Manchester United's miserable season continued on Saturday as Everton boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Ralf Rangnick's side at Goodison Park.

Out of all cup competitions, United were looking to earn a victory that would have moved them level on points with Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.

But their task was made all the more difficult when Anthony Gordon gave Everton a first-half lead.

For the Toffees, hovering above the relegation zone, the nerves showed after the break, but the visitors lacked the quality to get back into the match despite a wealth of attacking options on the pitch.

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A late Cristiano Ronaldo effort was as close as United came to a leveller as they slipped to a loss that leaves the team with the most English top flight titles ever seventh in the standings, three points behind Spurs, who play Aston Villa later on Saturday.

Everton defended for their lives at the death, hanging on for a precious victory that helped them pull four points clear of 18th-placed Burnley, who travel to Norwich City on Sunday.

Brought back into the United starting lineup, Marcus Rashford looked lively on his 200th Premier League start early on, forcing two good saves out of home goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The groans became more audible around Goodison as the half wore on, with their error-prone team misplacing pass after pass.

The hosts did not muster an attack until the 27th minute, but they got the stroke of luck they needed as Gordon's effort was deflected past David de Gea off United captain Harry Maguire's back and in, as the home fans roared with delight.

Buoyed by their break, Brazilian striker Richarlison found the confidence to send a dipping strike towards goal, again aided by a deflection, which forced De Gea into an agile stop.

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With their season in danger of fizzling out, United needed a response in the second half. Bruno Fernandes picked out a brilliant pass for Rashford, but he failed to connect when through on goal.

For all their possession in the second half – United had almost 75% of the ball after the interval – they could not find the killer pass, with a Paul Pogba effort from distance and Ronaldo's late snapshot their only real opportunities of note.

Rangnick rang the changes, but it had little effect, as United meander towards another disappointing season finish - five years without a trophy come the end of this campaign, and nine since their last league triumph.

Manchester United's miserable season continued on Saturday as Everton boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Ralf Rangnick's side at Goodison Park.

Manchester United's miserable season continued on Saturday as Everton boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Ralf Rangnick's side at Goodison Park. Out of all cup competitions, United were looking to earn a victory that would have moved them level on points with Tottenham Hotspur in fourth. But their task was made all the more difficult when Anthony Gordon gave Everton a first-half lead. For the Toffees, hovering above the relegation zone, the nerves showed after the break, but the visitors lacked the quality to get back into the match despite a wealth of attacking options on the pitch. ALSO READ: Willing to discuss recruitment plans with successor, says Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick A late Cristiano Ronaldo effort was as close as United came to a leveller as they slipped to a loss that leaves the team with the most English top flight titles ever seventh in the standings, three points behind Spurs, who play Aston Villa later on Saturday. Everton defended for their lives at the death, hanging on for a precious victory that helped them pull four points clear of 18th-placed Burnley, who travel to Norwich City on Sunday. Brought back into the United starting lineup, Marcus Rashford looked lively on his 200th Premier League start early on, forcing two good saves out of home goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The groans became more audible around Goodison as the half wore on, with their error-prone team misplacing pass after pass. The hosts did not muster an attack until the 27th minute, but they got the stroke of luck they needed as Gordon's effort was deflected past David de Gea off United captain Harry Maguire's back and in, as the home fans roared with delight. Buoyed by their break, Brazilian striker Richarlison found the confidence to send a dipping strike towards goal, again aided by a deflection, which forced De Gea into an agile stop. ALSO READ: Premier League: Manchester City's clash with Liverpool biggest game of season, says Phil Foden With their season in danger of fizzling out, United needed a response in the second half. Bruno Fernandes picked out a brilliant pass for Rashford, but he failed to connect when through on goal. For all their possession in the second half – United had almost 75% of the ball after the interval – they could not find the killer pass, with a Paul Pogba effort from distance and Ronaldo's late snapshot their only real opportunities of note. Rangnick rang the changes, but it had little effect, as United meander towards another disappointing season finish - five years without a trophy come the end of this campaign, and nine since their last league triumph.

