Ramsey turns up heat on Chelsea for Gunners

ARSENAL narrowed the gap on Chelsea to four points at the top of the Barclays Premier League table with a 1-0 victory at Burnley yesterday. Aaron Ramsey netted his ninth goal of the season in the 12th minute to seal the win over the relegation-threatened Turf Moor outfit.

The other side of north London had little to celebrate, though, with Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke striking on 35 minutes to keep Tottenham away from the European places for another week. No player in the Barclays Premier League has scored more goals than the Belgian striker (eight) since former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood took the Villa Park job in February.

Elsewhere, Leicester City triumphed over West Brom in a five-goal thriller at the Hawthorns. Scotland captain Darren Fletcher opened the scoring for the hosts with just eight minutes gone, before David Nugent hit the back of the net to level on the 20minute mark. Craig Gardner restored the lead for Tony Pulis’ side six minutes later but the Foxes wouldn’t give up. Robert Huth powered home a header with 10 minutes left on the clock and Jamie Vardy sealed all three points for the bottom side in the last minute of play to make it 3-2 and ensure they stay within three points of Hull City and survival.

Hull themselves were put to the sword in a routine 2-0 win for Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium. Ronald Koeman’s side are chasing their highestever league finish and a 56thminute penalty from James Ward-Prowse followed by Graziano Pelle’s first league goal in 15 matches saw the hosts rise to fifth.

West Ham had a home victory snatched from their clutches in the fifth minute of added time against Stoke, with Marko Arnautovic equalising to make it 1-1 after Aaron Cresswell’s seventh-minute free kick.

In the early kick-off, Aaron Lennon drew first blood on 41 minutes for Everton at the Liberty Stadium before Jonjo Shelvey’s 69th-minute penalty salvaged a point for Garry Monk’s side.