Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as Bukayo Saka’s goal clinched a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium to complete a 2-1 aggregate victory.
On a momentous night for the club, Saka turned home the decisive goal just before half-time after Leandro Trossard’s shot had been parried by Jan Oblak, ensuring that Arsenal will face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on May 30.
The Gunners, aiming to lift the trophy for the first time in their history having been beaten by Barcelona in their only previous final appearance in 2006, were deserving winners but had to come through another fiercely-contested encounter with Atletico.
It might have turned out differently had the excellent Declan Rice not made a vital tackle to prevent a certain goal from Giuliano Simeone in the first half. There was another goal-saving challenge on the same Atletico player by Gabriel Magalhaes after half-time.
But Arsenal, dogged in claiming a draw in last week’s first leg, produced another outstanding defensive display to limit Atletico’s chances, clinching a ninth clean sheet in 14 European games and a 30th in all competitions this season.
They also missed chances to kill the tie at the other end of the pitch.
The tireless Viktor Gyokeres spurned the best of them, firing over the crossbar from substitute Piero Hincapie’s low cross when well placed to score in the centre of the box.
In the end, though, Saka’s goal proved sufficient, as Arsenal saw out the closing stages in relative comfort before jubilant scenes of celebration which included manager Mikel Arteta sprinting onto the pitch to join his players after the final whistle.
Arsenal will now switch their focus back to the Premier League title race, with West Ham next up on Super Sunday, knowing they will have the chance to finish an epic campaign on an unprecedented high in Budapest at the end of May. (SkySports)
Arsenal reached the Champions League semifinals after riding their luck in a nervous goalless draw against Sporting Lisbon that clinched a 1-0 aggregate victory on Wednesday.
Mikel Arteta’s team were well below their best in the quarterfinal second leg at the Emirates Stadium. But they held onto their slender first-leg advantage as Sporting failed to make them pay for the latest in a growing list of angst-ridden performances.
The Gunners will face Atletico Madrid for a place in the final after the Spanish club went through 3-2 on aggregate against Barcelona on Tuesday.
Arsenal crushed Atletico 4-0 in the group stage at the Emirates in October, but they will have to improve significantly to reach the final for the first time since 2006.
Arsenal have reached the Champions semifinals in two consecutive seasons for the first time in their history. Yet after losing three of their last five games in all competitions and winning just once, they remain a puzzling side in the midst an untimely stumble.
Arteta had challenged Arsenal to play with “pure fire” and “zero fear” in an unusually passionate press conference on Tuesday. The response was hardly emphatic as Arsenal quickly retreated into their shell in another display lacking cohesion and quality in the final third.
Arsenal haven’t lifted the Premier League since 2004 and have never won the Champions League. The Premier League leaders are on course to achieve both targets, but the flaws in Arteta’s side have become increasingly clear in recent weeks.
Losing the League Cup final against Manchester City and the FA Cup quarterfinal against second-tier Southampton was bad enough. But a shock 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday left Arteta facing pointed questions about Arsenal’s character that remain unanswered.
Arsenal are just six points ahead of second-placed City, who have a game in hand and host the Gunners in a seismic showdown on Sunday.
The north Londoners have finished Premier League runners-up for the past three seasons — twice blowing substantial leads to City in 2023 and 2024 — and the nerves are mounting.
Responding to Arteta’s call for a fiery performance, Arsenal pressed furiously in the opening 10 minutes but couldn’t make the breakthrough.
Once that initial assault petered out, Arsenal wobbled at the back and William Saliba’s wayward pass led to Francisco Trincao curling wide from the edge of the area.
Former Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres has endured an erratic debut season with Arsenal and once again he struggled to make an impact.
Gyokeres had only one serious sight of goal after a burst into the Sporting six-yard box, but he didn’t get his shot off in time and Goncalo Inacio’s tackle snuffed out the danger.
Without the injured Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, Arsenal were too often slow and unambitious in attack.