Premier League: Everton boost survival hopes with 1-0 victory over Manchester United

Villarreal stunned six times European Cup winners Bayern Munich with a deserved 1-0 win after creating a hatful of chances in a frantic Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

In the end Nigerian-born Dutch forward Arnaut Danjuma's eighth minute strike gave Unai Emery's side a slender lead for the second leg at the Allianz Arena in Munich next Tuesday.

Villarreal took the game to Bayern and should probably have won by a larger margin given their clear opportunities.

The Europa League holders suffocated Julian Nagelsmann’s team, who struggled to find their touch in the final third, and were a constant menace to keeper Manuel Neuer on the counter.

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Villarreal had a Francis Coquelin effort chalked off by VAR for offside while Gerard Moreno almost scored twice - first with a long-range strike that hit the post and later trying to lob Neuer with an effort from inside his own half that went wide.

Danjuma and Alfonso Pedraza wasted two clear chances in the last few minutes, missing the target from inside the area.

"Our team is very hungry and humble," Man-of-the-Match Giovani Lo Celso told Movistar Plus. "But we faced one of the best teams in the world and we go out with the sensation that we should have scored several more goals."

"We knew that we needed to shorten the field for them - they are a team that can’t have spaces to work the ball. We played our game, we are a team that always try to be the protagonist and we had a lot of opportunities to win by a bigger margin."

Villarreal coach Unai Emery has won a record four Europa League titles - three with Sevilla - and his current side look to have inherited his DNA and adapted it to the Champions League in their efforts to compete toe-to-toe with the leading clubs.

They eliminated Juventus in the last 16 and have now shocked Bayern, who were unbeaten in this year's competition and tasted their first Champions League defeat away from home since 2017.

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The build-up to Villarreal's winner started with Moreno, who is the heart and soul of the Yellow Submarine.

He received the ball close to the right touchline and played it through to Lo Celso whose low cross was struck first time by Dani Parejo. Neuer looked to have it covered but Danjuma got there first and stroked the ball home from close range.

"We know that it will be a completely different game in Germany," captain Parejo told reporters.

"We had at least five opportunities to score, they didn’t create a single one. That says a lot about what we are capable of. So we will go there and compete with the same passion."

Villarreal stunned six times European Cup winners Bayern Munich with a deserved 1-0 win after creating a hatful of chances in a frantic Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

Villarreal stunned six times European Cup winners Bayern Munich with a deserved 1-0 win after creating a hatful of chances in a frantic Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. In the end Nigerian-born Dutch forward Arnaut Danjuma's eighth minute strike gave Unai Emery's side a slender lead for the second leg at the Allianz Arena in Munich next Tuesday. Villarreal took the game to Bayern and should probably have won by a larger margin given their clear opportunities. The Europa League holders suffocated Julian Nagelsmann’s team, who struggled to find their touch in the final third, and were a constant menace to keeper Manuel Neuer on the counter. ALSO READ: UEFA Champions League: Semi-final spot in sight as Liverpool thrash Benfica 3-1 Villarreal had a Francis Coquelin effort chalked off by VAR for offside while Gerard Moreno almost scored twice - first with a long-range strike that hit the post and later trying to lob Neuer with an effort from inside his own half that went wide. Danjuma and Alfonso Pedraza wasted two clear chances in the last few minutes, missing the target from inside the area. "Our team is very hungry and humble," Man-of-the-Match Giovani Lo Celso told Movistar Plus. "But we faced one of the best teams in the world and we go out with the sensation that we should have scored several more goals." "We knew that we needed to shorten the field for them - they are a team that can’t have spaces to work the ball. We played our game, we are a team that always try to be the protagonist and we had a lot of opportunities to win by a bigger margin." Villarreal coach Unai Emery has won a record four Europa League titles - three with Sevilla - and his current side look to have inherited his DNA and adapted it to the Champions League in their efforts to compete toe-to-toe with the leading clubs. They eliminated Juventus in the last 16 and have now shocked Bayern, who were unbeaten in this year's competition and tasted their first Champions League defeat away from home since 2017. ALSO READ: UEFA Champions League: Kevin De Bruyne strikes as Manchester City beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 The build-up to Villarreal's winner started with Moreno, who is the heart and soul of the Yellow Submarine. He received the ball close to the right touchline and played it through to Lo Celso whose low cross was struck first time by Dani Parejo. Neuer looked to have it covered but Danjuma got there first and stroked the ball home from close range. "We know that it will be a completely different game in Germany," captain Parejo told reporters. "We had at least five opportunities to score, they didn’t create a single one. That says a lot about what we are capable of. So we will go there and compete with the same passion."

