Premier League Wrap: Solskjaer era starts with a bang; Townsend wonderstrike stuns Guardiola's men

London, December 22: Andros Townsend scored a sensational goal-of-the-season contender as Crystal Palace dealt Manchester City's Premier League title defence a body blow with a stunning 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium.

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While Manchester United were simply too good for Cardiff City as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enjoyed victory in his first match as interim boss.

Solskjaer era starts with a bang as Manchester United crush Cardiff City 5-1

Manchester United cruised to an impressive 5-1 Premier League victory over Cardiff City on Saturday in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first match in charge.

Three goals in the first half from Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial and a brace from Jesse Lingard earned all three points at Cardiff City Stadium, with Victor Camaras' penalty proving little consolation.

United stay sixth in the table, but the manner of the performance, as well as the result - the first time the side have scored five times in the league since Alex Ferguson's final game - will have been a welcome sight for the travelling fans at the end of a week that saw Jose Mourinho's contentious time in charge come to an end.

The new United era got off to a stunning start when Rashford blasted home a free-kick from 30 yards out that left goalkeeper Neil Etheridge rooted to the spot.

Almost 81 per cent of possession underlined United's early control, and the scoreline reflected their dominance when Herrera's strike looped off Greg Cunningham's shoulder and into the net 29 minutes in.

Cardiff were gifted a lifeline when Camarasa fired high into the net from the spot, but United's two-goal lead was restored three minutes later, when Martial slotted beneath Etheridge after a sublime one-touch passing move involving Lingard and Paul Pogba, restored to the starting line-up.

And any hope of a Cardiff comeback was promptly extinguished 11 minutes into the second half, when Lingard dispatched a confident penalty after he had been bundled to the ground by Sol Bamba.

Pogba and Phil Jones were each denied by good Etheridge saves, while David de Gea kept out a good Kenneth Zohore attempt.

It was 5-1 when Lingard rounded the keeper and slotted home from Pogba's pass in the 90th minute to secure a first away league win since November 3 in style and give Solskjaer extra cause for celebration against the club he used the manage.

What does it mean? Solskjaer has lifted the gloom

'You make me happy, when skies are grey' goes the song sung in Solskjaer's honour by United fans, and that certainly seems to be the case at the end of a week that started with Mourinho apparently looking likely to stay in the job.

United looked liberated in south Wales, playing expressive, attacking football and scoring the goals to go with it, while much-maligned players like Victor Lindelof seemed to exude confidence.

Yes, Cardiff were undeniably poor and, yes, United are still sixth, but this was a match where the manner of the performance was arguably more important for the visitors than the result itself.

Lingard given a licence to thrill

Lingard epitomised the freedom with which United's attacking players performed. His assist for Martial's goal and his well-taken penalty were the high points of a display full of verve, and Cardiff never quite got to grips with him.

Bumbling Bamba a burden

Bamba was dispossessed too easily by Pogba in the build-up to Herrera's goal, his clumsy foul allowed Lingard to make it 4-1 and he missed a good chance for a goal. It was not his finest outing.

What's next?

Huddersfield Town visit Old Trafford for the first home game of the Solskjaer era, while Cardiff head to Crystal Palace, both on December 26.

Hull City 3 Swansea City 2: Bowen double makes amends for penalty miss

Jarrod Bowen scored a brace to make up for an earlier penalty miss as Hull City came from behind to beat Swansea City 3-2 in the Championship on Saturday.

The two sides served up a Christmas cracker, with Swansea beaten despite taking a third-minute lead thanks to Wilfried Bony's first league goal in over a year.

Hull had a chance to level before the break when Fraizer Campbell was fouled by Erwin Mulder, the Swansea goalkeeper making amends for the error by denying Bowen from 12 yards.

But with 20 minutes to go Hull sparked a sensational fightback, Bowen finishing at the far post before Tommy Elphick beat Mulder with a looping header after good work from Kamil Grosicki.

Within 10 minutes of their equaliser Hull were 3-1 up, Bowen hammering in an excellent finish, and Nigel Adkins' side held on to the points despite Bersant Celina setting up a grandstand finish.

Hull's win extends their unbeaten run to five league games, with the Tigers moving up to 16th, four places below Graham Potter's Swans, who had won their two previous matches.

Townsend wonderstrike stuns Guardiola's men

City enjoyed a regal dominance up until Ilkay Gundogan's 26th-minute opener but Jeffrey Schlupp levelled six minutes later before Townsend turned the contest on its head with an outstanding long-range volley.

