By Ayomide Otitoju
Manchester City boosted their Premier League title ambitions with a 2–1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday, tightening their grip on the race as rivals faltered at a crucial stage of the season.
Arsenal, managed by Mikel Arteta, had led the standings for much of the campaign but now risk falling short in their bid for a first league title in 22 years. Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal in the 65th minute after Rayan Cherki’s opener was cancelled out by Kai Havertz, who capitalised on a costly error by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arsenal came close to salvaging a point late on, but Havertz missed a clear chance, heading over the bar, leaving Arteta visibly frustrated on the touchline. The result leaves City in a strong position, with a win in their game in hand set to take them top of the table and move them closer to a seventh league title in nine seasons under Pep Guardiola.
Elsewhere, Liverpool strengthened their push for Champions League qualification with a dramatic 2–1 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby. Captain Virgil van Dijk scored a stoppage-time winner, heading home a corner from Dominik Szoboszlai deep into added time.
Mohamed Salah had earlier given Liverpool the lead following an assist from Cody Gakpo, before Beto equalised for Everton shortly after the break. The win moves Liverpool further clear in the race for a top-five finish, which guarantees Champions League football.
In another fixture, Aston Villa secured a dramatic 4–3 victory over Sunderland, with Tammy Abraham scoring a late winner after Villa had nearly squandered a two-goal lead. Ollie Watkins netted twice as Villa moved level on points with Manchester United in the race for European qualification.
At the bottom of the table, Nottingham Forest eased relegation fears with a 4–1 comeback win over Burnley, inspired by a hat-trick from Morgan Gibbs-White. The result increases pressure on Tottenham Hotspur, who remain in danger alongside West Ham United near the relegation zone.