They grew increasingly edgy in a first half played out to a soundtrack of anxious groans from their frustrated fans.
Gunners ‘keeper David Raya nearly gifted Sporting a goal with a woeful pass that was intercepted by Trincao, whose miscued attempt to find Luis Suarez in the penalty area let Arsenal off the hook.
Geny Catamo was inches away from punishing Arsenal’s lethargy when he volleyed against the far post from an acute angle just before half-time.
Eberechi Eze’s drive whistled narrowly wide after the interval, before Gabriel Martinelli blasted just over and Noni Madueke shot into the side-netting.
Arteta responded by sending on Kai Havertz for Gyokeres, while Max Dowman replaced the injured Madueke.
Sporting appealed in vain for a penalty after Cristhian Mosquera’s slight push on Maxi Araujo. Arsenal were creaking but they held firm as Arteta breathed a sigh of relief.
In Munich, late strikes from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed a dramatic 4–3 win for Bayern Munich over Real Madrid on Wednesday, clinching a 6–4 aggregate victory and setting up a semifinal with holders Paris Saint-Germain.
The tie was level at the break in the second leg after a scintillating opening half, with record 15-time European champions Real going ahead three times on the night.
Bayern won 2-1 last week in the Spanish capital, but Arda Guler pounced on a loose Manuel Neuer pass to put the visitors ahead after just 34 seconds at the Allianz Arena. He scored again from a free-kick after Aleksandar Pavlovic equalised.
Harry Kane put Bayern back ahead in the tie only for Kylian Mbappe to restore parity overall when he put Madrid 3-2 up before half-time.
Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for a second yellow card with four minutes left and Bayern pushed forward, Diaz blasting into the corner from outside the box after a crucial deflection.
With Real pressing for an equaliser, Olise curled in a magnificent shot to rubberstamp Bayern’s ticket to the last four and keep alive their quest for a seventh European crown. They will head to Luis Enrique’s PSG at the end of the month.
Tempers boiled over after the final whistle with Guler picking up a straight red for confronting the referee.
“We got off to a bad start, and then conceded again through a free-kick and a counter. The first half was hectic,” Joshua Kimmich told DAZN.
“The second half was calmer, we had more control – and then managed to win it in the end. It wasn’t our best performance, but we’ll take the win.
“The two best teams in Europe will face each other. We had many top level games against Paris in recent years. I’m looking forward to it.”
The defeat for Real effectively ended their season as they look set to finish without a major trophy for the second year running. Barcelona hold a nine-point lead in La Liga and Real suffered a shock last-16 exit in the Copa del Rey.
“I feel for them (the players), for the effort they made. It hurts,” coach Alvaro Arbeloa told Movistar. “I’m very proud. We’re going back to Madrid after giving it our all.”
For the first time in Real’s long Champions League history, their starting XI did not contain a single Spanish player. Jude Bellingham, who impressed off the bench in the first leg, was one of four changes to the line-up made by Arbeloa.
Neuer, widely lauded after a vintage performance in Madrid, gifted Real an opener. The Bayern goalkeeper miscued a pass directly to Guler, who floated a first-touch shot into the unguarded goal in the first minute.
Bayern looked stunned but struck back almost immediately when Pavlovic headed in a Kimmich corner after Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin failed to read the flight of the ball.
The match had barely time to settle before Real were ahead once more thanks to a Guler goal, with Neuer again not at his best.
The Turkey international whipped a free-kick into the top corner which Neuer got a hand to but was unable to keep out.
The match continued to swing back and forth before the break, as Kane struck first before Mbappe responded by getting himself on the scoresheet.
Kane slotted clinically into the bottom corner in the 38th minute to again haul Bayern level on the night — and ahead in the tie — before Mbappe ran onto a Vinicius Junior pass and slotted home to level the tie 4-4 on aggregate.
With Real regularly cutting into Bayern’s high line, coach Vincent Kompany responded by introducing the pace of Alphonso Davies at the interval.