UEFA Champions League: Arnaut Danjuma's early strike helps Villarreal edge past Bayern Munich 1-0

West Indies clinched the Botham-Richards Trophy with an emphatic 10-wicket victory over England in the deciding test on Sunday, a result that few saw coming after the hosts'&nbsp;mediocre performances in the first two tests.

After gratefully escaping with draws in Antigua and Barbados, brilliant solo performances by Joshua Da Silva with the bat and Kyle Mayers with the ball were largely the difference between the two teams in the deciding Grenada test.

An unbeaten first-innings century by wicketkeeper Da Silva gave West Indies a handy lead on Saturday, before Mayers rammed home the advantage by taking 5-18 in the second innings with his seemingly innocuous-looking medium pace.

Chasing a token target of 28 in their second innings, West Indies reached it without loss, captain Kraigg Brathwaite fittingly hitting the winning runs to seal a 1-0 series triumph and end another barren England trip to the Caribbean.

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Brathwaite was named Player of the Series on the back of his batting in the second test, where he saved West Indies with a marathon first innings of 160 followed by an unbeaten 56.

England have only one series win in 11 visits to the West Indies in the past half-century, a 3-0 victory in 2003-04.

With the ecstatic home fans dancing in the stands, and the Barmy Army unusually if understandably quiet, Brathwaite acknowledged that the series could have gone either way.

"Yesterday was a really remarkable day for us, to show the fight and attitude we had from the get-go, it's key to carry that forward," he said.

"We can't take it for granted. It's easy to be happy with a series win and relax but I don't think we can relax. We've got to stay hungry."

Even before the England team trudged off the field in dismay, commentators were calling for Joe Root to step down as captain, though the man himself indicated a desire to continue in the job.

Although one of the world's best batters, with a test average of nearly 50, Root has rarely looked a natural leader and has earned a reputation as an unimaginative captain.

"For his own sanity he needs to have a long think about what he does with his future," said former England bowler Steve Harmison.

A tour that was meant to be a "red ball reset" after a 4-0 Ashes away loss to Australia only raised more questions than it answered about the immediate future of English test cricket.

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Without James Anderson and Stuart Broad, both controversially omitted for the series, the bowling attack lacked a cutting edge, though the solid debut of Saqib Mahmood was a bright spot.

Similarly too the batting was inconsistent, not withstanding two centuries by Root, while opener Alex Lees also impressed with his decision-making and discipline in the final two tests after a poor debut in Antigua.

England resumed on Sunday with a lead of only 10 runs and two wickets in hand, and stout resistance by Jack Leach was merely a stay of execution as Kemar Roach picked up both wickets.

He broke a stubborn partnership with his first ball of the morning, having Chris Woakes caught brilliantly one-handed by Jason Holder at leg-slip for 19.

Leach was caught behind from a thin edge for four, off 55 balls, though it needed a review after the umpire gave a not out decision, leaving England all out for 120.

West Indies clinched the Botham-Richards Trophy with an emphatic 10-wicket victory over England in the deciding test on Sunday, a result that few saw coming after the hosts' mediocre performances in the first two tests.

