Premier League: Wins for Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa

Manchester City moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool with a routine win over Sheffield United on Saturday.

Rodri opened the scoring after 14 minutes, with Julian Alvarez doubling the lead on the hour for the 2022/23 treble winners. The in-form Phil Foden assisted both goals as City won their second game since the Club World Cup following their 3-1 win at Everton in midweek.

Manager Pep Guardiola said: "Pleased for the clean sheet, a tough month for us in Saudi Arabia but I think that helped us a lot winning the Club World Cup. We're not top of the league but we're not far away. Mood is good, now we rest a bit and have a few days off.

"We've played these types of games many times, we know and sometimes we handle good sometimes not. Against Villa they played the same system, it's tight and difficult. We didn't concede any set-pieces second half and when Oscar [Bobb] came in we increased tempo in the final third and created chances.

"Phil [Foden] can arrive on the sides and make crosses, which is tough without Erling [Haaland] or he has to move in the small spaces and in the pockets. Like David Silva in the past. Bernardo [Silva] and Oscar too are really good in the small spaces."

Elsewhere, Chelsea survived a late fightback by hosts Luton to win a dramatic match 3-2 at Kenilworth Road and end their four-game losing run away from home.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team looked to be on course for a first away victory since November thanks to a brace from Cole Palmer. His first was a powerful low strike and his second an impudent piece of individual skill, while Noni Madueke scored for the second time in as many games as the visitors sailed into a 3-0 lead.

But they were pegged back as their former player