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OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Spanish midfielder Juan Mata (left) vies with Cardiff City’s Chilean midfielder Gary Medel during the English Premier League football match. — AFP Mata eclipses Solskjaer on debut

both goals as David Moyes’s side will give them a clearer indication of Craig Noone cut in from the right and aged by former United favourite look fragile, they moved further breathed life into their hopes of a their chances of a place in the top four. drove over at the other end. Solskjaer, could have levelled when ahead.Mata helped the ball to the left Man United 2 Champions League place. But this was undoubtedly an Mata almost created a second when Fraizer Campbell failed to make telling flank for Young and the winger drifted Making his return from a thigh improved performance from a team he spotted Young unmarked at the far contact with Kevin McNaughton’s cross. inside before striking a fierce shot into injury that had kept him out since that had already lost four times in 2014. post, but the winger could not squeeze After the interval, United worked a the bottom-right corner. The record December 10, Van Persie took only six The hosts needed only a few minutes a shot past Marshall. neat passing move to the right for signing himself went close to adding a Cardiff 0 minutes to open the scoring and Young to make the breakthrough, with Mata’s The Spaniard then picked out Jonny Valencia to cross, but the ball from the third when he was allowed the space to added United’s second in the 59th cross-field pass helping to open Cardiff Evans with a free-kick, but the centre- winger was just behind Van Persie. move forward and have a low right- minute. up. back’s glancing header flew wide of The former Arsenal striker had a bet- foot shot that was saved at the near Mata played just behind Van Persie, The Spaniard played a long ball to goal. United goalkeeper David de Gea ter chance when he was found by a post by Marshall. MANCHESTER: Robin van Persie and but those hoping to see how the duo the left flank, resulting in Young clip- was forced into a save with his legs Ryan Giggs free-kick, only to turn his Evans also saw his shot bend just Ashley Young scored as Manchester would combine with Wayne Rooney ping over a cross that was headed onto when Mark Hudson got his head to header well over the bar. wide after surging forwards from the United recorded only their second were to be disappointed when the the bar by Antonio Valencia. Peter Whittingham’s corner. Solskjaer’s side opened United up back, before Valencia’s powerful cross- Premier League victory of 2014 by England striker replaced Van Persie to Van Persie’s follow-up was blocked From a Young corner, meanwhile, once again when Declan John was shot was turned onto the post by beating Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Cardiff make his first appearance since January by Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall, United kept the ball well on the edge of played in behind the home side’s Marshall. City 2-0 on Tuesday. Juan Mata made 1. but the Netherlands striker headed in the box before Van Persie’s shot on the defence and slid a low ball across the Substitute Adnan Januzaj also just his debut after a £37.1 million ($61.2 The defending champions now from six yards to put United in front. turn rolled just wide of the post. area that was only cleared by Patrice missed with a low stab at goal from million, 44.8 million euros) move from have matches against Stoke City, Rafael da Silva thumped well over as The hosts still looked far from con- Evra at the far post. Evra’s cross, while Rooney curled nar- Chelsea and the Spaniard had a hand in Fulham, Arsenal and Crystal Palace that United looked to add a second before vincing at the back and Cardiff, man- But just as United were starting to rowly wide in added time. —AFP Liverpool rout Everton Crystal Palace sink Hull Everton in the Premier League table. Liverpool made three changes as spoken of the need to improve Palace’s Simon Mignolet replaced Brad Jones squad, but the Eagles have yet to add to Liverpool 4 in goal, Jon Flanagan returned for Crystal Palace 1 their squad so far during the transfer win- Martin Kelly at right-back, and dow. Raheem Sterling was preferred to Hull boss Steve Bruce might have felt his Victor Moses on the right flank. heavy investment would pay immediate Everton 0 dividends as the visitors made a lively start. Everton, meanwhile, were bol- Hull 0 stered by the return of midfielder Jelavic almost got on the end of a low Ross Barkley from a broken toe. cross but the Croatian couldn’t quite stretch to steer the ball home. Long was LIVERPOOL: Daniel Sturridge’s brace Toffees captain Phil Jagielka had also recovered from the hamstring injury LONDON: Crystal Palace boosted their bid next to trouble the Palace defence, causing handed Liverpool the Merseyside a long ball into the penalty area before bragging rights with a 4-0 victory he picked up in the FA Cup victory to avoid relegation from the Premier over Stevenage and made his 200th League as Jason Puncheon’s goal clinched tumbling