Arsenal F.C. tightened their grip at the top of the Premier League with a commanding 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur F.C. on Sunday, as Eberechi Eze delivered a standout performance against his side’s fiercest rivals.
With pressure mounting after consecutive draws against Brentford and Wolves allowed Manchester City to close the gap, Mikel Arteta’s team knew there was little room for error. They responded in emphatic fashion. Restored to the starting line-up after limited minutes in recent weeks, Eze made his presence count.
The midfielder, who came close to joining Spurs before sealing a move from Crystal Palace F.C. last August, opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark, reacting quickest inside the box to hook the ball home. Tottenham responded almost immediately, with Randal Kolo Muani drawing the hosts level to keep the contest alive.
Arsenal regained control early in the second half when Viktor Gyokeres found the net with what could prove a defining goal in the title run-in. Eze then struck again, calmly finishing after Guglielmo Vicario denied Bukayo Saka. Gyokeres sealed the result in stoppage time, putting the outcome beyond doubt.
The win restores Arsenal’s five-point cushion at the summit, though Manchester City still hold a game in hand ahead of a crucial meeting between the sides in April. For Tottenham, it was a difficult afternoon in Igor Tudor’s first match as interim boss, leaving them just four points above the relegation zone.
Elsewhere, Liverpool F.C. left it late to edge Nottingham Forest F.C. 1-0. Alexis Mac Allister struck in the 97th minute, sweeping home a rebound after Virgil van Dijk’s header was saved. Earlier, Mac Allister had seen a goal ruled out for handball after blocking Ola Aina’s clearance.
Forest, under new manager Vitor Pereira in his first league game in charge, looked set to secure a point before conceding late. The defeat leaves them hovering dangerously close to the bottom three.
Liverpool remain sixth but move level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United, while staying within reach of Aston Villa in the race for European qualification. Mac Allister admitted the performance fell short despite the result, acknowledging that improvements are still needed.
Fulham F.C. climbed into the top half after a 3-1 win over Sunderland A.F.C. at the Stadium of Light, with Raul Jimenez scoring twice.
At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace F.C. eased mounting frustration among supporters with a narrow 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.. Evann Guessand netted his first Palace goal in the 90th minute to settle the contest. Wolves, reduced to ten men after Ladislav Krejci was sent off, also saw Tolu Arokodare have a first-half penalty saved by Dean Henderson, missing a chance to climb off the foot of the table.