West Indies clinched the Botham-Richards Trophy with an emphatic 10-wicket victory over England in the deciding test on Sunday, a result that few saw coming after the hosts' mediocre performances in the first two tests. After gratefully escaping with draws in Antigua and Barbados, brilliant solo performances by Joshua Da Silva with the bat and Kyle Mayers with the ball were largely the difference between the two teams in the deciding Grenada test. An unbeaten first-innings century by wicketkeeper Da Silva gave West Indies a handy lead on Saturday, before Mayers rammed home the advantage by taking 5-18 in the second innings with his seemingly innocuous-looking medium pace. Chasing a token target of 28 in their second innings, West Indies reached it without loss, captain Kraigg Brathwaite fittingly hitting the winning runs to seal a 1-0 series triumph and end another barren England trip to the Caribbean. ALSO READ: Holder to Stoinis: Overseas stars who will miss Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans clash in IPL 2022 Brathwaite was named Player of the Series on the back of his batting in the second test, where he saved West Indies with a marathon first innings of 160 followed by an unbeaten 56. England have only one series win in 11 visits to the West Indies in the past half-century, a 3-0 victory in 2003-04. With the ecstatic home fans dancing in the stands, and the Barmy Army unusually if understandably quiet, Brathwaite acknowledged that the series could have gone either way. "Yesterday was a really remarkable day for us, to show the fight and attitude we had from the get-go, it's key to carry that forward," he said. "We can't take it for granted. It's easy to be happy with a series win and relax but I don't think we can relax. We've got to stay hungry." Even before the England team trudged off the field in dismay, commentators were calling for Joe Root to step down as captain, though the man himself indicated a desire to continue in the job. Although one of the world's best batters, with a test average of nearly 50, Root has rarely looked a natural leader and has earned a reputation as an unimaginative captain. "For his own sanity he needs to have a long think about what he does with his future," said former England bowler Steve Harmison. A tour that was meant to be a "red ball reset" after a 4-0 Ashes away loss to Australia only raised more questions than it answered about the immediate future of English test cricket. ALSO READ: IPL 2022: Krunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda to feature? Lucknow Super Giants' predicted playing XI for GT clash Without James Anderson and Stuart Broad, both controversially omitted for the series, the bowling attack lacked a cutting edge, though the solid debut of Saqib Mahmood was a bright spot. Similarly too the batting was inconsistent, not withstanding two centuries by Root, while opener Alex Lees also impressed with his decision-making and discipline in the final two tests after a poor debut in Antigua. England resumed on Sunday with a lead of only 10 runs and two wickets in hand, and stout resistance by Jack Leach was merely a stay of execution as Kemar Roach picked up both wickets. He broke a stubborn partnership with his first ball of the morning, having Chris Woakes caught brilliantly one-handed by Jason Holder at leg-slip for 19. Leach was caught behind from a thin edge for four, off 55 balls, though it needed a review after the umpire gave a not out decision, leaving England all out for 120.

West Indies grab Botham-Richards Trophy with a thumping 10-wicket victory against England in 3rd Test

Battling Costa Rica edged 10-man Canada 1-0 on Thursday to deny the North Americans their first chance to clinch a spot in the 2022 World Cup finals.

Canada arrived in San Jose unbeaten in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying and looking to secure a berth in their first World Cup finals since 1986.

In little more than a half-hour, though, they found themselves down 10 men and things went from bad to worse when Celso Borges netted a first-half stoppage-time header that proved the only goal of the game.

Despite the loss, Canada sit top of the group standings on 25 points, three points clear of Mexico and the United States who battled to 0-0 draw at Azteca Stadium. With the win, Costa Rica moved into fourth on 19 points, still in the hunt for automatic qualification.

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The top three automatically earn spots in November's World Cup in Qatar with the fourth-place finisher facing an Oceania team in an intercontinental playoff for another berth.

Canada's next chance to end their 36-year World Cup finals wait comes when they host Jamaica on Sunday in Toronto, before wrapping up qualifying on Wednesday away to Panama.

"This is football, we win 17 games where we've had the football gods with us," said Canada coach John Herdman. "They weren't with us tonight.

"But that's made us hungry to come back home and take what we need to take.

"We'll get back to Canada, we'll regroup and with this talent and passion and desire after this match we'll be ready."

Despite their group rivals gaining ground, Herdman was confident Canada would advance.

"We're not looking over our shouder, destiny is in our hands," he added.

"We'll get to Qatar."

They'll hope for a better start than in San Jose, where they were reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute when Mark-Anthony Kaye picked up a second yellow card.

Borges superb header put the Ticos in front, but they faced a more disciplined, regrouped Canada in the second half as the visitors applied all the pressure. Tajon Buchanan hit the crossbar and Richie Laryea's long-range drive forced a diving save out of Keylor Navas.

