Man Metropolis and Arsenal win to shut hole to Liverpool

Manchester Metropolis’s Phil Foden celebrates scoring their first aim in opposition to Bournemouth on the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth on February 24, 2024
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

The week began at Manchester United with Jim Ratcliffe finishing his buy of a minority stake and setting out a three-year plan to return the membership to the highest of English soccer, knocking native rivals Manchester Metropolis and Liverpool “off their perch” within the course of.

It ended with the staff getting largely outplayed in its personal stadium by Fulham — an opponent within the backside half of the Premier League — and overwhelmed 2-1 to lose floor within the race for Champions League qualification.

Not solely did sixth-place Manchester United’s four-game profitable run within the league come to an finish on February 24, fourth-place Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 4-2. That left an eight-point hole between Villa and United after 26 of 38 video games. It stays to be seen if the Premier League may have 4 or 5 locations in subsequent season’s Champions League. Fifth-place Tottenham is three factors forward of United and has a recreation in hand.

Failing to qualify for the profitable competitors will probably be an enormous blow to United’s standing, to not point out its funds. It might additionally spell the tip for United supervisor Erik ten Hag as Ratcliffe seems to be to lift the requirements on the fallen big.

Dave Brailsford, the sporting director of Ratcliffe-owned INEOS and now on United’s board, was within the administrators’ field at Previous Trafford to see the staff concede the deciding aim on a counterattack within the seventh minute of stoppage time. Alex Iwobi tucked house the end, sealing Fulham’s first win at Previous Trafford since 2003, with United’s gamers having poured ahead looking for a winner after Harry Maguire’s equalizer within the 89th.

“After one defeat, it’s a must to see the larger image,” Ten Hag stated, “and the larger image seems to be superb.”

Douglas Luiz scored two of Villa’s objectives, with Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey additionally netting in its first house win of 2024. One of many three defeats at Villa Park this yr got here by the hands of United.

“If we arrive to recreation 33 in the identical place, we possibly look to Champions League,” Villa supervisor Unai Emery stated. “For now it’s about being within the prime seven positions.

Manchester Metropolis, Arsenal win

With first-place Liverpool not enjoying within the Premier League this spherical due to its involvement within the English League Cup last on Sunday, title rivals Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal had an opportunity to trim the hole to the leaders. They each took it — and now the highest three are separated by simply two factors.

Second-place Man Metropolis moved one level behind Liverpool by beating Bournemouth 1-0 away, with Phil Foden grabbing the Twenty fourth-minute winner from a rebound after Erling Haaland had a shot parried out. It was Foden’s sixteenth aim of the season in all competitions, already tying the England ahead’s most in a single season.

“Phil Foden is enjoying one of the best soccer I’ve seen from him,” stated Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola, who described his gamers as “supermen” for dealing with a demanding schedule. “We demand an excessive amount of of our gamers however they reply. I do know individuals say, ‘They earn some huge cash,’ however it’s an excessive amount of, truthfully. However enterprise should go on and it surprises me each time how we’re nonetheless there.”

Arsenal responded to Metropolis’s consequence by dominating Newcastle a couple of hours later, profitable 4-1 at Emirates Stadium to remain a degree behind Metropolis.

An own-goal by Sven Botman was adopted by strikes by Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, earlier than Jakub Kiwior glanced in a header for the fourth. Joe Willock, a former Arsenal participant, scored an Eighty fifth-minute comfort for Newcastle.

Everton denined win

Relegation-threatened Everton conceded an equalizer within the fifth minute of stoppage time to attract 1-1 at Brighton. A victory would have pushed Everton three factors away from the underside three and ended an eight-match winless run within the league.

As a substitute, Lewis Dunk headed in Pascal Gross’ cross to cancel out Jarrad Branthwaite’s opener for Everton at Amex Stadium.

Newly employed Crystal Palace supervisor Oliver Glasner ’s tenure acquired off to robust begin as his staff beat next-to-last Burnley 3-0.