Arsenal stun poor Man City with late winner

LONDON – Arsenal sent shockwaves through the Premier League title race as they secured a thrilling 1-0 victory over reigning champions Manchester City.

The Gunners, led by manager Mikel Arteta, displayed a gritty and determined performance that saw them leapfrog City in the league standings.

Gabriel Martinelli was the hero for Arsenal, scoring a deflected strike in the 86th minute that proved to be the decisive blow. This result marks Arsenal’s first league victory over City since 2015.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expressed his delight, saying, “It feels like a big win… It has been a long time since the club beat Manchester City. We felt today could be the day, but we needed a big performance from everyone and we had that.”

The loss was a bitter pill for City to swallow, as it marked their second consecutive Premier League defeat, a rare occurrence in the last five years.

City’s lackluster performance left their star striker, Erling Haaland, largely ineffective, and their only shot on target came within the first five minutes, a Josko Gvardiol effort cleared off the line by Declan Rice.

City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged the tight contest, stating, “I think for both sides there were not a lot of chances. It was tight and, in the end, one action decided the game.”

Arsenal was fortunate not to see Matteo Kovacic sent off before half-time as he escaped a red card for a challenge on Martin Odegaard.

Martinelli’s introduction at half-time provided the spark Arsenal needed, and his deflected shot ultimately secured the victory.

Arsenal’s triumph sees them level on points with league leaders Tottenham, while City falls to third place, two points behind the Gunners.

Liverpool Held to Thrilling Draw by Brighton

Liverpool’s quest to move above Manchester City in the Premier League standings was thwarted as they played out a thrilling 2-2 draw against Brighton.

In a highly entertaining match, Liverpool found themselves pegged back by a determined Brighton side.

Brighton made an impressive start, with Simon Adingra taking advantage of a defensive error to open the scoring.

However, Liverpool struck back with Mohamed Salah slotting home after a swift counter-attack.

Salah then converted a penalty, although questions were raised about why Pascal Gross did not receive a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Brighton had opportunities to snatch all three points, with Ryan Gravenberch hitting the bar and Joao Pedro missing a glorious chance late on.

Ultimately, Lewis Dunk’s goal secured a well-deserved draw for the home side.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp commented on the result, saying, “I think it is the right result to be honest. If we were better today, we would have really hurt them. But we didn’t. That’s how I feel — a little bit ok.”

The draw means Liverpool remains behind Manchester City in the league table, and the title race continues to heat up.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa missed the chance to climb into the top four at Liverpool’s expense after being held 1-1 at Wolves.

The in-form Hwang Hee-chan put Wolves in front before Pau Torres quickly levelled for Villa.

Newcastle Held to 2-2 Draw by West Ham

Newcastle United, fresh from their stunning victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, had to settle for a 2-2 draw against West Ham.

In a back-and-forth encounter, both teams showcased their attacking prowess.

Tomas Soucek gave West Ham an early lead, but Newcastle quickly turned the game around with Alexander Isak scoring twice in a five-minute spell.

However, Newcastle couldn’t hold on to their advantage, as Mohammed Kudus netted his first Premier League goal to secure a point for West Ham.

The draw leaves Newcastle in eighth place in the league standings, just one point behind West Ham.

The Premier League remains highly competitive, with exciting matches and unexpected results shaping the title race.