Arsenal reduced the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points following a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the north London derby on Wednesday evening.
Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal capitalized on Liverpoolโs draw with Nottingham Forest the previous day, with Leandro Trossard scoring the decisive goal at the Emirates Stadium. โEveryone knows these matchups are crucial. The fans are excited, and itโs a fantastic night for us,โ remarked Trossard. โThe feeling is extraordinary, especially to score the winner. We needed that, and now we look ahead.โ
After finishing behind Manchester City in the league for two consecutive seasons, Arsenal is once again vying for the championship. However, they faced an early challenge from Spurs, as Son Heung-min netted the opener for the visitors in the 25th minute. An own goal by Dominic Solanke while attempting to clear a corner equalized for Arsenal in the 40th minute. Trossard then delivered a low shot from just inside the box four minutes later to give Arsenal the lead.
Although Liverpool has a game in hand over Arsenal in second place, they have faltered recently, managing only a draw in their past two matches and securing just one win in their last four across all competitionsโa victory against fourth-tier Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup. In contrast, Arsenal quickly recovered from their FA Cup exit by Manchester United, establishing a two-point cushion over Nottingham Forest, who occupy third place.
Arteta highlighted the mental strength of his squad, stating, โLess than 72 hours ago we played 120 minutes in another competition and were eliminated; thatโs not easy to deal with emotionally. The way we performed today was remarkable.โ Meanwhile, Tottenhamโs struggles continue, having won only one of their last nine league fixtures. โIt pains me to lose, but this is unacceptable. Weโve experienced too many losses this year and canโt let games slip away,โ commented head coach Ange Postecoglou.
In other notable performances, Alexander Isak scored again, marking his eighth consecutive league match with a goal, leading Newcastle into the top four. The Swedish attacker netted twice in a 3-0 win against Wolverhampton, bringing his season tally to 17 in all competitions. He becomes only the fourth player to score in eight straight Premier League games, joining the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jamie Vardy, and Daniel Sturridge.
โLike many strikers, Isak strives to perfect his finishing. He puts in extra work after training every day,โ praised Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. Isakโs impressive form has bolstered Newcastleโs push for Champions League qualification, as heโs accumulated 12 goals in his last 10 outings. Newcastle is also riding a nine-match winning streak, with Isak scoring his first goal in the 34th minute against relegation-threatened Wolves and adding another at the 57-minute mark, while Anthony stretched his scoring run to four games.
On a disappointing note, David Moyesโ return to Everton glided through an unfortunate 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa. In his second tenure at the club, Moyes marked his 519th match as Evertonโs manager, receiving a warm welcome from the fans at Goodison Park. However, warm welcomes failed to translate into results, as Ollie Watkinsโ goal six minutes into the second half clinched victory for Villa. Everton currently sits in 16th place, just a point clear of the relegation zone, and Moyes urgently needs to find a way to energize an attack that has scored in only two of their last eleven league games.
Leicester Cityโs recent appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy has yet to yield positive outcomes, as evidenced by their 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace. This defeat leaves the 2016 champions in 19th place, without a league win since Van Nistelrooyโs initial match in December. That loss marked their sixth consecutive league defeat, with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guehi securing the win for Palace in the second half at the King Power Stadium. โGoing six games without a win is unacceptable. We canโt keep discussing performances; we must start winning, and we need that to happen soon,โ asserted Van Nistelrooy.
Meanwhile, Manchester United, who face action on Thursday, found themselves slipping to 15th in the standings following Palaceโs victory. Ruben Amorimโs squad is set to clash with last-placed Southampton at Old Trafford.