LONDON – Manchester City took another giant stride towards retaining the English Premier League title with a controversial 2-1 win at 10-man Arsenal, as Tottenham Hotspur also needed a late winner to see off lowly Watford 1-0.
City is now 11 points clear of Chelsea and 12 ahead of Liverpool, who face off with precious little more room for error if they are to mount a title challenge despite having games in hand.
Liverpool will have to cope without manager Jurgen Klopp at Stamford Bridge after he returned a suspective positive test for coronavirus.
The Reds have also suffered three other positive cases among Klopp’s backroom staff and will be missing three unnamed players due to the virus.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was also absent from the dugout after testing positive for Covid-19 for the second time earlier this week.
But that had little impact on his side’s performance as the Gunners’ continued their impressive form by pinning the champions back for the first 45 minutes.
Arsenal took the lead when Bukayo Saka swept home Kieran Tierney’s pass, but felt they should have had more of a halftime advantage as Martin Odegaard was denied a penalty for a trip by Ederson.
The home side’s frustration at the officials boiled over after halftime as City were awarded a penalty after a VAR review for Granit Xhaka’s pull on Bernardo Silva, which Riyad Mahrez converted.
Gabriel Martinelli then missed an open goal with the chance to restore Arsenal’s lead and seconds later Gabriel Magalhaes was sent-off for two rapid yellow cards.
The 10 men nearly held out for a precious point, but City grabbed an 11th consecutive league win deep into stoppage time when Rodri poked home from close range.
“We saw our champions personality to go again,” Rodri said according to AFP.
“You have to push always no matter what happens. We didn’t do a great game, but we push, we never drop and we always thought it was possible.”
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s lead over the chasing pack for a place in next season’s Champions League is down to two points as Davinson Sanchez struck in stoppage time to save Spurs’ blushes at Vicarage Road.
Watford has now lost their last six games stretching back to November, but looked like holding out for a first clean sheet in the league this season till the Colombian flicked in Son Heung-min’s free-kick in the 96th minute.
West Ham United began the new year in the same manner as they saw out the last, with an impressive away victory as they beat Crystal Palace 3-2.
Manuel Lanzini scored twice at Selhurst Park, before a late rally from the home side with two late goals, as fifth-placed West Ham moved within a point of fourth-placed Arsenal.
David Moyes’ side, the surprise package of the season, took the lead in the 22nd minute with Michail Antonio sliding in to poke home a wonderful cross from Said Benrahma.
Three minutes later, the Hammers made it 2-0 with an outstanding finish from Lanzini, who flicked the ball to his left foot and volleyed home after good work from Declan Rice.
Lanzini made it three just before the break, drilling home a penalty after a VAR review found that Luka Milivojevic had handled in the box.
Palace got a goal back in the 83rd minute when Odsonne Edouard stretched to turn in a fine cross from substitute Michael Olise who then scored himself in the 90th minute with a free-kick.
West Ham is on 34 points, one more than Tottenham Hotspur and three ahead of Manchester United although both those teams have two games in hand.
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