Arsenal’s stuttering Premier League form continued as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Brentford on Saturday, allowing Liverpool to move within three wins of clinching the title. Manchester City, meanwhile, stormed back from two goals down to crush Crystal Palace 5-2 and re-enter the top four.
Fresh from their Champions League triumph over Real Madrid, Arsenal looked poised for a much-needed league win after Thomas Partey broke the deadlock just after the hour mark. But a 74th-minute equalizer from Yoane Wissa meant the Gunners dropped points from a winning position for the 16th time this season.
“An opportunity missed for sure,” admitted manager Mikel Arteta. “We wanted to win and increase our opportunities in the league… We have to be critical with ourselves.”
The draw leaves Arsenal on 63 points, 10 behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand and face West Ham on Sunday. Arsenal have now won just two of their last seven league matches.
Elsewhere, Manchester City treated their fans to a comeback masterclass. Trailing 2-0 inside 21 minutes against Palace, City were sparked into life by Kevin De Bruyne, who scored a sublime free kick and played a crucial role in three more goals. Omar Marmoush, Mateo Kovacic, James McAtee, and Nico O’Reilly completed the scoring in a dominant second-half display.
De Bruyne, who is set to leave the club at season’s end, said: “I want to go away with a Champions League spot for this team because they deserve it.”
City’s win lifts them to fourth on 55 points, two behind third-placed Nottingham Forest, who suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to struggling Everton. Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the winner in stoppage time, capping off a rare counter-attack that handed the Toffees their first victory in seven matches.
Aston Villa kept their top-four hopes alive with a convincing 3-0 win over Southampton. Despite Marco Asensio missing two penalties, Villa substitutes Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, and John McGinn found the net to secure the three points. They now sit fifth, one point behind City.
In Brighton, Leicester City finally found the back of the net after a nine-game drought, with Stephy Mavididi scoring the first of their two goals in a 2-2 draw. Joao Pedro converted two penalties for Brighton, but Caleb Okoli salvaged a point for Leicester late on.
With five matches left and multiple teams jostling for Champions League places, the Premier League is headed for a thrilling finish at both ends of the table.