Both sides traded chances in the second half, with Olise particularly dangerous, forcing a fingertip save from Lunin with 20 minutes left.
Camavinga came on midway through the half but picked up two yellow cards in quick succession to leave his team a man down in the closing stages.
It proved a turning point as Bayern struck three minutes later when Diaz’s effort took a touch off Eder Militao and flashed beyond Lunin.
Olise made certain of Bayern’s progress deep into stoppage time as the German giants took down Real in a knockout clash for the first time since 2012. (JapanToday)
The first major domestic trophy of the season is Manchester City ‘s. And after a dominant 2-0 win against Arsenal in the English League Cup final on Sunday, it may not be the last.
Manchester-born Nico O’Reilly sealed victory with both goals in the second half at Wembley Stadium. The win could also have delivered a psychological blow in the race for the Premier League title as Pep Guardiola aims to chase down Arsenal’s nine-point lead at the top of the standings.
“(It’s an) unbelievable feeling to win a final and to beat this team. We know how good they are,” O’Reilly told Sky Sports. “We need to build on it now, it’ll give us momentum.”
This was serial trophy-winner Guardiola flexing his muscles. It was his 16th major trophy as City manager and a record fifth League Cup. He has won 34 career titles as a manager including his time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
And, once again, he was stamping out Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s own ambitions, having twice beaten his former assistant to the league title in recent years.
“I’m really pleased because I know the opponent we played. Mikel created a team that is almost unbeatable,” Guardiola said. “Every time you win a title it looks more difficult than in the past. It is really difficult for many reasons.”
Arsenal remains favorite to be crowned league champion this season for the first time since 2004, given its big lead. But with second-place City having a game in hand and the teams still to play each other in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium, the picture could look very different in the coming weeks.
City’s win also ended Arsenal’s bid this season for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies by an English team – including the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
“I’m very sad. It is a very hard one to take, especially for our players and our supporters because we know how much it means to them and how much we want that,” Arteta said. “We will manage that energy in the right way and we have to go through that pain and disappointment. It’s normal and it’s part of football.”
The 21-year-old O’Reilly, who came through City’s academy, was the unlikely hero with both goals from left back.
He took advantage of Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s fumble to head City in front on the hour. And he headed in a second four minutes later to effectively kill off the match.
“My whole family came down today (to watch) … I know they’ll be buzzing and I can’t wait to see them,” O’Reilly said.
Arteta said he had no regrets about selecting Kepa — who had played in previous rounds — rather than first-choice David Raya.
Tottenham’s Premier League survival fight was plunged deeper into crisis with a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, one of three league games played on Sunday.
The relegation six-pointer left Spurs one place and one point above the drop zone and raised further questions about the future of coach Igor Tudor.
“The season is tough, especially in this moment. Another very bad (result) for us,” said Tottenham captain Cristian Romero. “The situation is tough, but most important thing is play (every game) like a final now.”
Fellow relegation-fighting Forest climbed above Spurs to 16th in the standings. The only positive on another miserable day for Tottenham was defeat for West Ham at Aston Villa to keep it in the bottom three.
Tottenham – one of English soccer’s most iconic teams and a founding member of the Premier League – is still without a win in the top flight in 2026. Its last win was Dec. 28 and it has lost six of its last seven games.
Igor Jesus’ header just before halftime gave Forest the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Morgan Gibbs-White added a second just after the hour mark.
Taiwo Awoniyi completed Forest’s first league win under coach Vitor Pereira in the 87th to leave home fans fearing the end of its ever-present stay in England’s top division since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.
Tudor was hired last month to try to turn Spurs’ season around, but has lost five of his seven games in charge in all competitions and seen his team eliminated from the Champions League.
Tottenham remains one point above 18th-place West Ham, which lost 2-0 to Villa.
Villa boosted its chances of Champions League qualification and took advantage of all of its immediate rivals dropping points.
Villa is fourth, one point behind Manchester United and five points above fifth-place Liverpool.
