EPL: Arsenal beat Everton to stay top as Man City, Liverpool keep pressure on
Arsenal ensured they will spend Christmas at the top of the Premier League table after grinding out a narrow 1-0 victory over Everton on Merseyside, keeping their title rivals at arm’s length despite wins for Manchester City and Liverpool.
City had briefly moved to the summit earlier on Saturday thanks to a dominant 3-0 home win over West Ham, but Arsenal quickly restored their two-point cushion later in the day.
Arsenal hold nerve at Everton
Viktor Gyökeres’ first-half penalty proved decisive at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in a match overshadowed by several contentious refereeing decisions.
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The Gunners felt they should have been awarded a spot-kick for a foul on Gyökeres moments before Jake O’Brien was penalised for handball. The Swedish striker kept his composure to convert from the spot and give Arsenal the lead.
Mikel Arteta’s side failed to truly sparkle but did enough to secure all three points. Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi both struck the woodwork after the break, while Everton were left furious after two strong penalty appeals involving Thierno Barry were waved away.
Despite the frustration, Arsenal held firm to record another vital away win in their title push.
Haaland fires City past West Ham
Manchester City continued their relentless chase with a seventh straight win in all competitions, powered by another prolific display from Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian opened the scoring after just five minutes at the Etihad before turning provider for City’s second, calmly setting up Tijjani Reijnders for his first goal for the club just before half-time.
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Haaland then completed his brace 21 minutes from time, taking his astonishing tally to 38 goals for club and country this season.
Despite the comfortable victory, Pep Guardiola issued a warning to his players.
“I want to be honest. I said to the players, ‘Merry Christmas everyone, but it will not be enough if we don’t improve,’” Guardiola said, as City sit one point behind Arsenal.
Liverpool survive Spurs chaos
Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to six league games with a nervy 2-1 win over nine-man Tottenham, deepening the pressure on Spurs boss Thomas Frank. The turning point came in the 33rd minute when Xavi Simons was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Virgil van Dijk, leaving Spurs with an uphill task.
Despite Mohamed Salah’s absence at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool eventually made their numerical advantage count. Alexander Isak, introduced at half-time, scored just his third goal since his £125 million move in September but was forced off soon after with another injury concern.
Hugo Ekitike doubled the visitors’ lead, but Liverpool wobbled late on after Richarlison pulled one back, making for a tense finale.
“The last few minutes were the worst part of our game,” said manager Arne Slot. “It became very chaotic.”
Liverpool move up to fifth, while Tottenham slip to 13th after a fifth home defeat in nine league matches. Frank’s problems were compounded when captain Cristian Romero was sent off in stoppage time.
Chelsea rally, Wolves sink further
Chelsea remain fourth on goal difference after staging a second-half comeback to draw with Newcastle, easing some pressure on manager Enzo Maresca.
The Blues were 2-0 down at half-time after a Nick Woltemade double, but a superb Reece James free-kick and a Joao Pedro equaliser rescued a point.
At the other end of the table, Wolves’ miserable season continued as they fell to a 2-0 home defeat against Brentford, leaving them still without a league win and staring at unwanted records.
Round-Up Results
- Burnley ended a seven-game losing run thanks to Armando Broja’s 90th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth
- Leeds moved six points clear of the relegation zone with a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring twice
- Sunderland climbed to sixth after a goalless draw away at Brighton
With Arsenal setting the pace, City in hot pursuit, and Liverpool quietly closing in, the Premier League title race is shaping up to be as intense as ever heading into the festive period.
SportsLigue