Arsenal restored their five-point cushion at the summit of the Premier League with a commanding 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, while Liverpool left it late to edge Nottingham Forest 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Alexis Mac Allister.
Midfielder Eberechi Eze was once again Tottenham’s tormentor, netting twice in the north London derby to hand Mikel Arteta’s side a crucial win after consecutive draws against Brentford and Wolves had allowed Manchester City to tighten the title race.
Eze, who had previously hit a hat-trick in November’s first derby meeting of the campaign, returned to the starting XI after limited game time in recent weeks. He justified his inclusion by opening the scoring just past the half-hour mark, hooking home from close range.
Tottenham responded swiftly, with Randal Kolo Muani bringing the visitors level. However, Arsenal regained control early in the second half when Viktor Gyokeres struck what proved to be a pivotal goal.
Eze then grabbed his second of the afternoon, calmly finishing after goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario denied Bukayo Saka. Gyokeres sealed the emphatic result deep into stoppage time.
The victory offers Arsenal breathing room as they chase a first league crown in 22 years, although Manchester City still hold a game in hand and will host the Gunners in April. Tottenham, meanwhile, remain precariously positioned, just four points clear of the relegation zone in Igor Tudor’s first outing as interim manager.
Liverpool leave it late
At the City Ground, Liverpool required a dramatic 97th-minute intervention from Mac Allister to secure three vital points in their push for Champions League qualification.
Forest, under their fourth manager of the season, Vitor Pereira, appeared set to claim a hard-earned draw. Mac Allister had earlier seen a goal disallowed after the ball was judged to have struck his arm when blocking Ola Aina’s clearance.
But the Argentine midfielder eventually made the difference, sweeping home after Virgil van Dijk’s header was saved, sparking frustration from Pereira on the touchline.
Liverpool remain sixth but move level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, closing to within six points of Aston Villa.
“I love scoring, I love winning, so in that sense I think it’s a really good day,” said Mac Allister.
“But on the other hand, I don’t think we played very well. There are plenty of things we need to improve.”
Mixed fortunes elsewhere
Fulham climbed into the top half after a 3-1 away win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, with Raul Jimenez scoring twice for Marco Silva’s side.
Crystal Palace eased mounting pressure at Selhurst Park with a narrow 1-0 triumph over 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers. Evann Guessand netted his first goal for Palace in the 90th minute.
Earlier, Tolu Arokodare saw a first-half penalty saved by Dean Henderson. Wolves’ troubles worsened when Ladislav Krejci was sent off for kicking the ball away, leaving the league’s bottom side still chasing a chance to avoid equalling Derby’s record-low 11-point Premier League tally.
