Arsenal made an emphatic comeback from two goals down to beat Bournemouth 3-2 and maintain their lead on top of the Premier League.
Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth
Arsenal pulled level with goals by Thomas Partey and Ben White, before Nelson’s strike handed them three crucial points in his first appearance since November 12, 2022.
Bournemouth scored early in the game through Philip Billing, and went 2-0 up thanks to Marco Senesi’s header despite the effort in the game, Bournemouth still remains in the relegation zone.
Arsenal leads by five points after 26 games played above Manchester City, who are second with 58 points.
Let’s not forget this will be The Gunner’s first Premier League title in 19 years and with Manchester City close behind and Manchester United eager to find their own glory, it will be an incredible fete to win the league.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta:
“It was probably the loudest and most-emotional moment we have lived together,” he said. “The journey that we’ve been on together and how the supporters and team are together, adding the important moment we had today, it was very special.
“Everybody is probably overwhelmed a little bit. It was madness from the first second of the game with a routine we knew they could do and we defend so poorly.
“Then we just had to climb a mountain with 10 players behind the ball. We tried every single way, we didn’t score the goal and suddenly, we are 2-0 down with a set play again.
“After that, we don’t lose the shape, don’t lose the discipline and start to do all the simple things right and try to score the first goal. We showed maturity and resilience to do that. Once we did that, the atmosphere changed and the energy.
“Once we scored the second, it was ‘OK, let’s throw the toys out and go for it’. The subs made a huge impact today, I’m so happy for Reiss after the difficult months he’s had.
“I think the team and individuals showed they had a different level of willingness to win, determination and initiative, because when the game gets ugly, there is a moment where you can lose momentum. You can start to hide and to navigate through the game.
“We want to stay there [at the top of the table] but obviously it’s going to take a lot of effort. There’s still a lot of games to play and the Premier League, unfortunately every game is like that, but that’s the beauty of it.”
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The Blues can breathe a little after Potter’s side beat Leeds 1-0 win to ease the pressure after a difficult start to his Chelsea campaign.
Chelsea 1-0 Leeds
Less pressure on manager Graham Potter as Chelsea beat Leeds to get back to winning ways, thanks to Wesley Fofana who scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea early in the second half.
Graham Potter was forced into replacing the injured Reece James and Thiago Silva for Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, and Mateo Kovacic returned from illness to replace Hakim Ziyech.
Chelsea has managed two wins in their past 15 games and going into this game against Leeds United they could have been 3-0 up inside 30 minutes after an amazing start.
Kai Havertz found himself in a one-on-one situation with Leeds keeper Illan Meslier but failed to capitalise, while Joao Felix hit the crossbar and Ben Chilwells’s long-range effort came agonisingly close.
Graham Potter’s side Chelsea found the goal from a corner during the 53-minute courtesy of Welsey Fofana’s close-range header.
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter:
“We’re delighted with the win. We’ve had a tough period. I’m delighted for the players and supporters, who have had to suffer. It was pleasing to get the win.
“We started the game well and created some opportunities. Playing against Leeds is always tough; they’ve got a high intensity. We got the goal which was a pleasing moment for us all and then we’ve got something to lose in the second half which is where you’d expect us to be given the run we’ve had.
“It’s really good for the players to keep a clean sheet, win a game and have that feeling. It’s nice.
“It’s an important three points; it’s good for confidence and morale. The boys have been suffering because they care. Our supporters have been suffering as well. It’s been a tough period for us, it really has. The win gives us a chance to recover and to prepare for a massive game on Tuesday night.”
Chelsea remains 10th despite the win while Leeds is 17th and one point above the relegation zone. The next game for Chelsea is the Champions League last-16 home tie on Tuesday against Borussia Dortmund, who won the first leg 1-0.
Manchester City’s pressure on Arsenal
Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle
Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Newcastle ensured the defending champions exert more pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal with Foden and substitute Bernardo Silva all on the score sheet.
It is now what we call a job well done for Pep Guardiola’s side, as goalkeeper Ederson welcome a clean sheet – Ederson’s 100th in the Premier League.
Man City made six changes from the FA Cup win over Bristol City, with Ederson, Kyle Walker, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland all back. Stefan Ortega, Rico Lewis, Kalvin Phillips, Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez are all on the bench.
Newcastle made three changes from their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United, with Jamaal Lascelles making his first Premier League start since August in place of Fabian Schar. Nick Pope returned from suspension and Anthony Gordon made his first start for the club as Allan Saint-Maximin was benched.
All three points for Manchester City place them five points behind the Gunners, while Eddie Howe’s side remains fifth, four points behind Tottenham.
Eddie Howe and his staff now face back-to-back defeats after disappointing in last weekend’s Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester United. Howe’s main focus is likely to seal a Champions League spot for next season.
It is now what we call a job well done for Pep Guardiola’s side, as goalkeeper Ederson reached his 100th clean sheet in the Premier League.
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Man City boss Pep Guardiola:
“They had their chances to score goals. It’s Newcastle. It’s an exceptional team. They were in the final of the Carabao Cup one week ago and have been top four or top five, what do you expect to happen?
“We played a really good first half and after the game went up and down we put Bernardo on to make our possessions longer, we needed to keep more of the ball. It’s part of his intuition to do high pressing…
“An incredibly good result for us because it was a tricky game. Now we have three games in different competitions before the international break which will define our season.”
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Saturday, March 4th English Premier League Results
Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle
Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth
Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace
Brighton 4-0 West Ham
Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United
Wolves 1-0 Tottenham
Southampton 1-0 Leicester
