Arsenal passed the latest test of its Premier League title credentials with a crucial 2-1 win against Chelsea on Sunday, and Manchester United climbed up to third by beating Crystal Palace 2-1 to boost its pursuit of a return to the Champions League.
Jurrien Timber’s second-half goal saw Arsenal re-establish a five-point lead over second-place Manchester City after Pep Guardiola’s team kept the pressure on at the top by beating Leeds on Saturday.
Victory against Chelsea saw Arsenal overcome another of its major rivals and move a step closer to a first league title since 2004. It leaves the visit to City next month as potentially the last major hurdle for Mikel Arteta’s team, which has no other games against the rest of the current top seven in the standings.
“We have the feeling that we have to win and win and win. You win so many games, but it is not enough to open the gap. That is the level of this league,” Arteta said.
Benjamin Sesko’s seventh goal in eight games sealed victory for United against Palace and moved it above Aston Villa in third on goal difference.
At the other end of the standings, Tottenham’s winless run extended to 10 games after a 2-1 loss at Fulham — leaving it mired in a fight to avoid relegation. Nottingham Forest also failed to pull further away from the drop zone after a 2-1 loss at Brighton.
Arsenal had to respond after City closed the gap to two points a day earlier. And if Arsenal goes on to claim the title, it may well look back on this win as a decisive moment.
Even when down to 10 men, after Pedro Neto was sent off in the second half, Chelsea pushed deep into added time for an equalizer.
David Raya produced a stunning save to push Alejandro Garnacho’s goalbound cross away as the seconds ran down at the Emirates. And the home fans breathed a sigh of relief when Liam Delap’s goal was ruled out for offside in the dying moments.
In the end, Arsenal’s threat from set pieces proved the difference again. William Saliba put the home team in front, converting from a corner after 21 minutes.
And after Piero Hincapie’s own-goal got Chelsea back into the game in first-half added time, Timber headed in from another corner in the 66th.
With 16 goals from corners this season, Arsenal has tied the record for a Premier League season, according to stats provider Opta.
“It feels like a big result,” United captain Bruno Fernandes said after his team beat Palace.
United’s latest win boosted its push for a return to the Champions League and further strengthened Michael Carrick’s credentials to be given the coach’s job on a long-term basis.
He remains unbeaten since being given a contract to the end of the season in January, with a record of six wins in seven games. His cause may also have been helped after overcoming a Palace team coached by Oliver Glasner, who was one of the early favorites to get the job when United fired Ruben Amorim at the start of the year.
Over two spells as United coach, Carrick has picked up 23 points from nine games. Opta said it was the joint highest points total for a manager after his first nine games in the league’s history — equaling Ange Postecoglou’s start at Tottenham.
“This place means a lot to me so to have the sort of positivity and everyone enjoying going to the games and watching it and for me to have an influence on that, I’m not going to lie, it feels good,” Carrick said. (JapanToday)
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