Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring during the Premier League game between Manchester City and Burnley
Liverpool missed the chance to move within three points of Premier League leaders Chelsea after being held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Daniel Sturridge headed Liverpool in front on 19 minutes, diverting Dejan Lovren’s mis-hit shot past Vito Mannone, but Jermain Defoe levelled things up from the penalty spot for the visitors after Didier N’Dong was fouled by Ragnar Klavan in the 25th minute.
Sadio Mane looked to have secured the points in the 72nd minute with a close-range effort after a corner was flicked on, but Defoe had the final word when he scored a second penalty with just over five minutes of normal time remaining after Mane handled in the box.
Manchester City overcame the first-half dismissal of Fernandinho to beat Burnley 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
City, who named Sergio Aguero, David Silva and John Stones on the bench for the clash, saw Fernandinho pick up his third red card of the season on 32 minutes for a foul on Johann Berg Gudmundsson.
Pep Guardiola brought on Aguero and Silva at the break, and the 10 men took control of the match with two quick-fire goals around the hour mark.
Gael Clichy broke the deadlock on 58 minutes with a right-footed strike from the edge of the area, and Aguero then produced a stunning finish from a tight angle after keeper Tom Heaton had denied Raheem Sterling.
Burnley soon reduced the arrears, though, with Ben Mee taking advantage of some unconvincing goalkeeping from Claudio Bravo to scramble home following a corner.
Michael Keane went close to an injury-time equaliser for the visitors but City held on for a victory that sees them end the day in third place.
Enner Valencia scored his first goal for Everton as they defeated Southampton 3-0 at Goodison Park.
Both sides went close in the first half with Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku being denied by Fraser Forster for Everton and Jay Rodriguez firing just wide for Southampton.
But Everton finally found the breakthrough after 73 minutes when Valencia pounced to convert the rebound after Forster had saved from Lukaku, before Leighton Baines then slotted in a penalty eight minutes later after Valencia had been brought down by Maya Yoshida. Lukaku added gloss to the scoreline for Everton with a powerful finish at the death.
West Bromwich Albion came from behind to pick up all three points with a 3-1 win against Hull City at The Hawthorns.
Robert Snodgrass opened the scoring for Hull inside the 21st minute, volleying home Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross into the corner of the net, only for West Brom to draw level just four minutes after the restart when Chris Brunt headed Matt Phillips’ cross past David Marshall.
Gareth McAuley fired the Baggies into the lead in the 62nd minute after heading in a Phillips corner, before James Morrison made sure of the result with a back-post volley 11 minutes later.
Gaston Ramirez lashed a late chance wide to serve up a timely reminder of Middlesbrough’s need for attacking reinforcements in a forgettable goalless draw with Leicester City at the Riverside Stadium.
The Uruguayan steered his half-volley wide from eight yards out in the day’s early kickoff to sum up a frustrating afternoon for the hosts and give Boro boss Aitor Karanka plenty of reason to seek to bolster his frontline.
Shorn of injured pair Islam Slimani and Danny Drinkwater, as well as the suspended Jamie Vardy, Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri had cause to be happier with a point but will also rue missed opportunities from Leonardo Ulloa and Christian Fuchs.
Meanwhile, Leicester City’s underwhelming season continued yesterday as they were held to a 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough that did little for either side’s hopes of avoiding Premier League relegation.
With Jamie Vardy completing his three-game suspension and Riyad Mahrez again disappointing, Leicester lacked a cutting edge and it was Boro who came closest to taking all three points at the Riverside Stadium.
The result inched both sides a point further clear of the bottom three, but the threat of relegation will continue to stalk them when they return to league action after next weekend’s FA Cup third-round fixtures.
With both teams having played on New Year’s Eve — Leicester edging West Ham United 1-0, Boro cruelly beaten 2-1 at Manchester United — they each made five changes to their starting XIs.
Leicester, for whom Islam Slimani was absent with a fever, made the more lively start.
Shinji Okazaki could not make anything of Leonardo Ulloa’s knock-down from Mahrez’s free-kick, while Christian Fuchs drilled wide from the edge of the box.
But as the game wore on, Boro began to take control, with Adama Traore to the fore.
The former Barcelona winger had a penalty shout turned down in the 18th minute when he appeared to be impeded by Robert Huth right on the edge of the Leicester box.
Moments later the 20-year-old sped to the byline on the right and cut the ball back for Marten de Roon, who shot over.
Antonio Barragan returned from suspension for Boro, but he limped off clutching his hamstring in the 34th minute, with George Friend coming on.
Another Boro fullback caught the eye shortly before half time, Fabio da Silva sliding in brilliantly to prevent Mahrez taking aim from Okazaki’s through ball.
Left-back Friend emerged as an improbable most likely source of a goal in the second half.
He warmed Kasper Schmeichel’s palms from 25 yards and then cut in from the right, only to skew his shot wide.
He also curled an inviting cross into the box from the left, but Adam Forshaw could not make telling contact.
All Leicester mustered in response was an Ulloa header that Brad Guzan saved comfortably.
Visiting manager Claudio Ranieri took decisive action by sending on Ahmed Musa in place of Mahrez, who produced another low-key display in his last game before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria.— ESPNFC.