Leader Arsenal edges Man United in thriller
City’s Haaland nets another hat-trick • Liverpool, Chelsea play to stalemate • Everton’s woes continue
LONDON (Reuters) – Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with Eddie Nketiah scoring twice in a 3-2 defeat of Manchester United, including a 90th-minute winner, in a rip-roaring clash at The Emirates on Sunday night.
It looked as though it would end honors even after United withstood a late siege, but Nketiah tapped in from close range to send the home fans into raptures.
A game that fully lived up to expectations saw Marcus Rashford give United the lead with a stunning early opener only for Nketiah to head Arsenal level in a frantic first half.
Bukayo Saka’s flashing drive gave Arsenal the lead in the 53rd minute, but Lisandro Martinez’s header leveled it up before the hour mark to set up an absorbing finale.
Saka struck the post and Nketiah was denied by David de Gea but the hosts were relentless as they avenged their loss to United earlier in the season – their sole defeat.
Mikel Arteta’s side has 50 points from 19 games with City on 45 and United in fourth place on 39, below Newcastle United on goal difference.
Earlier, Norwegian goalscoring phenomenon Erling Haaland fired his fourth Premier League hat-trick of a remarkable season to earn Manchester City a comfortable 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
City dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead after Haaland headed home from a pinpoint cross from Kevin De Bruyne in the 40th minute.
It was a matter of time until City got that crucial second goal, with Haaland converting from the spot following a foul on Ilkay Gundogan five minutes after the break.
The Norwegian then quickly completed his treble to put the game to bed.
Haaland broke former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of being the fastest player to four Premier League hat-tricks. Haaland’s four came in 19 games, Van Nistelrooy’s in 65.
Haaland had in fact endured a mini goal drought of three City appearances in all competitions prior to last week’s strike against Tottenham Hotspur, but he certainly brought his shooting boots for the visit of struggling Wolves.
His remarkable 25-goal league haul from 19 matches would have been enough to win the Premier League golden boot in each of the previous four seasons. Dixie Dean’s record of 60 goals scored in a single league season, set in 1928, remains in sight.
Also, Leeds United and Brentford played out a 0-0 draw at Elland Road oas the hosts failed to move far from the relegation zone following a frustrating afternoon.
The stalemate, which stretches Leeds’ winless run to six league games, leaves it a point above the drop zone in 15th.
On Saturday, Liverpool and Chelsea’s chances of a top-four finish suffered a blow as the pair played out a disappointing 0-0 draw, while Everton’s relegation fears grew after a 2-0 loss at West Ham United.
Only Southampton is below Everton on goal difference alone - after the bottom
side lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa, while West Ham’s win meant Bournemouth replaced it in the bottom three despite earning a point in its 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle United stretched its unbeaten Premier League run to a club-record 15 matches and crept up into third place despite being held to a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.
On Jurgen Klopp’s 1,000th game in management, Liverpool seemed shorn of confidence as it looked to avoid three straight league defeats, only creating half chances with Cody Gakpo missing the best of them in the opening period at Anfield.
The visitors introduced big-money January signing Mykhailo Mudryk in the second half but, while he looked lively, the Ukrainian was unable to lift the Blues, who earned a single point that leaves them 10th, level on 29 points with Liverpool in eighth and Brentford ninth.
All three sides are nine points off the top four, with Chelsea having played 20 games to Liverpool and Brentford’s 19 apiece.
Liverpool has failed to win any of its last three league games, while it is the first time it has failed to score in consecutive matches in the competition since March 2021.
Chelsea is now without a win in its last six league games on the road, its longest comparable run in the competition since September-December 2015.
“We have to be ready for little steps and this is a little step,” Klopp said. “A clean sheet against Chelsea, we didn’t create a lot of chances and they had some as well.
“We defended in the second half with passion and clear organization, but we were too deep in these moments. In the end, I’m OK with 0-0 because you have to accept these steps.”
Liverpool’s Merseyside rival Everton has been an ever-present in the top flight since 1954/55, but relegation remains a real possibility this term after another uninspiring display at West Ham.
The defeat - Everton’s sixth in the last seven league games-- will add to the pressure on manager Frank Lampard, while for West Ham boss David Moyes’s victory will be sweet relief after his side took just one point from the last 21 available.
Jarrod Bowen scored both goals in a seven-minute first half spell, first netting from close range on the end of Emerson Palmieri’s cross, before being set up for his second by good work by Michail Antonio.
Everton offered little in attack, with away supporters again calling for the club’s board to resign throughout the clash. It has collected just 15 points from 20 league games this season - the club’s fewest points won after 20 games of any league campaign in its history.
“Pressure is nothing new to us, we were in the same situation last season,” Everton’s Alex Iwobi told Sky Sports. “We have a break coming up and we have to regroup.
“It is not just the manager who takes responsibility, the players are fighting for him and the club.”
Newcastle kept a sixth successive Premier League clean sheet, but was left frustrated at Palace.
Southampton suffered a blow in its bid to avoid relegation as it lost to Villa in a match disrupted by a rogue drone.
Ollie Watkins struck Villa’s winner in the 77th minute off a free kick by Douglas Luiz shortly after Saints had been controversially denied the opening goal by VAR.
Forest’s Sam Surridge fired a late equalizer against his former club to earn his side a point at Bournemouth, leaving Gary O’Neil’s side in the bottom three, while teenage striker Evan Ferguson rescued a 2-2 draw for Brighton & Hove Albion at Leicester City.