Arsenal moved a point behind leaders Manchester City with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Newcastle United that keeps their title hopes alive.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Manchester City
MCI
|
38 | +61 | 89 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +45 | 84 |
Newcastle started in electric fashion. Jacob Murphy hit a post and then the home side were awarded a penalty for handball, only for it to be overturned by VAR.
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Arsenal went ahead against the run of play in the 14th minute, Martin Odegaard drilling in a low shot from 25 yards for his 15th goal of the season.
Back came Newcastle, roared on by their fans, and Arsenal were indebted to Aaron Ramsdale for a number of saves, the best coming in the 49th minute from a Fabian Schar close-range header.
Arsenal doubled their lead on 71 minutes when Gabriel Martinelli’s cutback was poked into his own net by Schar.
Despite more Newcastle pressure in an end-to-end match, Arsenal hung on to became only the second side after Liverpool to win at St James’ Park this season.
They have 81 points, a total only the 2003/04 "Invincibles" team beat with 90, and are guaranteed a top-two finish for the first time in seven seasons.
City, who have played a match fewer than Arsenal, can increase the gap to four points again next Sunday when they visit Everton, just before Arsenal host Brighton & Hove Albion.
See: When can the champions be decided?
West Ham all but safe
West Ham United all but secured their Premier League safety with a narrow 1-0 win over Manchester United thanks to an error from David De Gea.
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Man Utd had started the match at London Stadium the brighter, but West Ham scored with the match’s first shot on target in the 27th minute.
Said Benrahma’s low effort squirmed past the outstretched hand of De Gea. It was a league-leading fourth error leading to a goal this season by the ’keeper, who blotted a historic 540th appearance in all competitions for Man Utd, a record for the club’s goalkeepers.
Man Utd’s response for an equaliser came only in stoppage time when substitute Anthony Martial weaved his way into the area, but his shot was easily parried by Lukasz Fabianski. From the resulting corner Martial’s close-range glancing header was off target.
A first league win for David Moyes over Man Utd since he left Old Trafford in 2014 takes West Ham to 37 points in 15th place, seven points clear of the bottom three.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 |
Everton
EVE
|
38 | -23 | 36 |
| 18 |
Leicester City
LEI
|
38 | -17 | 34 |
| 19 |
Leeds United
LEE
|
38 | -30 | 31 |
| 20 |
Southampton
SOU
|
38 | -37 | 25 |
Top-four race heating up
The defeats for Newcastle and Man Utd mean both clubs still have work to do to secure a top-four finish and UEFA Champions League qualification.
The pair are being pursued by a Liverpool side who have won six straight Premier League matches.
Newcastle's cushion above the fifth-placed Reds has been reduced to three points, while back-to-back losses have left Man Utd only one point above their rivals from Merseyside. But both clubs have a match in hand over Liverpool.
See: How clubs qualify for Europe
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
Manchester United
MUN
|
38 | +15 | 75 |
| 4 |
Newcastle United
NEW
|
38 | +35 | 71 |
| 5 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
38 | +28 | 67 |
| 6 |
Brighton & Hove Albion
BHA
|
38 | +19 | 62 |
| 7 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
38 | +5 | 61 |
| 8 |
Tottenham Hotspur
TOT
|
38 | +7 | 60 |
All eyes on the relegation fight
The focus largely turns to the lower end of the table on Monday when four of the bottom five teams are in action.
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Everton, who have not won in seven matches and have only one away victory this season, travel to a Brighton side still aiming for a top-five finish.
Leicester City are at Fulham, looking to continue their revival under Dean Smith.
Nottingham Forest host Southampton, hoping their strong home form can earn them the win that would lift them out of the bottom three.