Brian Brobbey struck in the 90th minute to give Sunderland bragging rights in the Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle.
Brobbey’s close-range effort sealed a 2-1 comeback win at St. James’ Park and saw Sunderland complete a league double over its fiercest rival.
Earlier, the game had been halted due to a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd towards Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida.
Before kickoff, there had been tense scenes between fans outside the stadium. Northumberland police said one arrest was made. (JapanToday)
Arsenal reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the job in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium.
It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in the 2025 Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 Europa League.
In their first final for six years, Arsenal will face Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley on March 22.
City hold a 2-0 lead over Newcastle ahead of Wednesday’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal haven’t won the League Cup since 1993, losing in their last three final appearances.
Now they have the chance to end that drought by winning the club’s first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.
That remains the sole silverware won by Arteta since he was hired in December 2019.
It is shaping up to be a memorable season for Arsenal, who are six points clear at the top of the Premier League and reached the Champions League last 16 by winning all eight of their group matches.
Despite their success, Arsenal have attracted criticism for their reliance on goals from corners and set-pieces.
Arteta launched a passionate defence of Arsenal’s style of play this week, revealing he has a “massive book of people” who feel his side are the “most exciting in Europe”.
Tuesday’s war of attrition will hardly silence Arsenal’s critics, but Arteta won’t care about that after leading his team to Wembley.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior had won six of his seven matches in all competitions since arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca.
But Rosenior was unable to solve his Arsenal conundrum, with the Gunners handing him the only two defeats of his brief reign.
Without captain Martin Odegaard, sidelined by a muscle problem, and winger Bukayo Saka, who was injured in the pre-match warm-up at Leeds on Saturday, Arsenal weren’t at their best but still ground out the win.
Rosenior left England forward Cole Palmer on the bench as he switched to a three-man central defence for the first time in his reign.
Rosenior’s tactics allowed Chelsea to stifle Arsenal in a scrappy first half.
The Gunners briefly shook off their shackles as Piero Hincapie’s curler from just inside the area was palmed away by Robert Sanchez. (Channels)
Arsenal settled fears of a collapse in their pursuit of a first Premier League title in 22 years by thrashing Leeds 4-0 on Saturday as Chelsea came from two goals down to beat West Ham 3-2.
Liverpool were also forced to come from behind to secure their first league win of the year as Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz shone in a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
The Gunners’ advantage over Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top of the table stretches to seven points as Mikel Arteta’s men took another step towards the title at Elland Road.
A first home defeat of the season last weekend to Manchester United capped a run of just two points from a possible nine in Arsenal’s previous three league games.
After finishing runners-up for the past three seasons, questions were raised over the mentality of Arteta’s men and their ability to get over the line in a title race.
The visitors were dealt another blow before kick-off as Bukayo Saka was injured in the warm-up.
But his replacement Noni Madueke played a major part in inflicting just a second defeat in 12 games on Leeds.
“A very impressive performance, a very impressive result, especially in the context that we’ve done it,” said Arteta.
Madueke’s cross was headed in by Martin Zubimendi to open the scoring.
Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow could then only parry another dangerous delivery from the England winger into his own goal before half-time.
Despite a fine run of form, Leeds remain only six points above the relegation zone.
Their first defeat at home since November was confirmed when the much-criticised Viktor Gyokeres latched onto Gabriel Martinelli’s cross to blast in his 11th goal since joining Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon.
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to round off the scoring with a blistering strike four minutes from time.
Arsenal will be hoping local rivals Tottenham can do them a favour when City visit north London, while Villa host Brentford on Sunday.
Chelsea’s fine start under Liam Rosenior continued but they climbed into the top four the hard way after being outplayed by relegation-threatened West Ham for 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were booed off at half-time by their own fans after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville gave the visitors a deserved lead.
A third consecutive league win would have taken Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to within two points of safety.
But they wilted under the weight of Chelsea pressure after Rosenior’s triple half-time substitution inspired a transformed second-half performance.
“The reaction in the second half tells me that we’ve got something really, really special here if I can utilise the squad in the correct way,” said Rosenior.
Two of those introduced at the break, Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella, brought Chelsea level before Enzo Fernandez fired in the winner in stoppage time.
Liverpool climbed into fifth thanks to two of their big money summer signings beginning to return on that investment.
Newcastle deservedly led at Anfield when Anthony Gordon fired the Magpies in front.
But two goals in two minutes from Ekitike, the first of which was brilliantly set up by Wirtz, transformed the mood around Anfield and eased the rising pressure on Arne Slot.
The Reds rolled over a jaded Newcastle after the break as Mohamed Salah teed up Wirtz for his sixth goal in 10 games.
Ibrahima Konate then broke into tears after scoring Liverpool’s fourth in his first match since the death of his father.
Everton snatched a 1-1 draw at Brighton thanks to Beto’s 97th-minute equaliser in a result that does little for either side’s aspirations of European football next season.
Bournemouth ended any remaining worries of being dragged into a relegation fight as goals from Eli Kroupi and Alex Scott earned a 2-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Wolves. (JapanToday)
Managerless Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
At the end of a week that saw the storied Premier League team fire head coach Ruben Amorim, the loss at Old Trafford has likely consigned United to another trophyless season and was greeted with loud jeers from the home crowd.
Interim coach Darren Fletcher admitted the 20-time English champion was “not in a good moment,” but said it was too soon to write the season off with Champions League qualification still achievable.
“It’s probably not what fans want to hear about Manchester United because they’ve been winning cups and challenging for the Premier League,” he said. “Don’t waste the season. That would be the challenge that I would set. That’s the challenge that probably the players feel like they need to achieve this year.”
Former United striker Danny Welbeck scored what proved the decisive goal in the 64th minute, and Benjamin Sesko’s late header was only a consolation for the hosts in the third-round match.
United has exited both domestic knockout competitions at the earliest possible stage this season, following the humbling loss to fourth-tier Grimsby in the English League Cup. The latest defeat means United will play the bare minimum of 40 competitive games for a top division team this season.
Its only chance of silverware this term is the Premier League, which would require a remarkable turnaround with United currently seventh in the standings and 17 points behind leader Arsenal with 17 games left.
A trophyless campaign would be back-to-back seasons in which United has ended up empty-handed.
The club’s hierarchy hope an interim coach will be able to salvage the season by securing Champions League qualification. United has spoken to former players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick about taking on the role until the summer. Fletcher, who has taken charge of the two games since Amorim’s departure, is also a contender, as well as former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The loss to Brighton underlined the challenge facing the interim coach.
“Any time you come in at Manchester United, it’s a massive job,” Fletcher said. “It’s not about a manager, it’s not about directors. It’s about everyone and the players have to group together, take responsibility, find a way of improving quickly and taking on the challenge for the rest of the season.”
Brajan Gruda fired Brighton ahead in the 12th, with Welbeck doubling the advantage after the break. Sesko scored his third goal in two games in the 85th, but substitute Shea Lacey was sent off four minutes later and United could not force an equalizer to take the game to extra time.
“I gave it my best and ultimately I’m disappointed to not be able to win a game or to get a result today,” said Fletcher, who drew his other game in charge 2-2 with relegation-fighting Burnley.
Arsenal advanced earlier Sunday with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a hat trick in a 4-1 win at Portsmouth.
Martinelli’s treble helped the Premier League leader come back from going a goal down to the second-tier Championship team inside three minutes.
Colby Bishop stunned Arsenal with the opening goal at Fratton Park, but the lead only lasted five minutes after Andre Dozzell scored an own-goal.
Martinelli put the visitors ahead with a flicked header in the 25th. He slid in for his second six minutes after the break and headed in his hat-trick goal in the 72nd. It was the first time the Brazilian had scored a hat trick for Arsenal.
Victory could have been even more emphatic if Noni Madueke had converted from the penalty spot in the first half.
“It’s always tough to go into these places, especially in the manner that we started the game, conceding the early goal, but we managed to turn things around so I’m very happy,” said manager Mikel Arteta.
Record 14-time FA Cup winner Arsenal last lifted the trophy in Arteta’s first season in charge in 2020. It was the last major honor the London club won, but victory against Portsmouth maintains its four-pronged trophy pursuit along with the Premier League title, the Champions League and the English League Cup.
“I think we are very privileged to be where we are, and the games that we have to play, which means that we are in every competition,” Arteta said.
Top-flight Leeds was also behind to Championship opposition, but recovered from 1-0 down to beat Derby 3-1 at Pride Park.
Third-tier Mansfield pulled off an upset to beat Championship side Sheffield United 4-3 and Norwich routed Walsall 5-1, with Jovon Makama scoring a hat trick. Norwich head coach Philippe Clement later said that U.S. international Josh Sargent refused to play in the game.
Relegation-fighting West Ham needed extra time to beat QPR 2-1. Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos’ goal saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s team end a 10-match winless run.
West Bromwich Albion beat Swansea 6-5 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time. Hull won 4-3 against Blackburn on penalties after a 0-0 draw. (JapanToday)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday that he was “sad” to see rival boss Ruben Amorim sacked by Manchester United as he reflected on the brutal nature of their trade.
Amorim was dismissed by the Premier League giants on Monday after just 14 months in charge.
The Portuguese coach’s exit followed growing tensions with senior Old Trafford officials, including director of football Jason Wilcox, over recent days.
United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe had previously suggested that Amorim would be given at least three years in charge, comparing his position with that of Arteta.
The Spaniard, appointed in 2019. endured a rocky start to his time in charge of Arsenal, but they now head into Thursday’s match at home to reigning champions Liverpool six points clear at the top of the Premier League table as they chase a first English title in over 20 years.
United, by contrast, are sixth — a huge 17 points adrift of the Gunners.
Amorim won just 25 of his 63 games at United in all competitions during the shortest reign for a permanent manager since David Moyes was sacked just eight months into his tenure in 2014.
“I can only talk about what I have experienced, and it’s always sad to see a colleague losing his job, obviously,” Arteta told reporters in a pre-match press conference.
“We know where we are, and I think you need support from the ownership, from your staff, from players.
“At the end of the day, you need to win a lot of football matches if you want to stay in the job, and that’s the reality and the nature of our job.” (Punch)
Arsenal edged out Brentford 2-0 to restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday as in-form Aston Villa beat Brighton 4-3 to climb up to third in the table.
The Gunners failed to hit top form at the Emirates Stadium but did enough to take another step towards a first league title in 22 years thanks to goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka.
Mikel Arteta took the chance to use his strength in depth as Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber were rested from the start as captain Martin Odegaard made his first start since early October.
Merino maintained his place up front despite Viktor Gyokeres’ return to fitness and rewarded Arteta with another vital goal.
The Spaniard was picked out perfectly by Ben White’s cross and powered in his 11th goal of the season for club and country.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews also heavily rotated, with top scorer Igor Thiago among those left on the bench.
But the Bees still posed the leaders problems and were only denied an equaliser through Kevin Schade’s header by a brilliant save from David Raya against his former club before half-time.
Saka was introduced on the hour mark and the England winger finally made the points safe in stoppage time as his strike had too much power for Caoimhin Kelleher.
Villa produced a stunning fightback against the Seagulls to continue their fine form with an eighth win in nine league games.
The visitors were their own worst enemies in a dreadful start. Jan Paul van Hecke bundled in from a corner after Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot failed to collect. Pau Torres then turned past Bizot into his own net from Jack Hinshelwood’s cross.
Ollie Watkins had scored just once in 19 previous appearances this season but turned the game around with a quickfire double before the break.
The England striker forced in Ian Maatsen’s low cross before latching onto Morgan Rogers’ brilliant through ball to slam past Bart Verbruggen.
