Everton shrugged off a seven-match winless run at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium with a 2-0 victory over Burnley boosting their chances of European qualification, but Leeds United's Premier League relegation fears deepened with a 1-0 home defeat by Sunderland on Tuesday.
James Tarkowski's first-half header and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's second-half shot gave eighth-placed Everton their first home win for almost three months to put them on 43 points, two behind sixth-placed Chelsea.
Fifteenth-placed Leeds had the chance to move nine points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United but missed out as Sunderland took the points thanks to a second-half penalty converted by Habib Diarra at a raucous Elland Road.
Habib Diarra's penalty gives @SunderlandAFC all three points on the road! 🛣️ pic.twitter.com/EYFKQaVZhB
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 3, 2026
Leeds had seen a goal by Joe Rodon ruled out for offside shortly before Sunderland's penalty, awarded after a VAR check for a handball by Ethan Ampadu.
The win put promoted Sunderland on 40 points, 15 ahead of the relegation zone, and seemingly safe.
-- NIGERIA ONLY --
Bournemouth and Brentford drew 0-0 – a result that moved Bournemouth into the top half and left Brentford seventh.
Bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers were hosting fifth-placed Liverpool in a later kickoff.
Everton's move out of their historic Goodison Park home to a state-of-the-art arena next to the River Mersey has elevated the club's income but wins have been hard to come by there.
But David Moyes's side turned on the style to comfortably dispose of second-from-bottom Burnley.
Defender Tarkowski broke the deadlock against his former club in the 32nd minute with a thumping header from James Garner's in-swinging delivery.
The hosts doubled their lead on the hour when Iliman Ndiaye sent Dewsbury-Hall clear to dink a finish over Martin Dubravka for his sixth league goal of the season.
Tarkowski and Dewsbury-Hall secure victory for the Toffees ✅🔵#SSFootball | #SSPremierLeague | #EVEBUR pic.twitter.com/ycEQRzvoxl
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) March 3, 2026
Idrissa Gueye almost made it 3-0 with a curling effort that smacked against the crossbar.
Burnley's 18th league defeat of the season left them eight points from the safety zone with nine games remaining.