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In Panama, the home side needed a victory over winless Honduras to try to scrap their way into the top three. But they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw when a Kevin Lopez 65th minute header cancelled out Rolando Blackburn's first-half strike.

The draw dropped Panama into fifth, a point behind Costa Rica, but still in the chase for a spot in Qatar with two games remaining.

In Kingston, El Salvador saw their hopes of getting to the finals end with a 1-1 draw with Jamaica.

Needing a win to keep alive any chance of sealing fourth place and a playoff, El Salvador started brightly, going ahead in the 21st minute with Eriq Zavaleta heading home from a corner.

But Jamaica, already eliminated, struck back to crush El Salvador dreams with a 72nd-minute equaliser from Andre Gray.

Battling Costa Rica edged 10-man Canada 1-0 on Thursday to deny the North Americans their first chance to clinch a spot in the 2022 World Cup finals. Canada arrived in San Jose unbeaten in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying and looking to secure a berth in their first World Cup finals since 1986.

Battling Costa Rica edged 10-man Canada 1-0 on Thursday to deny the North Americans their first chance to clinch a spot in the 2022 World Cup finals. Canada arrived in San Jose unbeaten in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying and looking to secure a berth in their first World Cup finals since 1986. In little more than a half-hour, though, they found themselves down 10 men and things went from bad to worse when Celso Borges netted a first-half stoppage-time header that proved the only goal of the game. Despite the loss, Canada sit top of the group standings on 25 points, three points clear of Mexico and the United States who battled to 0-0 draw at Azteca Stadium. With the win, Costa Rica moved into fourth on 19 points, still in the hunt for automatic qualification. ALSO READ: Portugal survive Turkey scare to move closer to World Cup The top three automatically earn spots in November's World Cup in Qatar with the fourth-place finisher facing an Oceania team in an intercontinental playoff for another berth. Canada's next chance to end their 36-year World Cup finals wait comes when they host Jamaica on Sunday in Toronto, before wrapping up qualifying on Wednesday away to Panama. "This is football, we win 17 games where we've had the football gods with us," said Canada coach John Herdman. "They weren't with us tonight. "But that's made us hungry to come back home and take what we need to take. "We'll get back to Canada, we'll regroup and with this talent and passion and desire after this match we'll be ready." Despite their group rivals gaining ground, Herdman was confident Canada would advance. "We're not looking over our shouder, destiny is in our hands," he added. "We'll get to Qatar." They'll hope for a better start than in San Jose, where they were reduced to 10 men in the 34th minute when Mark-Anthony Kaye picked up a second yellow card. Borges superb header put the Ticos in front, but they faced a more disciplined, regrouped Canada in the second half as the visitors applied all the pressure. Tajon Buchanan hit the crossbar and Richie Laryea's long-range drive forced a diving save out of Keylor Navas. ALSO READ: Huge blow! European champions Italy to miss FIFA World Cup 2022 In Panama, the home side needed a victory over winless Honduras to try to scrap their way into the top three. But they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw when a Kevin Lopez 65th minute header cancelled out Rolando Blackburn's first-half strike. The draw dropped Panama into fifth, a point behind Costa Rica, but still in the chase for a spot in Qatar with two games remaining. In Kingston, El Salvador saw their hopes of getting to the finals end with a 1-1 draw with Jamaica. Needing a win to keep alive any chance of sealing fourth place and a playoff, El Salvador started brightly, going ahead in the 21st minute with Eriq Zavaleta heading home from a corner. But Jamaica, already eliminated, struck back to crush El Salvador dreams with a 72nd-minute equaliser from Andre Gray.

Costa Rica deny Canada to clinch 2022 FIFA World Cup finals spot

&nbsp;Cristiano Ronaldo scored with a free kick which went through the defensive wall to break Gremio&#39;s brave resistance and give Real Madrid a 1-0 victory over the South American champions in the Club World Cup final on Saturday (December 16).

Ronaldo&#39;s 53rd-minute strike gave Real their second world title in a row, the third in the last four seasons, and ended Gremio&#39;s hopes of pulling off what would have been a huge upset.

