Sunday's Premier League results and roundup: Man United beat Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest draw with Fulham, Leeds hold Crystal Palace

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UCL and survival: Sunday's PL roundup as Utd beat Villa, while Forest, Leeds, Fulham, Palace draw
© Iconsport / SPI

There were three Premier League matches at 2:00PM on Sunday, with Manchester United beating Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

While the battle for a place in the Champions League took place, there were also key relegation clashes, with Leeds United drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and Nottingham Forest drawing 0-0 with Fulham at the City Ground.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up the early afternoon's action.

Man United 3-1 Aston Villa: Bruno Fernandes stars as Champions League race intensifies

With both sides aiming to finish in the top five and secure Champions League football, neither Man United nor Aston Villa could afford to lose at Old Trafford, but the hosts managed to claim three points after winning 3-1.

The game was initially dull, with few opportunities of note for either team, but the match was predictably opened up in the early stages of the second half from a set piece.

Casemiro flicked on Bruno Fernandes's corner from the right to score his seventh Premier League goal of the season, but forgotten man Ross Barkley equalised after the hour mark despite protestations from the hosts about a potential offside from Amadou Onana.

United would put themselves back in front through Matheus Cunha with 20 minutes left to play, atfer Fernandes played an incredible pass behind Villa's defence on the left, before the Brazilian fired low into the right corner of the net.

Benjamin Sesko came on as a substitute and managed to round off a strong United performance by smashing home a third, helping his side put the disappointment of losing against Newcastle United on March 4 behind them.

Red Devils boss Michael Carrick's side are in third place with 54 points, whereas Villa end the match in fourth place with 51 points.

It would be unfair to say that Villa boss Unai Emery cannot take the team any further, but the stark decline of star striker Ollie Watkins, as well as consistent injury issues in midfield, highlight the need for significant investment.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Leeds United: Key point in relegation fight for Daniel Farke's resilient team

Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert Lewin missed a first-half penalty that would have put his side in a dominant position, and his miss was compounded by teammate Gabriel Gudmundsson's red card for a second bookable offence just before the interval.

Despite boasting an extra man for the entirety of the second half, Palace only mustered one shot between the 45th and 69th minutes.

While the Eagles pushed to find the winner, they were forced to settle for a 0-0 stalemate, and the result left them in 14th place with 39 points.

Oliver Glasner's side did play on Thursday in the Conference League against AEK Larnaca, so perhaps a level of exhaustion was understandable, though there is little excuse for drawing when having an extra player on the pitch.

Leeds are still in the midst of a relegation battle given they are in 15th with 32 points, with their tally on three more than 18th-placed West Ham.

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham: Dan Ndoye denied winner in close VAR call

After West Ham United's draw with Manchester City on Saturday left Nottingham Forest in the relegation zone, it was imperative that they at least avoided defeat against Fulham, though they were only able to draw 0-0 at the City Ground.

The first half was unremarkable, but the hosts significantly ramped up the pressure after the break, with Ola Aina striking the bar.

Dan Ndoye thought he had given Forest the lead in the 65th minute, but he was deemed by VAR to be in an offisde position as he ran in behind, and replays showed it was the closest of calls.

The result lifts Vitor Pereira's hosts outside of the relegation zone into 17th, but their tally of 29 points is the same as 18th-placed West Ham and 16th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who will face Liverpool later on Sunday.

Fulham are out of the FA Cup, and given they are in 11th place with 41 points, they have likely already secured their top-flight status.

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