The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Arsenal fight back to prove a point
Premier league: Manchester City held to a draw by top-four rivals at Emirates Stadium
ARSENAL proved their season still has signs of life after twice battling back to earn a 2-2 draw with their Premier League top-four rivals MANCHESTER CITY.
Against a backdrop of uncertainty over the future of manager Arsene Wenger and the supporter protests aimed at ousting the Frenchman, the Gunners showed they can still cut it with the best in the division as they fought for a point.
Leroy Sane put the visitors ahead inside five minutes and Sergio Aguero restored the lead for Pep Guardiola’s men just 131 seconds after Theo Walcott had levelled.
Shkodran Mustafi headed Arsenal back on terms once more with just his second goal for the Gunners, who remain sixth in the table as a result, seven points adrift of City in fourth.
SWANSEA head coach Paul Clement complained that Swansea should have been awarded a late penalty in their goalless draw against relegation rivals MIDDLESBROUGH.
There were five minutes remaining when Gylfi Sigurdsson’s goalbound free-kick struck the arm of Adam Forshaw in the Middlesbrough wall.
But referee Bobby Madley frustrated Clement and the majority of fans inside the Liberty Stadium crowd when he pointed for a corner rather than to the penalty spot.
CRYSTAL PALACE striker Christian Benteke says the Eagles’ confidence is soaring.
Palace won 2-1 at CHELSEA on Saturday for a fourth straight win, with Benteke netting what proved to be the winner.
A second successive win at Stamford Bridge – after a 33-year wait for the first – saw Sam Allardyce’s men move to 31 points, further away from relegation danger.
Cesc Fabregas had given Chelsea a fifthminute lead, but Wilfried Zaha equalised. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged
TOTTENHAM to be ready to capitalise on any more Chelsea slip-ups after moving within seven points of the Premier League leaders with a 2-0 win at BURNLEY.
The win came courtesy of second-half strikes by Eric Dier and Son Heung-min
Midfielder Emre Can feels LIVERPOOL are back to their best after the mid-season slump which derailed their title bid.
The 3-1 victory in the 228th Merseyside derby made it 10 points from the last 12.
It strengthened their spot in the top four, with all the other Champions League-chasing teams having to play at least one other of the top six. Liverpool have no remaining opponents currently above eighth place.
Marouane Fellaini said while matches like Saturday’s home clash with WEST BROM are “not easy” for MANCHESTER UNITED, they must find a way to win them.
United were held to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford by a well-drilled Albion side who sat deep virtually throughout the contest.
It was the eighth time in the Premier League this season the Red Devils have had to settle for a point from a home game,
Former Chelsea and Holland boss Guus Hiddink says he turned down an opportunity to manage LEICESTER following the dismissal of Claudio Ranieri.
Ranieri was replaced by assistant Craig Shakespeare, who has since turned around the club’s form. He has won his first four Premier League games in charge, including Saturday’s 2-0 victory over STOKE, and is only the fifth manager to achieve the feat.