3-0 home defeat by Burnley to leave them three points above the relegation zone.

There were unsavoury scenes at London Stadium where pitch invasions and mass protests in the stands forced owners David Sullivan and David Gold to leave the director’s box, with police brought in to restore order.

“We want the supporters behind us, since I’ve been here they’ve been really good. But you can’t cross the line and come on the pitch,” West Ham manager David Moyes said.

Matters on the pitch added to the vitriolic mood, with Ashley Barnes and a Chris Wood double steering Burnley to a second win in a week, closing the gap on sixth-placed Arsenal, who host Watford on Sunday, to two points.

Rashford double

Much of the pre-match talk centred around how United were going to cope with Liverpool’s in-form front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and the league’s joint-top scorer Mohamed Salah. 

However, even without the injured Paul Pogba, it was United who started on the front foot, adopting a more direct style with Romelu Lukaku the target and the Belgium striker was influential in both Rashford goals.

Rashford’s double — on his first Premier League start since Boxing Day — proved decisive, as Liverpool could not add to the Bailly own goal as they slipped to a first defeat in eight games in all competitions.

“It didn’t go our way because of the two goals we conceded,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. 

“We have to defend these situations better. You can always lose a header or tackle with [Romelu] Lukaku but you need to close the gap in behind.”

In the North East, Newcastle United secured a 3-0 victory over Southampton to move five points clear of the bottom three, piling the pressure on Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino. 

Two goals from Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea, and a Matt Ritchie strike were enough for a second successive Premier League home win for Rafael Benitez’s side.

West Bromwich Albion’s woes continued as they slipped to a 4-1 home defeat by Leicester City. Salomon Rondon gave West Brom the lead at The Hawthorns, but four Leicester goals without reply ensured West Brom stayed bottom, eight points from safety.

Swansea City, who had Jordan Ayew sent off in the 11th minute, held Huddersfield Town to a 0-0 draw at the John Smith’s Stadium while Wayne Rooney’s penalty miss mattered little as Everton beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 at Goodison Park.