LONDON: Manchester United drew 0-0 with Leeds United on Sunday to stay on track for a second-place finish in the Premier League after Burnley took a giant step towards survival.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men beat their bitter rivals 6-2 at Old Trafford in December but both sides looked short of energy and imagination in a lacklustre encounter at Elland Road.

The result takes United to 67 points after 33 games, 10 points behind champions-elect Manches­ter City but eight points clear of third-placed Leicester City.

Solskjaer rested Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani with one eye on Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg against AS Roma and they lacked fluidity, especially in the first half.

The visitors had an early chance when Marcus Rashford raced onto a long ball but he could only hit a weak shot that dribbled wide.

Stuart Dallas fired straight at Dean Henderson in the Manchester United goal as the home side grew into the game but Leeds were living dangerously, conceding fouls in dangerous positions around the penalty box.

Rashford almost made them pay in the dying moments of the first half, thundering a free-kick towards goal that was brilliantly saved by Illan Meslier.

The visitors found more of a rhythm as the second half wore on and the game opened up in the spring sunshine.

Bruno Fernandes fired wide after a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mason Greenwood’s left-footed shot was comfortably saved by Meslier.

Daniel James had a golden chance to open the scoring but failed to connect properly with a cross from Rashford.

Moments later Helder Coster’s shot was deflected onto the roof of the net at the other end after a long diagonal pass, while Mateusz Klich shot straight at Henderson when in a good position.

Solskjaer threw on Pogba and Cavani but United could not find the breakthrough.

Manchester City, United, Leicester and Chelsea currently occupy the top-four spots in the Premier League but just seven points separate Leicester from eighth-placed Everton.

Most of the teams have just five games to play.

Earlier, Chris Wood scored a first-half hat-trick as Burnley pummelled Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 to lift themselves nine points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Burnley were sharper and more committed but mid-table Wolves contributed to their downfall with some sloppy defensive work at an empty Molineux.

Wood, who is now Burnley’s outright top scorer in the Premier League, is the first player from New Zealand to score a Premier League hat-trick.

The win lifts Sean Dyche’s men to 14th in the table, nine points clear of 18th-placed Fulham with just five games remaining, meaning they are almost certain to secure a sixth successive season of top-flight football.

On Saturday, Chelsea took control of the battle to secure Champions League football next season as Timo Werner’s goal earned a 1-0 win over West Ham United.

Chelsea moved three points ahead of West Ham and four clear of sixth-placed Liverpool.

Werner secured the win for Chelsea with just his second league goal since November 7 in what has been an underwhelming first season in England.

The Germany striker scored from close range following Ben Chilwell’s low cross in the 43rd minute for his first goal in 12 appearances in all competitions.

Werner missed an even easier chance in front of a virtually open goal before West Ham’s Fabian Balbuena was sent off for following through on a clearance by landing his studs on the back of Chilwell’s right leg. The referee showed the red card after reviewing the incident on a pitchside monitor.

Elsewhere, Brighton & Hove Albion did little to aid their battle to beat the drop as they lost 1-0 at already-relegated Sheffield United to remain seven points clear of Fulham in 18th. David McGoldrick scored in the 19th minute.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2021