Luka Milivojevic increased City's misery and delight at Anfield with a 51st-minute penalty that means Liverpool will celebrate Christmas with a four-point lead at the Premier League summit.

Kevin De Bruyne's overhit cross sailed in five minutes from time but Pep Guardiola's side were unable to undo the damage in the late rally that followed.

Gundogan was involved alongside Bernardo Silva in carving through Palace for Leroy Sane to shoot wastefully into the side-netting in the 10th minute.

The Germany midfielder showed his countryman how it was done when he eased into the box to head home Fabian Delph's searching cross.

Schlupp allowed Gundogan to run off him for the opener but more than atoned by shifting outside a tired Kyle Walker challenge and arrowing a strike into the bottom right corner.

If that finish was impressive, Townsend’s remarkable goal 10 minutes before half-time was something else altogether as he put his left foot sweetly through an audacious volley, leaving Ederson with no chance.

THIS REALLY HAPPENED!!!#MCICRY pic.twitter.com/ahtBfwkCQz

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 22, 2018

Pep Guardiola introduced City's record goalscorer Sergio Aguero for centre-back Nicolas Otamendi early in the second half but the reshuffle led to confused defending as Townsend headed Aaron Wan-Bissaka's cross against the post.

Walker made a dreadfully rash challenge as Max Meyer sought to retrieve the rebound to concede a penalty and Milivojevic, who had a penalty saved by Ederson in a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park last season, made no mistake.

City's response was disjointed before Sane cracked the outside of the right post with a 77th-minute free-kick.

De Bruyne's freak goal then set nerves jangling and Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus spurned free-headed chances for Palace to hold on.

There is still a long way to go in the title race but City now have two defeats to set against Liverpool's unbeaten record. Back-to-back away games are on the horizon and they cannot afford to lose any more ground before hosting Jurgen Klopp's men in a blockbuster clash on January 3.

The "can City be stopped?" fatalism of a couple of weeks ago now feels preposterous. Talking of fatalism, many Palace fans would have dismissed the notion of sitting six points clear of the drop zone at Christmas.

Guardiola's men travel to Leicester City on Boxing Day, a week on from winning a penalty shoot-out in the EFL Cup quarter-final at the King Power Stadium. Palace return to Selhurst Park for a potentially pivotal clash against Cardiff City.

Vardy ends Foxes' 18-year wait for Stamford Bridge win

Jamie Vardy scored on his 250th Leicester City appearance as the Foxes ended an 18-year wait for a Premier League win at Chelsea in a 1-0 triumph.

The former England striker had been starved of service until clinically finishing a brilliant Leicester counter early in the second half, which ultimately proved enough to clinch a first win at Stamford Bridge since 2000.

When you get that first victory at Stamford Bridge in 18 years! 😆 pic.twitter.com/ILkKvKgfBl

— Leicester City (@LCFC) December 22, 2018

It was a hugely frustrating afternoon for Maurizio Sarri's side, who controlled large periods of the game and saw Eden Hazard - one shy of 100 competitive goals for the Blues - hit the crossbar in the first half as well as Marcos Alonso strike the post in the 91st minute when clean through.

Chelsea, who lost a league match at home for the first time under Sarri, consequently head into Christmas 11 points behind leaders Liverpool, while rumours that Leicester were planning on sacking Claude Puel may subside after this much-needed win.

Chelsea's play was sharp if lacking in incisiveness early doors, although David Luiz was desperately close to meeting Pedro's flick on from a Willian corner.

Aubameyang bags brace as Emery's men bounce back

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang re-established himself as the Premier League's top goalscorer this season ahead of Mohamed Salah by netting a brace as Arsenal bounced back from consecutive defeats with a 3-1 win over Burnley.

Salah's strike against Wolves on Friday left Aubameyang second among the division's top marksmen, but the Gabon international was clinical in either half of a game that saw Arsenal bury the memory of their 3-2 loss at Southampton and 2-0 League Cup reverse against Tottenham.

Alex Iwobi added a third for the hosts in stoppage time when he beat the Burnley offside trap.

How about that?!

The top 6 ahead of Saturday's final match pic.twitter.com/7SMFkwbsnJ

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 22, 2018

Unai Emery started Mesut Ozil for the first time in a league game since November 11 and the German made a strong case for a regular spot in an Arsenal side pushing Chelsea hard for fourth place in the table.

Defeat leaves Burnley in danger of going second-bottom later on Saturday depending on results elsewhere after Sean Dyche's men forced a second-half goal through Ashley Barnes, but failed to muster a comeback that might have earned them a precious point.