(Manchester United News)
Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool
Everton 1-0 Southampton
Leicester 2-1 West Ham
United 3-1 Aston Villa
Swansea 3-1 Hull
West Brom 1-4 QPR
Chelsea 2-1 Stoke City
Burnley 0-0 Tottenham
Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle 05/04/2015 17:45, Report by Gemma Thompson
Manchester United's 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday was made all the more significant after defeats for the teams in the chasing pack over the Easter weekend allowed the Reds to open up a sizeable gap in the race for a top four spot.
Liverpool's 4-1 defeat away at Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime combined with Southampton's loss at Everton saw the Reds go eight points ahead of Brendan Rodgers' side and nine clear of Saints. Tottenham's 0-0 draw at Burnley on Sunday further strengthened United's bid for a top four berth.
Saturday's victories for United and Arsenal took the Reds into third, on 62 points, and the Gunners to second, on 63, as both leapfrogged Manchester City, currently fourth and sitting on 61 with a game in hand on United and Arsenal. The Blues travel to Crystal Palace on Monday evening.
Leaders Chelsea kept up their fine form at the top, with an Eden Hazard penalty and a Loic Remy goal enough to beat Stoke City 2-1 on Saturday tea-time, in a game memorable for Charlie Adams’ wonder strike from his own half.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Queens Park Rangers stunned West Brom with a 4-1 win at The Hawthorns; Bobby Zamora's brilliant lob was the pick of the visitors' goals. Swansea, meanwhile, sealed a 3-1 home win over Hull City and bottom-placed Leicester City secured a vital three points at home to West Ham.
In the late kick-off on Sunday, Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe added to a weekend of wonder-goals with a sublime volleyed winner to seal a 1-0 win for the Black Cats over north-east neighbours Newcastle United.
