Arsenal claim nervy win over Chelsea, Man Utd go third
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LONDON, March 1 : Arsenal kept their Premier League title destiny in their own hands as they eked out a nervy 2-1 derby win against Chelsea on Sunday with their corner routines again coming to the rescue.
Jurrien Timber's second-half header ensured Arsenal restored their five-point lead over Manchester City who had upped the ante with victory over Leeds United the day before.
Manchester United returned to the Premier League's top three for the first time since May 2023 as they came from a goal down to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Old Trafford.
United are now unbeaten in seven games under interim manager Michael Carrick whose name was chanted loudly at the end.
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Arsenal's win took them to 64 points from 29 games with Manchester City on 59 having played one game fewer. United have 51 points, moving ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference.
"The feeling that you have to continue to win and win and win, but it is not enough to open a gap," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. "This is the beauty and the level of this league."
Chelsea are sixth on 45 points after only two points from their last three league games. Defeat was their first in seven league games under new manager Liam Rosenior and was a blow to their hopes of a top-five finish.
They were hardly helped by Pedro Neto picking up two yellow cards in three minutes after Timber's goal and becoming the seventh Chelsea player to be red-carded this season.
"It's something that we need to address, not just Pedro but as a team to make sure we have 11 men on the pitch," Rosenior, whose side were also beaten by Arsenal in the League Cup semi-finals last month, said.
Arsenal got ahead when captain Bukayo Saka's deep corner was headed across the six-yard area by Gabriel and fellow defender Saliba nodded goalwards with the ball going in off Chelsea's Mamadou Sarr, although Saliba was credited with the goal.
Chelsea levelled in first-half stoppage time as a teasing Reece James corner skimmed off the head of Piero Hincapie and into the net.
The nerves were fraying after the break but Declan Rice's delivery was met by Timber who restored Arsenal's lead with their 16th league goal from a corner this season - the joint-most by any side in a single Premier League campaign.
United trailed to a goal by Palace's Maxence Lacroix after only four minutes - the earliest they have conceded all season.
But captain Bruno Fernandes equalised from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was dragged down by Lacroix who was red-carded. Fernandes then delivered the free kick that Benjamin Sesko nodded home in the 65th minute.
"It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character," Fernandes told Sky Sports. "There are a lot of games to go still (in the chase for a top-four finish) and it is important that we don't feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can."
At the other end of the table, Tottenham Hotspur's relegation fears deepened as they went down 2-1 at Fulham - stretching the club's winless Premier League run to 10 games and leaving them four points above 18th-placed West Ham United.
The only comfort for 16th-placed Tottenham was that Nottingham Forest stayed below them after they were beaten 2-1 at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Harry Wilson opened the scoring in the seventh minute for Fulham and the hosts doubled their lead when Alex Iwobi's sweetly-struck shot arrowed in off the post.
Richarlison pulled a goal back with a 66th-minute header, eight minutes after coming on as a substitute, but it was too little too late for the visitors.
"We were not good, lacked everything. Attacking and defending. Fulham were much better. There are problems here, big problems," said new Spurs boss Igor Tudor, who has now lost his first two matches in charge.
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