Amadou Onana completed the comeback with a back-post header from Matty Cash’s corner before Donyell Malen made it 4-2.
Centre-back Van Hecke curled in his second of the night to set up a tense finale, but Brighton succumbed to their first home defeat of the season.
Wolves suffered an eighth consecutive defeat as Igor Jesus’ header earned Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win at Molineux that moved Sean Dyche’s men four points clear of the relegation zone.
Burnley also remain rooted in the bottom three after Daniel Munoz scored the only goal in a 1-0 win that lifted Crystal Palace up to sixth. (JapanToday)
Mikel Merino salvaged a 1-1 draw for Arsenal at 10-man Chelsea as the race for the Premier League title tightened on Sunday.
Arsenal is five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, with Chelsea a point further back in third.
Mikel Arteta’s team was boosted late in the first half at Stamford Bridge when Moises Caicedo was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Merino. But despite being a man down Chelsea went ahead in the 48th minute through Trevoh Chalobah’s header.
Merino equalized in the 59th, but Arsenal couldn’t make its numerical advantage count and dropped points away from home for the second time in successive matches.
Arsenal beat Bayern Munich midweek in the Champions League and Arteta said it had been a positive week though accepted “we should’ve won the game (Sunday), and we haven’t. That’s a learning point for me.”
The result meant Man City was the big winner of the weekend, following Saturday’s late victory against Leeds, which saw Pep Guardiola’s team climb above Chelsea to second in the standings.
“I think that we showed that we are in the right direction,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told Sky Sports. “We were a much, much better team than them when we were 11 v. 11. Then with 10 players it’s more difficult, but the way they dealt with that situation was outstanding.”
Liverpool got back to winning ways — beating West Ham 2-0 — and Manchester United rallied to a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
Aston Villa is fourth after a 1-0 win against last-placed Wolverhampton, and fifth-placed Brighton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.
Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool to set up a much-needed win for Arne Slot’s team.
On a day when Mohamed Salah was dropped to the bench, British record signing Isak opened the scoring at the London Stadium. Cody Gakpo got the second for Liverpool, which went into the match on a run of six losses in its last seven league games.
“I am aware that it has been a long time coming and I’ve been trying to get back to my best form,” Isak told Sky Sports. “I am still on the way but I am happy to have that goal.”
Isak, a $170 million signing from Newcastle in the summer, had not scored in his five league games for his new club and only had one goal in 10 games in all. But in the absence of Salah, the Sweden international converted with a first-time effort in the box after 60 minutes to open his Premier League account for the season.
Slot’s bold call to leave out the iconic Salah paid off after the Egypt international’s unconvincing form this season. Slot shook up his attack, with Florian Wirtz and Gakpo alongside Isak.
Isak’s clinical finish into the bottom corner put Liverpool in control and West Ham’s chances were dealt another blow when Lucas Paqueta was sent off in the 84th.
Gakpo converted in the second minute of added time to put the game beyond doubt.
“We have to use this win in a good way, but also be humble because we’ve had a tough time, so one win doesn’t necessarily mean we’re back,” said Isak.
Joshua Zirkzee ended a scoring drought of his own with his first league goal in almost a year.
The Dutch striker hadn’t scored in England’s top flight since a double against Everton on Dec. 1 last year, but ended that streak with a stunning strike at Selhurst Park.
A moment of individual brilliance fired United back into the game in the 54th after Jean-Philippe Mateta put Palace ahead from the penalty spot in the first half.
Collecting the ball in the box, Zirkzee spun and scored from a tight angle for only his eighth goal since joining United from Bologna last year and his first this season.
“Scoring is important but it’s not just the goals,” United coach Ruben Amorim said. “They give confidence but Joshua has also improved a lot in how he holds the ball. That should give him a lot of confidence.”
Mason Mount struck the winner from the edge of the box in the 63rd as United ended Palace’s 12-game unbeaten home run in the league.
