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 Liverpool’s draw with Nottingham Forest the previous day, with Leandro Trossard scoring the decisive goal at the Emirates Stadium. “Everyone knows these matchups are crucial. The fans are excited, and it’s a fantastic night for us,” remarked Trossard. “The feeling is extraordinary, especially to score the winner. We needed that, and now we look ahead.”
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 competitions—a 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, “Less than 72 hours ago we played 120 minutes in another competition and were eliminated; that’s not easy to deal with emotionally. The way we performed today was remarkable.” Meanwhile, Tottenham’s struggles continue, having won only one of their last nine league fixtures. “It pains me to lose, but this is unacceptable. We’ve experienced too many losses this year and can’t let games slip away,” 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.
“Like many strikers, Isak strives to perfect his finishing. He puts in extra work after training every day,” praised Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. Isak’s impressive form has bolstered Newcastle’s push for Champions League qualification, as he’s 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 Moyes’ 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 Everton’s manager, receiving a warm welcome from the fans at Goodison Park. However, warm welcomes failed to translate into results, as Ollie Watkins’ 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 City’s 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 Nistelrooy’s 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. “Going six games without a win is unacceptable. We can’t keep discussing performances; we must start winning, and we need that to happen soon,” asserted Van Nistelrooy.
Meanwhile, Manchester United, who face action on Thursday, found themselves slipping to 15th in the standings following Palace’s victory. Ruben Amorim’s squad is set to clash with last-placed Southampton at Old Trafford.
