Arsenal Extend Premier League Lead with Leeds Rout, Chelsea Stage Dramatic Comeback
Arsenal settled any fears of a collapse in their pursuit of a first Premier League title in 22 years by thrashing Leeds United 4-0 on Saturday. Meanwhile, Chelsea produced a stunning second-half fightback to beat West Ham United 3-2 in a dramatic London derby.
Gunners Stretch Advantage at Elland Road
The Gunners' advantage over Manchester City and Aston Villa, who are both in action on Sunday, stretches to seven points as Mikel Arteta's men took another significant step towards the title at Elland Road. This victory comes after a run of just two points from a possible nine in Arsenal's previous three league games, which had raised questions over the mentality of Arteta's squad and their ability to get over the line in a tense title race.
Arsenal were dealt a blow before kick-off as Bukayo Saka was injured in the warm-up. However, his replacement Noni Madueke played a pivotal role in inflicting just a second defeat in 12 games on Leeds. "A very impressive performance, a very impressive result, especially in the context that we've done it," said Arteta after the match.
Madueke's cross was headed in by Martin Zubimendi to open the scoring. Leeds goalkeeper Karl Darlow could then only parry another dangerous delivery from the England winger into his own goal before half-time. Despite a fine run of form, Leeds remain only six points above the relegation zone.
Their first defeat at home since November was confirmed when the much-criticised Viktor Gyokeres latched onto Gabriel Martinelli's cross to blast in his 11th goal since joining Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon. Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to round off the scoring with a blistering strike four minutes from time.
Arsenal will now be hoping local rivals Tottenham Hotspur can do them a favour when Manchester City visit north London on Sunday, while Aston Villa host Brentford.
Rosenior Inspires Chelsea Comeback at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea's fine start under manager Liam Rosenior continued, but they climbed into the top four the hard way after being outplayed by relegation-threatened West Ham for 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were booed off at half-time by their own fans after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville gave the visitors a deserved lead.
A third consecutive league win would have taken Nuno Espirito Santo's side to within two points of safety. However, West Ham wilted under the weight of Chelsea pressure after Rosenior's triple half-time substitution inspired a transformed second-half performance.
Two of those introduced at the break, Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella, brought Chelsea level before Enzo Fernandez fired in the winner in stoppage time. This dramatic victory moves Chelsea above Manchester United into fourth place and opens up a four-point lead over Liverpool, who host Newcastle later, in the battle for a place in next season's UEFA Champions League.
Other Premier League Results
In other Premier League action, Everton snatched a 1-1 draw at Brighton thanks to Beto's 97th-minute equaliser in a result that does little for either side's aspirations of European football next season. Pascal Gross' first goal since returning to the Seagulls from Borussia Dortmund had put Brighton in front.
Bournemouth ended any remaining worries of being dragged into a relegation fight as goals from Eli Kroupi and Alex Scott earned a 2-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Cherries climb up to 12th place and are now 13 points clear of the relegation zone.