Mateta had given Palace the lead with a twice-taken penalty in the 36th. The France international was adjudged to have double-kicked his original spot kick and was directed to retake as per the rule clarification that came in after Julian Alvarez’s accidental double touch in a shootout against Real Madrid last season helped to eliminate Atletico Madrid from the Champions League.
Villa’s Boubacar Kamara scored the only goal of the match to settle the Midlands derby against Wolves.
Wolves remains winless at the bottom of the table and nine points from safety.
Goals from Maxim De Cuyper and Stefanos Tzimas earned fifth-placed Brighton victory at Forest. (JapanToday)
Arsenal’s 10-game winning run came to an end as Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp goal gave Sunderland a dramatic 2-2 draw against the Premier League leaders, while Manchester United rescued a 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Saturday.
Former Arsenal defender Dan Ballard fired Sunderland ahead with a powerful finish in the 36th minute at the Stadium of Light.
That ended the Gunners’ run of eight consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.
Bukayo Saka levelled with a composed finish in the 54th minute before, Leandro Trossard smashed Arsenal into the lead from the edge of the Sunderland area in the 76th minute.
Arsenal were within touching distance of an 11th successive victory in all competitions, but Brobbey stabbed home from Ballard’s header to earn a point in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
It was the first time they had failed to win in any competition since a 1-1 draw with Manchester City in the top flight on September 21.
“We conceded two similar goals, which is not good enough for ourselves,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.
“But it’s true that we showed an incredible resilience and courage to come back. Even at the end after we conceded the goal we had a massive chance to win it.”
As they chase a first English title since 2004, Arsenal hold a seven-point lead at the top.
But second-placed City would close the gap on Arsenal to four points if they beat champions Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Liverpool can move within five points of Arsenal if they defeat City.
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bryan Mbeumo fired United ahead in the 32nd minute amid mounting discontent among home fans.
Booed off at half-time, Tottenham hit back and looked to have secured a dramatic victory after Mathys Tel equalised in the 84th minute and Richarlison deflected in a shot from Wilson Odobert in the 91st minute.
But United defender Matthijs de Ligt powered in a 96th-minute header to extend his side’s unbeaten run to five games.
Tottenham’s failure to hold onto the lead was another blow to their dismal record in home league games in 2025, which includes only one win in six top-flight matches in north London this term.
Neither manager was satisfied with the outcome and United boss Ruben Amorim said: “We have so much to grow as a team because today was our day to win. If we have a little bit more bravery, we can kill this game.”
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank added: “A lot of things we could have done a bit better. The last goal is all about the urgency, maybe don’t give the cross away and defend better.”
Seventh-placed United have now failed to beat fourth-placed Tottenham in eight meetings, including a 1-0 defeat in the Europa League final in May.
West Ham boosted their bid to avoid relegation with a 3-2 win against fellow strugglers Burnley at the London Stadium.
Burnley took the lead in the 35th minute when Lesley Ugochukwu’s cross reached Zian Flemming and the Dutch forward headed home from close range.
Callum Wilson hauled West Ham level with a predatory finish from the rebound after Crysencio Summerville’s shot was saved in the 44th minute.
Tomas Soucek netted for West Ham in the 77th minute, the Czech midfielder bundling in from close range after Lucas Paqueta’s cross was parried into his path by Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka.
And, when Dubravka fumbled the ball towards Kyle Walker-Peters in the 87th minute, the defender’s clinical finish put the result beyond doubt.
Josh Cullen’s stoppage-time strike was no consolation for Burnley.
Third-bottom West Ham’s second successive win moved them level on points with fourth-bottom Burnley.
Everton ended a three-game winless run with a 2-0 victory over Fulham at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane were the scorers for David Moyes’ men.
Chelsea quelled criticism of Enzo Maresca’s rotation policy with a 3-0 win against Wolves featuring the first goal of Malo Gusto’s career on Saturday.
Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney said Chelsea’s senior players should “question” Maresca’s selections after the Italian made seven changes for a 2-2 draw against Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday. (JapanToday)
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