EPL Winners and Losers After Sunday's 2019 Week 18 Premier League Results

Manchester United slipped to an embarrassing 2-0 Premier League defeat to bottom side Watford on Sunday at Vicarage Road.

A first Premier League goal for Ismaila Sarr and a Troy Deeney penalty handed the Hornets their first home win of 2019-20 and moved them within six points of safety.

Sunday's other top-flight fixture saw Chelsea win 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur. Willian grabbed a double for the Blues, while Spurs ended the game with 10 men after Heung-Min Son was sent off in the second half.

Sunday's Results

Watford 2-0 Manchester United

Tottenham 0-2 Chelsea

Losers: Premier League goalkeepers

Sunday saw Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea and Tottenham stopper Paulo Gazzaniga both guilty of errors that proved costly for their sides.

De Gea should have made an easy catch from a Sarr shot that was hit into the turf and bounced up at the goalkeeper, but instead he let it slip through his fingers and into the back of the net for the opening goal:

The Spain international has now made six errors leading to goals since the start of the 2018-19 season. No player has made more, according to Opta.

De Gea's mistake saw him come in for heavy criticism:

Gazzaniga also endured a moment to forget during Tottenham's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea. Spurs were already 1-0 down when the stopper came flying out of his goal and flattened Marcos Alonso.

Referee Anthony Taylor initially gave the foul to Spurs, but justice was done when the decision was reversed after a VAR check and Chelsea were awarded a spot-kick.

Former goalkeeper David Preece offered his thoughts on the two goalkeepers' actions:

It was a poor afternoon for two experienced goalkeepers, with the defeats for both Manchester United and Tottenham seeing them lose further ground in the race to finish in the top four.

Winner: Frank Lampard's tactics

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard went into Sunday's match against Tottenham under some pressure after a run of four defeats from five Premier League games.

The 41-year-old responded by switching to a back three, leaving Jorginho and Christian Pulisic on the bench and bringing in Fikayo Tomori, Alonso and Mateo Kovacic.

The changes worked a treat as Lampard outfoxed his former manager Jose Mourinho with his line-up and saw his team earn a deserved three points and a first away clean sheet in the Premier League.

Goal's Nizaar Kinsella said it was Chelsea's best performance of the season:

The win sees Chelsea move six points ahead of Tottenham in the Premier League table and four ahead of Sheffield United in fifth, leaving them in good shape to secure a top-four finish.

The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg was full of praise for Lampard's management:

Chelsea's poor run ahead of Sunday's match had seen doubts raised over Lampard's managerial credentials, but the former midfielder will have banished those for the time being after a mature and commanding display by his team.

Loser: Heung-Min Son's disciplinary record

Tottenham were reduced to 10 men against Chelsea on 62 minutes when Son was sent off for planting his studs into Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger's chest.

The referee did not show a red card initially, but Son's sending off was confirmed after a VAR check:

Son's dismissal is his third in the Premier League in 2019:

The South Korea international was also sent off for a tackle on Andre Gomes against Everton in November that left the midfielder needing surgery for a fracture dislocation of the ankle, although the red card was subsequently overturned by the Football Association.

Son also saw red in May's 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth for a push on Jefferson Lerma in the first half of the contest at the Vitality Stadium.

Tottenham were already 2-0 down by the time the 27-year-old walked off the pitch, but his dismissal all but ended Spurs' hopes of getting back into the contest.

Winner: Watford's survival hopes 

Watford picked up their first home Premier League win of the season against Manchester United and just their second in the top flight on Sunday.

The win is also the first for new manager Nigel Pearson, who told his team not to get carried away after the victory (UK video only):

Sunday's win sees Watford now just six points away from safety despite a dismal start to the campaign that's included getting thrashed 8-0 by Manchester City and firing managers Javi Gracia and Quique Sanchez Flores.

Simon Mullock at the Sunday Mirror explained the impact Pearson has had on the team:

Victory over Manchester United will inject confidence into Watford and offers real hope they can survive the drop even though they will be bottom of the Premier League on Christmas Day.

Next up is a testing trip to take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, but Watford then return to Vicarage Road to take on fellow strugglers Aston Villa in a fixture they will feel they can take three points from.