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Arsenal bounce back

Beaten at home by Manchester City on Wednesday (3-1) and dislodged from their place as leader, Arsenal, twice behind, showed character to end four straight games without a win.

With 54 points, the Gunners take two steps ahead of City, while they have one game less.

Sometimes lacking in control, they conceded the opener in the 5th minute when Ollie Watkins easily played William Saliba before sending a powerful and precise cross shot (1-0, 5th).

Arsenal equalized on a blistering volley from Bukayo Saka (1-1, 16th) but the Villans took the lead a quarter of an hour later after a very good combination and a feint from Emiliano which allowed Philippe Coutinho to conclude with composure (2-1, 31st).

Brought back up by a low dry strike from Oleksandr Zinchenko (2-2, 61st), the Gunners made the difference in a breathless last half hour with a helping hand from fate.

Arsenal's Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli against Aston Villa in Birmingham on February 18, 2023 © Geoff Caddick / AFP

A powerful shot from Leon Bailey, deflected by Ramsdale, was repelled by the crossbar (82nd), while a long shot from Jorginho on the corner of the skylight and bounced off the skull of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez before entering the goal (2-3, 90+3).

Gabriel Martinelli added a fourth goal in cages deserted by Martinez, mounted on the corner of the last chance for a capital success.

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City punished for their mess

By being unable to score a second goal to take cover, City lost two precious points.

The defending champion had however taken the advantage on a strike from 20 meters from Bernardo Silva shortly before the break (0-1, 41st).

Erling Haaland then had the second goal at the tip of his foot, but he first found the bar before missing the target a few meters from goal (67th).

© JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

This unusual clumsiness was sanctioned by Chris Wood, closely (1-1, 84th), on the only shot on target from Nottingham.

While it seemed to have regained the upper hand in the title race, City again gave up the hand to the Gunners before returning to the Champions League against Leipzig on Wednesday.

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Newcastle surprised by Liverpool

Twenty-two catastrophic first minutes from Newcastle, marked by two goals conceded and the expulsion of Nick Pope, "offered" a victory to Liverpool (2-0) who needed it.

After this fourth consecutive game without a win in the league, Newcastle remain 4th with 41 points, but Tottenham, 5th by two lengths, receives West Ham on Sunday.

Liverpool is still 8th, but now 6 units behind the Magpies and with one game less.

© Oli SCARFF / AFP

Two defensive alignment errors allowed Darwin Nunez (0-1, 10th) and Cody Gakpo (0-2, 17th) to put the Reds in an ideal situation.

The exclusion of Nick Pope, for a hand outside his surface (22nd), then cut short the dreams of a return to the Magpies.

Liverpool, despite everything, often trembled which is hardly reassuring before receiving Real Madrid on Tuesday in the round of 16 first leg of C1 and then facing Manchester United in the final of the League Cup.

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Hopeless Chelsea

Nothing is going well at Chelsea, beaten at home by the red lantern, Southampton (1-0).

All it took was a direct free kick from James Ward-Prowse in added time in the first act to decide the fate of the match.

© Glyn KIRK / AFP

But Graham Potter's constant changes to his starting lineup -- six players weren't at the start of Wednesday's 0-1 loss to Dortmund -- really aren't helping the team find automatisms.

The lack of success of the attackers, like Raheem Sterling who entered after the break and who saw two attempts, one after the other, repelled on the line (71st), continues the Blues who are trailing in 10th place with 31 points .

© 2023 AFP