The European champions, enjoying the backing of most neutrals at the Zayed Sports City Stadium, dominated as expected, with 20 shots on goal to Gremio&#39;s one, but the much more limited Brazilians still made their lives uncomfortable.

Overall, it was the Spanish club&#39;s sixth world title as they also won the old Intercontinental Cup -- now recognised by FIFA -- three times.

Real also extended European dominance with 10 wins out of 13 since the club cup was started in its current form in 2005, reflecting the region&#39;s financial dominance in the sport.

The dynamics of modern football mean that the best South American, Asian and African players line up against, rather than for, the teams from their own continents, and Real&#39;s side on Saturday included Brazilians Marcelo and Casemiro.

Gremio coach Renato Portaluppi won the old International Cup as a player with the same club in 1983 when his two goals gave them a 2-1 win over Hamburg SV but a repeat never looked on the cards.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has admitted the tournament needs a revamp and wants to replace it with a new one featuring up to 24 teams.

Gremio survived the first half with their goal intact thanks to some resolute, last-ditch tackling.

Pedro Geromel cleared Daniel Carvajal&#39;s shot off the line with goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe beaten, and Walter Kannemann made a last-gasp saving tackle on Ronaldo as he was about to shoot.

Real broke through after Ronaldo won a free kick around 25 metres from goal. As usual, the Portuguese took it himself and blasted a low shot which flew through the wall, bounced and squeezed inside Grohe&#39;s near post.

Ronaldo had another goal disallowed for a hairline offside decision. After that Modric burst through the midfield and fired against the post and Grohe made more saves from Ronaldo and substitute Gareth Bale to keep down the score.

Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said that it was a trophy they wanted and deserved to win.

Ronaldo's 53rd-minute strike gave Real their second world title in a row, the third in the last four seasons, and ended Gremio's hopes of pulling off what would have been a huge upset.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored with a free kick which went through the defensive wall to break Gremio's brave resistance and give Real Madrid a 1-0 victory over the South American champions in the Club World Cup final on Saturday (December 16). Ronaldo's 53rd-minute strike gave Real their second world title in a row, the third in the last four seasons, and ended Gremio's hopes of pulling off what would have been a huge upset. The European champions, enjoying the backing of most neutrals at the Zayed Sports City Stadium, dominated as expected, with 20 shots on goal to Gremio's one, but the much more limited Brazilians still made their lives uncomfortable. Overall, it was the Spanish club's sixth world title as they also won the old Intercontinental Cup -- now recognised by FIFA -- three times. Real also extended European dominance with 10 wins out of 13 since the club cup was started in its current form in 2005, reflecting the region's financial dominance in the sport. The dynamics of modern football mean that the best South American, Asian and African players line up against, rather than for, the teams from their own continents, and Real's side on Saturday included Brazilians Marcelo and Casemiro. Gremio coach Renato Portaluppi won the old International Cup as a player with the same club in 1983 when his two goals gave them a 2-1 win over Hamburg SV but a repeat never looked on the cards. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has admitted the tournament needs a revamp and wants to replace it with a new one featuring up to 24 teams. Gremio survived the first half with their goal intact thanks to some resolute, last-ditch tackling. Pedro Geromel cleared Daniel Carvajal's shot off the line with goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe beaten, and Walter Kannemann made a last-gasp saving tackle on Ronaldo as he was about to shoot. Real broke through after Ronaldo won a free kick around 25 metres from goal. As usual, the Portuguese took it himself and blasted a low shot which flew through the wall, bounced and squeezed inside Grohe's near post. Ronaldo had another goal disallowed for a hairline offside decision. After that Modric burst through the midfield and fired against the post and Grohe made more saves from Ronaldo and substitute Gareth Bale to keep down the score. Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said that it was a trophy they wanted and deserved to win.

Ronaldo free-kick gives Real another world title

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Premier League: Everton boost survival hopes with 1-0 victory over Manchester United

UEFA Champions League: Arnaut Danjuma's early strike helps Villarreal edge past Bayern Munich 1-0

West Indies grab Botham-Richards Trophy with a thumping 10-wicket victory against England in 3rd Test

Costa Rica deny Canada to clinch 2022 FIFA World Cup finals spot

Ronaldo free-kick gives Real another world title