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With victories over Leicester City and Bournemouth, respectively, Arsenal and Manchester City kept up their fight for the Premier League championship on Saturday, while Leeds United moved out of the relegation zone.
Arsenal briefly held a five-point lead after a 1-0 victory at Leicester City thanks to Gabriel Martinelli, but City quickly answered by thrashing struggling Bournemouth 4-1 with a club-record 27th Premier League goal of the year from Erling Haaland.
With Junior Firpo’s goal, Leeds snapped a 10-game losing streak and moved up to 17th place in their first game under new manager Javi Gracia.
West Ham United beat fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest 4-0 at the London Stadium thanks to four goals in the second half from the hosts, who also picked up three crucial points. Danny Ings scored his first goals for the club.
However, Everton lost 2-0 to Aston Villa at home, dropping them back into the bottom three.
Liverpool labored to a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, a result that moved them up one spot in the table to seventh, but it was difficult for them to recover from their Champions League midweek beating at the hands of Real Madrid at Anfield.
It had been 18 years since Palace had defeated Liverpool without allowing a goal.
ARETAS BELIEF
Arsenal has impressively bounced back from their home loss to champions City with victories at Villa and Leicester.
Leandro Trossard’s first-half goal was disallowed by VAR, but it was the Belgian who provided the pass that Brazilian Martinelli used to score in the 46th minute.
When asked about his team’s performance, manager Mikel Arteta said, “I had full faith the players could do it.”
“I think defensively today we were incredible because we limited Leicester to one shot on target in the entire home game, which is a difficult thing to do,” said the team’s defensive captain.
In the race for the championship, Arsenal has 57 points after 24 games, while City has 55 after 25.
With draws at mediocre Nottingham Forest and away to RB Leipzig in the Champions League in midweek, City lost its momentum after defeating Arsenal. However, they were back to their ruthless best at Bournemouth in the first half, scoring three goals.
After 15 minutes, Haaland’s deflected shot hit the crossbar and Julian Alvarez buried the rebound.
Then, just before the half-hour mark, the Norwegian scored his 27th league goal of the year with a relatively easy finish to surpass Sergio Aguero’s total from the 2014–15 season and break City’s record for Premier League goals scored in a season.
On the verge of the break, Phil Foden effectively secured the three points by capitalizing on an errant pass to make it 3-0 with a rasping finish. After the break, Chris Mepham’s own goal made it 4-0, and Jefferson Lerma scored on a volley to give the hosts, who finished the day in the bottom three, a late consolation.
RELATIONSHIP FIGHT
With clubs reversing positions on a weekly basis, the relegation battle is indicating that it will be particularly intense this season.
Former Watford manager Gracia had Leeds playing without a league victory since November 5 but had an immediate impact.
In front of a boisterous Elland Road crowd, Firpo scored the game’s first goal in the 77th minute by sneaking a weak shot past goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.
“The team needed it after going 10 games without a victory. Although only one step, it is a crucial one “told Sky Sports, Gracia.
Ings, a January transfer from Aston Villa, scored the game-winning goal in the 70th minute of West Ham’s home match against Forest when he headed a Jarrod Bowen cross past goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Three minutes after Ings’ first goal from Said Benrahma’s assist, Declan Rice made it 3-0, and substitute Michail Antonio finished off the rout.
The goals from Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia for the visiting Villa team dealt a blow to Everton’s hopes of avoiding relegation.
After John McGinn was knocked over by Idrissa Gueye just past the hour mark, Watkins scored the game’s first goal from the penalty spot, and Buendia added insult to injury for Everton in stoppage time.
Bournemouth and Everton both have 21 points, while Southampton has 18 points from 24 games, placing them last. With 23 points, West Ham moved up to 16th place, while Leeds are at 22.
