Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes were dealt a massive blow after suffering a shocking 1-0 home defeat by West Ham United on Saturday. West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen scored the header that earned his team the points leaving Arsenal shocked from their home first league loss this season. By losing this match, Arsenal has failed to cut down Liverpool’s lead to just five points. This was mainly because of Liverpool’s match against Manchester City. This Arsenal defeat to West Ham was a significant setback.
Due to injuries, Mikel Arteta could not play a side with a recognised striker. Throughout the game, Arsenal struggled and managed only two shots on target. In the 73rd minute, substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card for a foul on Mohammed Kudus made matters worse, contributing to the Arsenal West Ham outcome.
Arteta expressed deep frustration after the match. Arteta praised West Ham but said he was fuming with his side. “We’re really unhappy and mad. We now can’t control the title race,” he said, highlighting the impact of the West Ham defeat on Arsenal.
Aston Villa Rally Past Chelsea
Aston Villa came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Villa Park after falling behind to an early goal. Enzo Fernandez scored a neat finish in the ninth minute, giving Chelsea the lead. Despite their deficit, Villa went on to pile the pressure on Chelsea.
Marco Asensio became Villa’s hero with a well-taken equaliser in the 57th minute after an astute assist by Marcus Rashford. With just a minute remaining, Asensio struck again. The goalkeeper of Chelsea, Filip Jorgensen, let Asensio’s shot go behind him for a crucial Villa victory.
Unai Emery, the Villa manager, acknowledged that his team started well but defended well. We were a little bit slow at first, late in tackles, little by little we improved and win.
The result took Aston Villa to 7th place, just 1 point behind Chelsea who dropped to 6th.
Manchester United Secure Late Draw at Everton
Manchester United almost lost against Everton, getting away with a 2-2 draw after a controversial late decision. Everton was superior in the first half and took a deserved 2-0 lead with goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure. Ruben Amorim, manager of United, slammed the side’s first half’s efforts, saying his men “did not exist.”
However, United returned stronger after the interval. United’s captain Bruno Fernandes scored from a free kick to give them hope. A goal from Manuel Ugarte about ten minutes from the end earned United a share of points.
Manchester United’s two-goal advantage did not last long as Everton equalized. United’s players protested loudly as Ashley Young looked to have been fouled by Harry Maguire. Following VAR’s inspection, Madley overturned his ruling ensuring United got a good point.
Everton’s coach David Moyes was annoyed with the decision. We want we want consistency. We only want VAR to get involved if it is obvious,” Moyes said after.
Tottenham Extend Winning Run at Ipswich
Tottenham Hotspur have extended their fine form by thrashing struggling Ipswich Town 4-1 at Portman Road. Brennan Johnson scored two first-half goals to give Spurs comfort. The match also had goals from Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham stood at 12th with 33 points and Ipswich were deep in relegation danger. Ipswich are five points adrift of safety in the relegation scrap.
Wolves Shock Bournemouth to Boost Survival Hopes
Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated Bournemouth by 1-0 to relieve relegation worries. Matheus Cunha scored his 14th of the season very soon after Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi received a red card. Zabarnyi first received a yellow card for a nasty challenge on Ait-Nouri but was shown red for the tackle after VAR checked the footage.
Bournemouth stay fifth despite loss in bid for European football. Wolves now have a five-point cushion above the drop zone, easing their worries.
Brighton and Palace Secure Comfortable Wins.
Brighton thrashed bottom club Southampton 4-0 away to increase Southampton’s relegation worries. The goals scored by Joao Pedro, Georginio Rutter, Kaoru Mitoma, and Jack Hinshelwood helped Brighton win.
Southampton’s problems grew even worse as they now sit last with only nine points from 26 games.
Crystal Palace also did well to win away at London rivals Fulham. Fulham’s Joachim Andersen scored an own goal before Palace’s Daniel Munoz netted a stunning goal in the second half.
The wins have kept Brighton’s and Palace’s hopes of the European places alive and this was the best way to set it up.
