Premier League: Man City pip Arsenal 2-1 

The Premier League title race may have a new frontrunner. Manchester City tilted the championship battle in its favour with a 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday, sealed by a second-half strike from Erling Haaland.

Haaland’s league-leading 23rd goal, scored in the 65th minute, cut City’s gap to long-time leaders Arsenal to three points. With a game in hand against Burnley on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola’s side could soon overhaul Arsenal on goal difference and move top with five matches remaining.

“Panic on the streets of London,” read a banner displayed after the final whistle — a nod to The Smiths’ 1980s song and a dig at Arsenal’s late-season struggles. Mikel Arteta’s side has lost four of its last six matches in all competitions, including back-to-back league defeats.

For Arsenal supporters, the situation feels all too familiar, with the club having finished runners-up in each of the last three seasons. “Two weeks ago, this didn’t look very likely,” City captain Bernardo Silva said.

The match burst into action early when Rayan Cherki put City ahead in the 16th minute with a skilful run and finish. Arsenal equalised just two minutes later in unusual fashion, as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s clearance struck Kai Havertz and rebounded into the net.

Haaland and Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes all hit the woodwork before Haaland finished low from Nico O'Reilly’s cross, dealing a major blow to Arsenal’s hopes of a first league title since 2004.

City are widely expected to beat second-bottom Burnley but face a challenging run-in, including trips to Everton and Bournemouth and a final-day clash with Aston Villa. “Every game is a final,” Haaland said.

Unlike City, unbeaten in 10 league matches, Arsenal must also juggle their Champions League semifinal campaign. “It’s a new league now — everything is still to play for,” Arteta said.

Late drama for Liverpool and Villa

Liverpool and Aston Villa boosted their Champions League hopes with stoppage-time victories. Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic winner in the 10th minute of added time to give Liverpool a 2-1 win over Everton in a Merseyside derby that also featured a milestone for Mohamed Salah.

Salah, set to leave Liverpool after nine trophy-laden seasons, marked his final derby with a 29th-minute goal—his ninth in this fixture, equalling Steven Gerrard’s Premier League-era record. Van Dijk later sealed the win from a corner delivered by Dominik Szoboszlai.

The extended stoppage time followed an injury to goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was stretchered off after attempting to stop Beto’s equaliser.
Villa, meanwhile, edged Sunderland 4-3, with Tammy Abraham netting in stoppage time.

Fourth-placed Villa now sit 10 points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea, with Liverpool between them and extending its lead over Chelsea to seven points. The top five teams will qualify for the Champions League.

Forest boost survival hopes

Nottingham Forest strengthened their survival bid as Morgan Gibbs-White scored a second-half hat trick in a 4-1 win over Burnley. Forest moved five points clear of third-from-bottom Tottenham Hotspur, while Burnley edged closer to relegation to the Championship.