Premier performs a tight job. Arsenal defeated Liverpool 3-1 and prevented a late escape by handing the reigning champions their second league loss. The London club closed the gap to two points. The biggest question now is whether the leader could change if City drop a couple of games. Arsenal will travel to Brentford this Monday.
A thrilling clash at the Emirates ended with goals born more from defensive lapses than stylish attacking play. Liverpool’s back line looked fragile all afternoon. Bukayo Saka corrected a careless miscue and, after failing to meet a superb cross from Gabriel Martinelli, recovered to volley home via Alisson Becker’s parry, Kai Havertz having threaded a precise run between the visitors’ central defenders.
Two funny moments marked the game. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk failed to track the second Arsenal goal while Alisson rushed out to claim a loose ball, only for the Brazilian to poke it into an empty net. The sequence became one of the most unusual goals in recent memory. In first-half stoppage time, Luis Díaz pressed for a goal that Saliba cut out, only for a deflection to send the ball wrong-footed into his own net, creating a chaotic frame.
Jurgen Klopp reshuffled the squad with three changes, yet the changes yielded limited improvement beyond firming up Arsenal’s defense and triggering counterattacks after Ibrahima Konaté was sent off. Thiago Alcántara returned to action after a spell on the sidelines since April. In injury-time, Leandro Trossard found space at the near post and slid a shot through Alisson’s legs, then clipped Virgil van Dijk. As Mikel Arteta celebrated along the Emirates wing, Liverpool’s fate hung in the balance as a second Arsenal goal arrived on a tough afternoon for the visitors.
Chelsea faced a painful day as their title hopes drifted away. Mauricio Pochettino has yet to unlock Stamford Bridge, with the team trailing Aston Villa in fourth place by 15 points and Tottenham by 13 in the chase for European places. The home supporters let Pochettino hear their frustration after a 1-4 setback.
After conceding four at Anfield, Chelsea were routed again at home by Wolverhampton. A poor run extended a season that continues to disappoint. The blue shirt showed brave moments, but the defining action came when Cole Porter opened the scoring with a striking finish that highlighted Chelsea’s fragility.
Pochettino endured an encore of jeers when a chant predicting his dismissal rang around the stadium. The team then conceded two own goals before the break. Wolverhampton equalized quickly, Matheus Cunha steering in a deflected shot off Thiago Silva and Aït Nouri heading into his own net on the final touch before halftime.
The visitors surged again after the break, with Cunha finishing to put Wolves ahead. Pedro Neto’s pressure from the flank forced a moment of panic, and Cunha added a second. Malo Gusto’s stoppage-time foul on Cunha gifted him a penalty, which he converted. Thiago Silva headed a late corner to make it 4-2, leaving Chelsea crestfallen.
Manchester United showed resilience in their chase for consistency, turning around a disappointing stretch with a sharp 3-0 home win against West Ham. The result moves United closer to European places, with a six-point gap to Chelsea currently on the board. Rasmus Højlund broke the deadlock just after the first-half whistle, and Alejandro Garnacho doubled the advantage in the second period. West Ham produced more shots, but they lacked precision until the final third.
In another Sunday fixture, Nottingham Forest earned a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, keeping themselves within striking distance of the relegation zone. Justin Kluivert opened the scoring for Forest in the fifth minute, while Callum Hudson-Odoi equalized just before the break, preserving a point for the hosts.