under a challenge from Danny over Everton in the Premier League Gabbidon. on Tuesday that maintained their league appearance alongside Antolin ANFIELD: Liverpool’s Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring the fourth a 1-0 win over Hull on Tuesday. Alcaraz at the heart of the visitors’ goal of the game for his side during their English Premier League soc- Palace have steadily improved since Bruce was furious when referee Roger Anfield derby dominance. East waved away Hull’s appeals for a penal- Everton have not won at defence. cer match against Everton. — AP Tony Pulis replaced Ian Holloway as man- Barkley looked sharp in the open- international they still pressed for an for goals and added a fourth five ager in November and Puncheon’s first half ty. And Hull’s anger increased as Palace Liverpool since 1999 and the 222nd took the lead in the 16th minute when meeting between the two sides-both ing stages and struck a swerving shot equaliser, as Jagielka brought a save minutes into the second half. winner at Selhurst Park moved the hosts from distance that flew just over the out of Mignolet. However, Liverpool Suarez dispossessed Jagielka just five points clear of the bottom three. midfielder Puncheon fired hom form eight previously unbeaten in the league in yards after his initial header hit team-mate 2014 — was effectively over by half- crossbar, while Everton goalkeeper effectively made the result certain 10 inside the Everton half and powered The Eagles’ second successive victory Tim Howard was called into action minutes before half-time as Sturridge towards goal before coolly slotting also atoned for a disappointing FA Cup Marouane Chamakh on the back. time, with Liverpool three goals up. Bruce’s team pressed hard for an Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers moments later as he pushed a Suarez scored twice in the space of two min- past the exposed Howard. fourth round exit at Championship side shot past the post. utes. Howard’s misery continued when Wigan on Saturday. equaliser in the second half, with Long and said in his programme notes that this Jelavic both wasting chances before Liam derby had “double significance”, with Sturridge opened up the Everton The 24-year-old striker was put a penalty was given against him by It was a frustrating evening for Hull, who defence in the 18th minute as he through on goal by playmaker referee Martin Atkinson for a foul on finished with 10 men after goalkeeper Rosenior stabbed wide from a golden vital points in the race to qualify for opportunity. the Champions League at stake in sent Sterling clear with a searching Philippe Coutinho in the 33rd minute Sterling, but Sturridge, on a hat-trick, Allan McGregor was sent off in the final pass, but Howard came off his line and kept his composure to lift the struck the spot-kick over the bar and moments. But Hull were reduced to 10 men when addition to local pride. But the Stuart O’Keefe caught McGregor with a late Northern Irishman could probably quickly and blocked the winger’s ball over the advancing Howard. into the Kop. Irish striker Shane Long, who joined Hull effort. Moments later the hosts added a Suarez was angry with Sturridge from West Bromwich Albion earlier this tackle, prompting an angry reaction from not have envisaged the clinical man- the keeper. ner in which his team would blow The hosts’ spell of pressure earned third when Kolo Toure’s long ball just after the hour-mark when his month, formed a new-look £14 million them a goal three minutes later found Sturridge and with Howard off strike partner selfishly went for goal strike-force with fellow January signing After a bout of shoving between the Roberto Martinez’s men away, with a pair, referee East showed McGregor the red double from Sturridge and one each when Suarez’s corner picked out his line, the England man cleverly from a difficult angle rather than Nikica Jelavic, who recently arrived from Gerrard, who escaped his marker at lobbed the ball over the American square the ball across goal. Everton. In contrast to Hull’s spending card and with Hull having used all their for captain Steven Gerrard and Luis substitutes, midfielder Tom Huddlestone Suarez. the near post and headed home his international and into the unguarded Everton briefly flickered into spree, Pulis was this week forced to deny eighth goal in Merseyside derbies. net. Everton initially responded posi- life with 15 minutes left when reports that he was considering quitting had to go in goal. Even so, Steve Quinn England striker Sturridge could came agonisingly close to equalising for even afford to miss a penalty as Everton were subsequently forced to tively after half-time, with Mignolet Steven Naismith crossed for over the club’s lack of success in the trans- withdraw Romelu Lukaku due to forced to palm away a Leon Osman Osman, but Mignolet snuffed out fer market since he took over from Hull with virtually the last kick of the game, fourth-place Liverpool put four but his shot flashed wide. —AFP points between themselves and injury, although without the Belgium shot, but Liverpool remained hungry the danger. — AFP Holloway. The former Stoke boss has often