LONDON: Aston Villa’s long-expected relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed with a 1-0 loss away to Manchester United on Saturday as teenage rising star Marcus Rashford scored his seventh goal in 12 games.

The 18-year-old striker, also on target in United’s FA Cup quarter-final replay win over West Ham United in midweek, struck in the 32nd minute when he turned in Antonio Valencia’s low cross.

Defeat left bottom-of-the-table Villa 15 points shy of safety with only a maximum of 12 on offer to the Birmingham club in their four remaining league matches this season.

Villa, under the caretaker charge of Eric Black after former manager Remi Garde was sacked last month, have won just three times in 34 league games this campaign and this latest loss saw them drop down to the second-tier of English football for the first time in 29 years.

United’s victory saw them move to within a point of local rivals Manchester City.

But City will strengthen their grip on the fourth and last Champions League place on offer to English clubs if they win away to Chelsea in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Earlier, Sunderland gave themselves hope of yet another escape from relegation, with a 3-0 win away to fellow strugglers Norwich City.

Victory at Carrow Road left the north-east side still in the bottom three but just one point adrift of Norwich and with a game in hand over the Canaries.

Fabio Borini’s first-half penalty and strikes from Jermain Defoe and Duncan Watmore after the interval saw Sunderland to a first win in seven matches.

The result was an understandable relief for Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce, who told the BBC: “The most pleasing thing of all was the clean sheet, that is our way forward with five games to go.

“I know if we can keep two or three clean sheets in those game we’ll be safe because I know we can score.”

Newcastle United, Sunderland’s north-east rivals, bolstered their hopes of top-flight survival with a 3-0 win at home to Swansea City.

Jamaal Lascelles headed in Andros Townsend’s corner four minutes before the break and Moussa Sissoko made the game safe for the Magpies eight minutes from time, as they marked manager Rafael Benitez’s 56th birthday in style.

Townsend rounded off the scoring in the 89th minute.

Newcastle remained in the relegation zone but victory saw them move to within three points of Norwich.

Watford, promoted last season, cemented their place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win away to West Bromwich Albion, that saw goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes twice save penalties from Saido Berahino.

His first spot-kick stop came in the 66th minute after he had tripped Berahino and Gomes denied the striker again when, after a foul on Stephane Sessegnon, he dived low to his left to push another penalty effort past the post.

Gomes’ saves helped Watford maintain a lead established through Ben Watson’s 27th-minute goal at the Hawthorns.

Meanwhile Southampton moved to within a point of a top six place after a 1-1 draw away to Everton.

Ramiro Funes Mori put Everton ahead in the 68th minute but the hosts’ lead lasted just eight minutes, with Sadio Mane equalising for the Saints at Goodison Park.

Sunday will see leaders Leicester City looking to go 10 points clear of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur against West Ham, while Arsenal will try to maintain their grip on third place at home to London rivals Crystal Palace.

Liverpool, buoyed by a dramatic come-from-behind Europa League quarter-final win over manager Jurgen Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund, are away to Bournemouth.

Tottenham, bidding for a first English title since 1961, travel to Stoke on Monday.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2016