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LONDON. — The English Premier League football title race is shaping up to be an exciting run-in after leaders Arsenal and second-placed Manchester City’s latest away victories on Saturday.
The Gunners saw off Leicester City with a hard-fought 1-0 win, while City were in imperious form as they despatched Bournemouth 4-1 on the south coast.
Arsenal can extend their lead over City to five points if they beat Everton at Emirates Stadium in their next outing on Wednesday after which both title contenders will have played 25 games.
City’s Rico Lewis said the victory at Bournemouth — their 200th away win in the English Premier League — “sends a message” to the league leaders, and with the season about two-thirds over, matters are intriguingly poised.
Late January and early February saw the Gunners endure a four-game winless run bookended by defeats by City, first in the FA Cup and then in the league.
They also dropped points in a 1-0 defeat by Everton and a 1-1 draw with Brentford, but wins on the road at Aston Villa and Leicester have ensured Mikel Arteta stays just ahead of his one-time mentor Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told BBC Match of the Day: “I am really pleased with the performance. We dominated the game, we attacked a lot, we were high up the pitch but we didn’t manage to create enough big opportunities.
“To win away at Villa, then at Leicester, in the Premier League is extremely difficult to do and we deserved to win both games.” Former City defender Nedum Onuoha believes Arsenal still hold the upper hand despite his old club recently inflicting Arsenal’s third league defeat of the season.
“A few questions were being asked of them, people were backing Man City,” he told the BBC. “For them to come back against Villa was a huge boost. The celebrations showed what it meant — it steadied the ship. It feels like Arsenal are back in total control of the title race because if they win their game in hand it would be five points clear and that is a big advantage.” — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter