Arsenal has extended its lead over Manchester City to seven points in the Premier League title chase. The Gunners narrowly edged Brighton 1-0 on a Bukayo Saka goal while Manchester City could only manage a point in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the Etihad. Arsenal enjoyed a piece of luck in further bolstering its title hunt when Saka’s ninth-minute goal resulted from a deflection off a Brighton player which dribbled through the legs of flat-footed Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The Gunners proceeded to preserve their lead in ugly fashion, their blatant time-wasting infuriating Brighton Manager Fabian Hurzeler. Arsenal, however, has little interest in style points as it grounds out results in pursuit of a long-sought title.
That title hope got a boost when Manchester City could only manage a draw versus a desperate Nottingham Forest side which is fighting for Premier League survival. The result was clearly damaging to Manchester City’s title prospects. Assessing the outcome for Nottingham Forest is a bit more complicated. West Ham’s victory over Fulham puts the Hammers level with the Tricky Trees in the dangerous nether regions of the table. The away point by Forest against a top opponent, however, keeps them out of the relegation zone for now based on a superior goal differential to that of West Ham. Elliot Anderson, ironically rumored to be moving to Manchester City in the summer, scored the 76th minute equalizer to keep the Tricky Trees safe for the time being. The dropped points by Manchester City came despite January addition Antoine Semenyo scoring his seventh goal for his new club.
Chelsea striker Joao Pedro has now found the net 17 times in his debut season with the London club after his hat trick keyed Chelsea’s 4-1 demolition of Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The victory moved Chelsea past Liverpool into fifth place with five spots expected to be available for Premier League clubs in next season’s Champions League. Chelsea is also just three points removed from third place Manchester United and struggling Villa which is level on points but deficient in goal differential to the Red Devils. Aston Villa lost a second consecutive match and has won just one of its last six Premier League matches.
Liverpool, meanwhile, was a 1-0 loser to suddenly dangerous Wolves. Wolverhampton, which has won just three matches all season, secured a second win in five days when Andre scored in the 94th minute, the fifth time that Liverpool has conceded a stoppage time winner this season. Wolves also relied on a stoppage time goal last weekend in a win over Aston Villa as Manager Rob Edwards has his men displaying grit despite their inevitable relegation plight. Liverpool could ill afford the dropped points as it now has fallen out of the presumed Champions League places in the table. The Champions League race is far from finished, however, as the four clubs in spots 3-6 in the Premier League table are separated by just three points.
Manchester United, third in the table, lost its first league match under interim manager Michael Carrick. The good feeling of Carrick’s seven match unbeaten run gave way to incredulity as the Red Devils fell to a 10-man Newcastle side. The Magpies had lost three of their past four Premier League matches entering Wednesday’s match at St. James’ Park. Things looked dark for the home side when Jacob Ramsey was dismissed with a red card in a wild first half stoppage period. Following Ramsey’s 46th minute red card, Anthony Gordon gave the shorthanded Magpies a short-lived lead, converting a penalty kick after the Newcastle speedster was fouled in the Manchester United box by Bruno Fernandes.
Three minutes later, a Casemiro header would equalize things for the Red Devils off a Fernandes corner. Following all that late first half excitement, the two clubs then slogged through almost an entire second half where Manchester United failed to take advantage of its extra man. Frustration turned to disappointment for the Red Devils when Newcastle substitute William Osula struck the winner on the 90-minute mark.
The relegation race is also heating up with West Ham’s win at Fulham, the Nottingham Forest draw and another loss by Tottenham Hotspur. West Ham drew level on points with 17th place Nottingham Forest when Crysencio Summerville scored in the 65th minute of a 1-0 Hammer win at Craven Cottage. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, is now just a point better than the Trees and Hammers after Spurs were defeated 3-1 at home by Crystal Palace, a fifth consecutive Premier League loss for the north London club. There are already calls for the sacking of Spurs Manager Igor Tudor who has lost all three of his matches in charge.
Thursday’s debacle saw Mickey van de Ven exit via red card in the 38th minute. Crystal Palace proceeded to score all three of its goals, two from the foot of Ismaila Sarr, in what was then left of the first half. Only Burnley has been worse at home than Tottenham Hotspur this season, making Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a cauldron of catcalls, dissent and early exits.
Leeds is still not free of relegation concern after the Whites’ 1-0 loss to Sunderland; Habib Diarra scoring a second half penalty to give Sunderland its 10th victory of the Premier League season and end a four-match winless run for the Black Cats. The week’s Premier League results now reflect Leeds just two points above Tottenham Hotspur and three points clear of Nottingham Forest and West Ham in the accelerating relegation race with Burnley, a 2-0 loser to Everton on Tuesday, and Wolverhampton still seeming assured of the drop.
Brentford still hopes for a Conference League bid but those prospects for the league’s seventh place club were not overly helped by the Bees’ goalless draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday. The Premier League races, from top to bottom, resume March 14th after a FIFA international break.
