LONDON — Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League for at least a day after Kai Havertz’s late goal secured a 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday.
Havertz had been somewhat fortunate to avoid a second booking for a dive in the area earlier in the second half, a decision that proved crucial when he was on hand to head home a cross from Ben White in the 86th minute.
That extended Arsenal’s Premier League winning streak to eight games in 2024 and atoned for a howler by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale that had gifted Brentford an equalizer just before the halftime break.
It also lifted Mikel Arteta’s side above Liverpool and Manchester City into first place, one point ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side. Liverpool hosts Man City at Anfield on Sunday and a draw in that game would keep Arsenal top on goal difference.
Arsenal had been on a stellar scoring run, netting a combined 21 goals in its last four league games but couldn’t quite replicate that attacking prowess against Brentford despite taking the lead when Declan Rice headed home another cross from White in the 19th.
Arsenal continued to dominate but Ramsdale’s mistake in first-half injury time gave Brentford an equalizer out of nothing. The goalkeeper, who was given a rare start because Arsenal’s regular No. 1 David Raya is on loan from Brentford, dawdled on the ball and allowed Yoane Wissa to slide in and block his clearance so that the ball looped into the empty net.
Ramsdale was then caught off his line in the 55th and nearly beaten by Ivan Toney from more than 40 yards but managed to swat the ball away while backtracking.
The goalkeeper showed his better side with a good one-handed save in the 71st to tip a header from Nathan Collins over the bar.
Arsenal then had another spell of heavy dominance and Rice hit the crossbar from long range in the 74th after being teed up by Odegaard following a corner.
The sustained pressure finally paid off when White picked out Havertz for the late winner that kept Arsenal’s title charge on track.
Manchester United 2, Everton 0
In Manchester, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford converted first-half penalties won by Alejandro Garnacho as Manchester United beat Everton 2-0 to recover from back-to-back Premier League losses that had jeopardized its Champions League qualification hopes.
Fernandes tucked away his spot kick in the 12th minute for his first home goal since August after James Tarkowski clipped the leg of Garnacho just inside the area.
The Portugal midfielder then handed over penalty duties to Rashford after Garnacho went down under a rash lunge by Ben Godfrey. Rashford slotted his kick into the corner after a stuttered run-up to double the lead in the 36th.
Sixth-place United, which was coming off losses to Fulham and Manchester City in the league, trimmed the gap to Tottenham in fifth to three points. Spurs, which play fourth-place Aston Villa in a crucial match on Sunday, have two games in hand on United.
United will be hoping the Premier League has five places — rather than the current four — in next season’s expanded Champions League format. An extra berth will be determined by English clubs’ overall performance in European competition this season.
“Now every game, the manager said, is a final,” said Garnacho, a 19-year-old Argentine winger who was a persistent danger on the counterattack. “We have to win every single game, we’re Manchester United.”
Everton, which started the match at Old Trafford five points clear of the relegation zone, had more shots than United (23 to 15) but many were from long range and few seriously troubled goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Sean Dyche's team is now winless in 11 league games stretching back to Dec 16, while its situation could soon get worse if the Premier League decides to hand the club another sanction for breaching the competition's financial rules. Everton has already been docked six points this season for overspending.
Bournemouth 2, Sheffield United 2
Enes Unal came off the bench to score in stoppage time for his first Premier League goal as Bournemouth fought back from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to relegation-threatened Sheffield United.
Strikes from Gustavo Hamer and captain Jack Robinson looked to have earned the struggling Blades their second away win of the season.
However, Dango Ouattara scored in the 74th and Unal equalized in the first minute of stoppage time to earn the hosts a point from a pulsating game.
The Cherries were awarded a spot kick with just 14 minutes played after Tom Davies clumsily swept Dominic Solanke off his feet. Solanke stepped up in search of his 15th Premier League goal of the season but lost his footing just as he was about to address the ball and ballooned it over the crossbar off his standing left foot.
Next-to-last Sheffield United salvaged some pride after a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal on Monday but is still in a tough position, 10 points adrift of safety.
United States midfielder Tyler Adams was selected on the bench for Bournemouth but didn't come on. Adams has appeared in just one match since March 11, 2023, due to a hamstring injury that required surgery.
Wolves 2, Fulham 1
Wolverhampton's bid for European qualification was boosted by a 2-1 victory over Fulham in the Premier League but it came at the expense of more injury woes.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde limped off with around 10 minutes gone while fellow forward Pedro Neto, who had been passed fit after hamstring problems last weekend, pulled up just before halftime clutching the back of his left thigh.
The hosts made Fulham pay for missed opportunities, with Rayan Ait-Nouri scoring in the 52nd minute for his first goal since December 2022, followed by an own-goal by Tom Cairney.
Alex Iwobi grabbed a stoppage-time consolation for Fulham.
The result lifted Wolves up to eighth in the standings in the week when it was revealed the club will open contract talks with manager Gary O'Neil this summer.
Wolves’ strong form had been halted by a 3-0 loss to Newcastle last weekend while Fulham — looking to win at Molineux for the first time since 1985 — had been chasing a third Premier League victory in a row.
Luton 1, Crystal Palace 1
In London, Sunny Singh Gill became the first referee of Indian descent to take charge of a Premier League game when he oversaw the 1-1 draw between Crystal Palace and Luton.
Singh Gill was spotted signing autographs as he waited in the tunnel ahead of the second half at Selhurst Park.
Substitute Cauley Woodrow snatched an equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time to earn Luton a crucial point in its relegation fight.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s deftly taken 11th-minute opener looked to have won the game for Palace until Woodrow headed home a cross by Andros Townsend, a former Palace player.
The result put Luton three points from safety. Palace, meanwhile, will be ruing a huge missed opportunity to put more breathing room between itself and the drop zone, with new manager Oliver Glasner's record since taking charge now standing at one win, one loss and one draw.
Singh Gill’s decision-making was tested early when Palace protested for what the team felt was a handball by Teden Mengi. The former prison officer, who comes from a refereeing family, waved play on.
Singh Gill is following the lead set by his father, Jarnail Singh Gill, who remains the only English league football referee to have worn a turban. Sunny Singh Gill’s brother, Bhupinder, is also a referee.
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